Anybody ever try sous vide-chill-smoke-grill?

[FeChef]

Ok first let me get this out of the way....I have tried pre smoking and post smoking with SV methods. I prefer post smoking because i cant stand the smell that leaches out of the bags into the water that end up doubling as a potpouri house fire scent. Also the smoke gets drawn out of the meat along with the juices and makesliquid smoke in the bag. Ok now thats out of the way.

Has anyone ever tried to SV then rapid chill to below 40F then throw it in the smoker at around 200F for whatever time it takes to get back upto your initial SV target temp? I usually pull the meat straight from the bag still hot and pat dry and apply my rub then smoke. But i dont get much time in the smoker or chance to get a nice natural bark in that short of a time.

[FeChef]

Nobody? Ok well my concern is this. If the meat in question has been pasteurized and chilled below 40F. Whats a safe amount of time to be inbetween 40F and 140F during the smoking process? Im thinking possibly cold smoking, then after a good few hours of smoke, crank the heat up to get a nice bark.

[dcarch]

I have complete flexibility in SV and smoking, and I have done things many different ways, depending on the food and recipes.

My smoker is electric, PID temperature controlled, hot/refrigerated, convection smoke, cold smoke generator, as well as humidified. It is also an indoor 4.5 cubic feet smoker.

dcarch

[KennethT]

FeChef - if your smoker is runnign around 200F, I doubt it would take over 4 hours to go from 40F to 140F unless you're smoking a steamship round. In any case, if you're cooking a single piece of meat that has not been punctured, the inside is considered sterile - especially if you have cooked it SV to pasteurize. Once you remove from the bag, you have only contaminated the surface, which should get up to temp quickly.

I don't know if cold smoking is the way to go, unless you want a cold smoked flavor - in my mind, they're different and have different purposes...

But, and don't quote me on this, I seem to remember reading that the smoke is "anti-bacterial" or somethign to that effect, so even if cold smoking, you can leave it in the smoke longer than you could on the countertop and remain safe.

ETA cold smoke stuff

Edited September 20, 2013 by KennethT (log)

[FeChef]

Kenneth,

My idea was that because the meat has already been cooked, it absorbs smoke slower so cold smoking could give time for more smoke to be absorbed without the worry of overcooking. Lets say 3 hours of cold smoke, then heated smoke until reaches target temperature. From what i got from your post, it sounds like i could probably get away with even just smoking at room temp for a few hours.

[rotuts]

Ive done SV > 'Smoker' > rebag and freeze.

I did 'desalted / defatted ' corned beef: cut off all the extraneous fat. de-salt by soaking in cold water in the fridge with a few changes of the water 12 hrs or so

SV 145 24 hrs. smoke on the webber ( turned into a smoker w chips - 130 degrees 2 hours ) then re- bagged and froze.

this was one of the finest SV projects Ive ever done. its going to be a yearly even at St.P's day when the CB goes on sale.

this is so delicious I can hardly bare to eat what i have FZ until im working on the replacements.

[shellyschachter]

This is my first post here and thanks to all for the knowledge I have learned from the members here.

I am very new to sous vide, having most difficulties with the new food textures I encounter. I try various foods at 4-5 different temperatures to find the texture I prefer best.

But my greatest sous vide cooks have been done in conjunction with my smoker, which is a wood pellet grill with both direct grilling and indirect smoking zones.

I have pre smoked brisket and boneless short ribs in separate cooks, both at 225° for 3-4 hours from a cold start. The meat, at that point, has great color and some bark. Then into the water bath at 135° for 48 hours. No off odors or anything else to take away from the beautiful smoke ring, pink meat and fork tender texture.

Shelly

Edited September 20, 2013 by shellyschachter (log)

[nickrey]

Welcome to eGullet Shelly. That is lovely looking meat.

On the original question, blackp did a trial of sous vide first, smoke second; smoke first, sous vide second; and smoke only with bacon. Smoke first, sous vide second was the least preferred. I was a participant in the blind taste trial. His post is here.

[shellyschachter]

Let me correct the temperature I used as it was 235°, not 225°, according to my notes. Can't find an Edit button now to fix my post.

I think that a higher smoking temperature, higher than 200°, for a longer time period would produce a more desirable result for blackp. Even smoking at 250° would work for the few hours of pre smoke and would ensure a great color and bark.

I also started the short ribs from a frozen state as to not overcook the interior during the 3 1/2 hour pre smoke. The boneless meat took the smoke qite well as you can see by the nice smoke ring in the photo.

The brisket I did was not frozen and was smoked for 4 hours as it was a thicker cut of meat. Basically, when the meat :looks ready" in that it has nice dark color and bark determines the smoking time. I was not going for tender.

I participate on a pellet smoking forum and a couple of other members use the same technique of hot smoking tougher cuts of meat for several hours until the meat "looks right" and then the sour vide bath for 48 hours.

And thank you for the warm welcome. This seems to be an awesome forum with SO much information that it will take me some time to read through past threads.

Shelly

[Steve Irby]

Here's a few photo's from last year for 72 hour beef short ribs.

Out of the circulator.

Left uncovered in the refrigerator to cool and dry the surface so smoke would adhere. Then into the weber kettle over indirect heat with lots of pecan wood.

Then finish with a quick char in cast iron.

And a photo from a second batch photographed by a friend.

Edited September 24, 2013 by Steve Irby (log)

[rotuts]

excellent job!

[Baselerd]

Those all look great people! Wouldn't you want to smoke it at an equal or lower temperature than the sous vide bath? Otherwise you are diminishing the benefits of cooking sous vide (i.e you will change the texture). That isn't to say it wouldn't be delicious.

[FeChef]

Steve those smokes short ribs look great. How long did you smoke them and what temp did you pull them at? Also what temp was your webber at? I havent tried pecan yet, mostly use apple wood or alder. How would you consider pecan wood smoke flavor to apple? I like apple because its mild, hickory is too bold for my taste. Looking forware to your response.

[Steve Irby]

Steve those smokes short ribs look great. How long did you smoke them and what temp did you pull them at? Also what temp was your webber at? I havent tried pecan yet, mostly use apple wood or alder. How would you consider pecan wood smoke flavor to apple? I like apple because its mild, hickory is too bold for my taste. Looking forware to your response.

Sorry it's taken so long to reply but we're a little spacey around here. The ribs were pulled when the temp was <130 F which I determined by spot checking with an instant read thermometer. The smoker temp was probably around 200 F peak. I think I may have smoked them about 2 hours. Pecan is in the hickory family but has a sweeter finish. I use pecan with chicken and salmon a lot and it does not overpower the food.