The downside of a two person household

[357mag]

The only time I get to fix a brisket is when I have people over. With just my wife and myself at home I don't feel like it makes any sense to smoke a brisket for just the two of us. I don't do small briskets because they always turn out too dry. I guess I will hsve to throw a party soon I am jonesing for some brisket. I did a chuck yesterday bt it just was not the same. I will just have to invest in a food saver.

 

[muskyjunky]

You can always vacuum seal left overs and freeze for later use . I do it all the time and works out good for us . Kids are all pretty much out of house now , so I understand what your feeling .

 

[HowlingDog]

We are the same here, me, wife (and dog who does not get people food). This is why I am starting to think about a FoodSaver too. Costco has one advertised now. I hear you can package cooked food just as easily and it still tastes great. Still doing research.

 

[old sarge]

My wife and I are empty nesters. The brisket is not aware of that fact and neither is the smoker. Vac sealing what we cannot eat makes for great meals later on. Same for bone in butts.

 

[motocrash]

I will just have to invest in a food saver.

Search Vacuum Sealer on here.

 

[old sarge]

We are the same here, me, wife (and dog who does not get people food). This is why I am starting to think about a FoodSaver too. Costco has one advertised now. I hear you can package cooked food just as easily and it still tastes great. Still doing research.

Yes indeed. Make sure the bags stand up to simmering or boiling water and enjoy. If you like microwaving, cut a corner off the bag to allow steam to escape and prevent the bag from bursting. But again, make sure the bags are rated for reheating.

 

[HowlingDog]

cut a corner off the bag to allow steam to escape and prevent the bag from bursting

I now want to see/hear a bag burst.... Boom?? I have an extra microwave in the garage.

 

[Preacher Man]

Costco has one advertised now.

I have that one and I recommend. I especially recommend it at that price. Pick up that box of extra bags they have on sale this month, too. I grabbed one yesterday.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Brisket Flats are notorious for drying out, I wont buy them except to Braise or Grind. Points come in small 3 pound portions and like Pork Butts, are difficult to mess up. Left over Points reheat very well...JJ

 

[GaryHibbert]

Same problem at my place. Just Miss Linda, me, and my old hound Roxy (she eats anything offered).
When I smoke, I don't worry about too much food. What isn't eaten gets vac sealed, frozen, and later reheated in simmering water. I use a Foodsaver and have never had a single problem with it or their bags.
If you get a Foodsaver, be sure to get one that has an attachment to vac seal storage containers--they're great for marinating meat under vacuum.
Gary

 

[johnmeyer]

Yup, one word: Foodsaver.

When our kids left, we changed nothing in what we cook or how much we make. We just vacuum pack all the leftovers. We've had our Foodsaver for almost a quarter century and in that time I don't think I've ever thrown anything out. We've often had leftovers from the freezer that are almost two years old. We buy ham at Costco and it sometimes takes three months to finish that, and even though it is stored in the fridge and not the freezer, it is in perfect shape (we just had ham in our scrambled eggs for Sunday breakfast, and we bought the ham in December).

We bought ours when it was a very new contraption and before it ever appeared in those TV infomercials. However, when those commercials first started back in the late 1990s, we watched part of one and they had this really good tag line that actually is quite true:

"They're not leftovers; they're second helpings!"

 

[Hawging It]

The food saver is the ONLY way to go. Just yesterday, I pulled some ribs that had been in the freezer for 3 months that were vacuum packed. Heated in foil in the oven @250 for an hour then added my BBQ sauce. They always taste just like directly off the stick burner.

 

[chef jimmyj]

I envy you guys! Only one of my three Millennials moved out. With their Sposes, I went from feeding Myself, Momma and the Kids to feeding SIX ADULTS! I have to cook MORE than I used too and...WHAT THE HECK ARE LEFTOVERS? I don't even know where my Food saver is....JJ

 

[HalfSmoked]

There you all the great test ammonites for sure have to agree and as said heat up as boiling bags no change in taste like a micro wave will do to meat.

Warren

 

[TomKnollRFV]

Sous Vide and the foodsaver, great BBQ buddies they are. Plop the vaccum sealed bag of meat in, sous vide it... best way to reheat the pulled pork IMO

 

[old golfer guy]

Ditto on the Sous Vide

 

[HowlingDog]

Well, spent some time, and money on Costco today.... FoodSaver ordered and an extra box of bags.... 3 to 5 days..... AND new Thermoworks DOT thermometers are on the way. Expensive day.

 

[TomKnollRFV]

Well, spent some time, and money on Costco today.... FoodSaver ordered and an extra box of bags.... 3 to 5 days..... AND new Thermoworks DOT thermometers are on the way. Expensive day.

Just remember to check out Amazon like a hawk...Alot of vaccum bags are much cheaper then FoodSaver, perform as well..and well, even with shipping are cheaper!

 

[HalfSmoked]

Dang why spend the money for a SV just to heat something up when a pan of water will do the same thing.

Warren

 

[old golfer guy]

Warren, rewarming something is just one of the many uses of S V