This last week the door bell goes off and on the back porch is a cardboard box. Hurrying so as not to allow too many of these HUGE mosquitos in the house, I pick it up and the cardboard box tears. I am sure you can relate. So I quickly push it all in the house. In the cardboard box is a Styrofoam cooler. Now I am really perplexed. Its not those new jockey underwear I had ordered.
I open the box slowly thinking maybe it was full of kittens or something, and I see a cryopac surrounded by Nordic ice packs. Its a huge honkin piece of beef. My butcher likes me, but I didn't think this was her doing. Here's what it looked like.
Wow, I am impressed, I have read where some folks find theses mixed into the choice in the meat counter. I have never been that lucky. Matter a fact, truth be told, not sure I have ever seen a prime before other than pictures here. Look at this baby!
I am almost giddy with excitement! Wanting to know what raffle I had won, I tear thru all the paperwork. It tells about where this beef came from, the steers name was Bevo and he had a last meal of oats and molasses the morning of his demise. Well almost...... but he came from a Kansas City feed lot, and if a Kansas City butcher doesn't know beef, well a Dallas lawyer don't know law either. I finally find a card and it shows its from a good friend.
The beef is cool but not cold so immediately its in the coldest reefer. The next day the cryopac is removed and the meat is amazing. Normally I would just trim a very little, rub it with salt and pepper and smoke. I decided this deserved a little more respect, so I injected it with a lot of beef broth with just a little Tatonka dust in the liquid. AND added my rub.
BTW that is a full oven pan, tray. That Bevo dude was one monster! Then I wrapped it up in plastic wrap and returned it to the reefer for 3 or 4 days.
I pulled it out tonight, cut away the plastic wrap, touched up the rub. BTW there was less than a teaspoon of juices in the plastic wrap. It was all absorbed in the meat still. Zowie!
I did something abnormal for me, I went ahead and inserted the maverick probe. Why? Because I wanted to get it in the right spot to get that temp right.
Its on a 1/2 tray now. I swear I didn't trim that much off!
The smoker is cruising at 220, the Cold smoker is loaded with pecan and ready. Thinking I will wait till I get an IT of 100 to start that smoke. You can tell me it doesn't matter if ya like, but it just works best for me. Vent fully open until I kick in the smoke later.
So at 10PM I slide this little jewel in the smoker, the IT upon entry is a cool 34 degrees.
BTW did I mention this my maiden voyage not only with a prime angus brisket but also a new replacement smoker! I been burning her in and checking her out all week. LOL.. although I did have to wait for them to ship me a replacement part for it. Snake bite!
LOL... that brisket extends from side to side, and from front to back. I loaded the chip tray with a few charcoal brickets I probably won't add anymore.
Its now midnight, or 2 hours later the briskets IT is 65. I am really having a good time too. I put on a pot of pintos, and a couple of cured smoked hocks to throw in them. Oh added some garlic and onion to the bean pot. trying to decide now on potato salad or slaw.
Be back later with updates.
I open the box slowly thinking maybe it was full of kittens or something, and I see a cryopac surrounded by Nordic ice packs. Its a huge honkin piece of beef. My butcher likes me, but I didn't think this was her doing. Here's what it looked like.
Wow, I am impressed, I have read where some folks find theses mixed into the choice in the meat counter. I have never been that lucky. Matter a fact, truth be told, not sure I have ever seen a prime before other than pictures here. Look at this baby!
I am almost giddy with excitement! Wanting to know what raffle I had won, I tear thru all the paperwork. It tells about where this beef came from, the steers name was Bevo and he had a last meal of oats and molasses the morning of his demise. Well almost...... but he came from a Kansas City feed lot, and if a Kansas City butcher doesn't know beef, well a Dallas lawyer don't know law either. I finally find a card and it shows its from a good friend.
The beef is cool but not cold so immediately its in the coldest reefer. The next day the cryopac is removed and the meat is amazing. Normally I would just trim a very little, rub it with salt and pepper and smoke. I decided this deserved a little more respect, so I injected it with a lot of beef broth with just a little Tatonka dust in the liquid. AND added my rub.
BTW that is a full oven pan, tray. That Bevo dude was one monster! Then I wrapped it up in plastic wrap and returned it to the reefer for 3 or 4 days.
I pulled it out tonight, cut away the plastic wrap, touched up the rub. BTW there was less than a teaspoon of juices in the plastic wrap. It was all absorbed in the meat still. Zowie!
I did something abnormal for me, I went ahead and inserted the maverick probe. Why? Because I wanted to get it in the right spot to get that temp right.
Its on a 1/2 tray now. I swear I didn't trim that much off!
The smoker is cruising at 220, the Cold smoker is loaded with pecan and ready. Thinking I will wait till I get an IT of 100 to start that smoke. You can tell me it doesn't matter if ya like, but it just works best for me. Vent fully open until I kick in the smoke later.
So at 10PM I slide this little jewel in the smoker, the IT upon entry is a cool 34 degrees.
BTW did I mention this my maiden voyage not only with a prime angus brisket but also a new replacement smoker! I been burning her in and checking her out all week. LOL.. although I did have to wait for them to ship me a replacement part for it. Snake bite!
LOL... that brisket extends from side to side, and from front to back. I loaded the chip tray with a few charcoal brickets I probably won't add anymore.
Its now midnight, or 2 hours later the briskets IT is 65. I am really having a good time too. I put on a pot of pintos, and a couple of cured smoked hocks to throw in them. Oh added some garlic and onion to the bean pot. trying to decide now on potato salad or slaw.
Be back later with updates.