Instant Pot v. Sous Vide

[ktmoomau]

I have a brisket that is burning a whole so to say in my freezer space.  I am trying to decide whether I throw it into the instant pot OR if I sous vide it for a few days so it is super tender.  Anyone do the comparison?  I would think if I want to slice it and have it stay slightly near perfect chef temp then sous vide, but if I just want to turn it into more of a roast, sunday supper sort of thing, don't bother with this and just throw it into the instant pot.  I thought about cutting it in half and trying half and half...  

[curls]

If you have the time, I would recommend a braised brisket recipe from Molly Steven's "All About Braising" cookbook.

Haven't had a chance to try making sous vide brisket (it is on my list). I have made a tasty InstantPot brisket using this recipe -- https://thisoldgal.com/pressure-cooker-friday-night-shabbos-brisket/

Would be great if you could cut your brisket in half, try both methods, and report back.

[Pat]

I vote for half and half!

[thistle]

As someone who has an IP & an Anova, for a brisket I vote-smoke it! On a Weber Smoky Mt.  I did one Super Bowl weekend for my son, who used it to make chili for an office chili cook off (he did not win, unfortunately).

[ktmoomau]

Unfortunately condo policy and a very trigger happy smoke detector in my condo prevent smoking and grilling.  Maybe one day when I don't live in a condo.  Do people in townhouses set off their smoke detectors frequently?

[astrid]

Kenji recommend using liquid smoke in such situations.  Instant Pot is easier and probably produce a more traditional BBQ like product and better flavor development  Sous vide could be very tender after a long cook, though cook times longer than 12-18 hours have some extra challenges.

Apologies to Weber but kamado cookers are the way to go for BBQ.  Moist, smoky meats every time with minimal fussing.

[ktmoomau]

15 minutes ago, astrid said:

Kenji recommend using liquid smoke in such situations.  Instant Pot is easier and probably produce a more traditional BBQ like product and better flavor development  Sous vide could be very tender after a long cook, though cook times longer than 12-18 hours have some extra challenges.

Apologies to Weber but kamado cookers are the way to go for BBQ.  Moist, smoky meats every time with minimal fussing.

I hate smoke smell unfortunately, but might try it, just to see.  Have you ever used liquid smoke, could you smell the liquid smoke in the end of the recipe?  Does it add anything to the taste, or just the smell?  The amounts seem somewhat substantial in terms of smell.  This might be a good weekend for it, I would like my freezer space back.  I never have a problem with long sous-vide times, but might try instant pot as I have already done one sous vide before, and it was fine, but I didn't marinate it (lacquered it in the oven after under the broiler).   If you ever have your house burn down, there are particular smoke smells that really bother you, as anything you get back from a fire has this weird smoke, chemical smell to it for years and it really gave me headaches. It's a mental thing, I know, but I just can't get past the smell even if something tastes good. Most real bbq I can do, especially if they use a variety of wood, which sounds odd, but it doesn't have that same particular smell and it normally isn't that concentrated.

[astrid]

I used liquid smoke in sous vide preps and jerky, I didn't notice any unpleasant smells.  They are supposed to be just naturally made smoke and water, so it just smelled pleasantly smoky.  I am not the best judge though because I seem to have a higher tolerance for smoky than most people.  But no reason to do smoky if you don't particularly enjoy it.