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First, start with a thaw. Expedite the thawing of meat by utilizing a heavy gauge frying pan. Just fill the pan with hot water and allow it to get warm, not hot. Set the meat in the pan and allow the warm metal to assist in gently drawing out the frost. Repeat and turn the meat a few times, and you will be amazed at how quickly you can get to the next step of your food prep. Heavy copper or aluminum pans work best for this. Avoid solid stainless steel or Teflon pans. However, even they will do the trick upside down, placing the meat on the aluminum core.
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Better beef equals better flavor. The premium butcher business has exploded online. You’ll pay the price, but it can be worth it. Check my resources page at BarbecueTricks.com for a breakdown on Wagyu. It’s a fancy breed of beef loved for its flavorful fat. You could think of it as a grade over and above USDA Prime. Note the difference in American Wagyu and Japanese Wagyu labels. If you can afford the best, I say it’s a great trick to enjoy better steak, but not as important for brisket and leaner cuts. If you have the money, you’ll love it. We will discuss Wagyu in greater detail in the Talking Chop sections later in this book.
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Hit the right temperature. Pitmasters target internal temperatures that differ from USDA safety target temperatures. The trick to brisket is that smoked beef brisket internal temperatures need to top over 190℉ to be considered tender and “done.” The only thing pink with brisket would be the smoke ring. It really needs to get to that higher internal temperature to melt the intramuscular collagen.
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A handy trick. Don’t have an instant-read thermometer handy? With steak, you can gauge doneness by hand. Relax your right hand. With your left hand’s pointer finger, press the pad at the base of your right thumb. This is what “rare” feels like. Now pinch together your right thumb and pinky. When you poke the pad under your thumb, this is what well done feels like. You can gauge your steaks’ progress by comparing the firmness with this trick, but, for a truly accurate reading, use a good digital meat thermometer…still, it’s handy in a pinch.
Grillustration:
Handy Thermometer
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Give it a rest. Beef, like most smoked meat, deserves a good rest. A good rule of thumb is to allow 5 to 10 minutes for steaks, and 15 to 30 minutes for larger roasts. Cutting or slicing too soon will allow more of the savory juices to drain out onto the plate or cutting board. Just let it relax. It’ll be difficult to wait, but not too tough…definitely worth the wait.
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Bone by the pound. Sure, you can save buying by the pound if you butcher out the bone, but be careful that you’re not cutting out the potential flavor. There is a proven, and an undocumented layer of flavor that many say is added when you cook BONE-in. Rodney Scott’s secret is to keep in ALL the bones. He insists there is a difference in flavor even when you cook half a hog vs. a whole hog. He points out the spine (and all its surface area) adds its own secret flavor.
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Don’t fear the fat. If you want big flavor in your beef, you will want some fat. Don’t trim it all entirely off your roasts and chops. Leave a half an inch when you can. Also, 80/20 ground beef will make a better burger. 90/10 means that it is 90% lean. It may be healthier, but it’s too dry for most.
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I love a Panade. You can keep well-done burgers moist by enlisting the help of a “Panade,” which is a simple breadcrumb and milk mixture, commonly used for meatloaf. It will coat and lubricate the protein molecules and helps to keep them from binding, shrinking, or getting tough.
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The Dent. One famous trick that helps keep thick hamburger patties from balling up is to add a little dent in the center of the raw patty with the tip of your thumb or the end of a spoon. When the meat cooks, the dent will diminish, and you’ll have a flatter patty.
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Grinding your own. You can grind your own beef for better burgers. Use this trick to kill any possible germs. Drop your ice-cold beef chunks in boiling water for ten seconds immediately prior to grinding. Starting with slightly frozen meat will with grinding, too. The goal is to kill off any possible surface germs, not to fully cook in the boil. Cook immediately after grinding.
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Sous vide and grill. Looking to nail a perfect medium-rare every time? Try a handy immersion cooking technique called Sous vide. The technique has been used in the culinary world for years but has recently become a big trick in barbecue. Use the gadget mentioned in our Cool Tools in chapter 2. Sous vide to achieve the perfect internal temperature and then flash finish it on a searing hot grill to achieve the mouthwatering crust and sizzle. More on sous vide in the Talking Chop interview later in this book.
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The reverse sear. Similarly, you can “reverse sear” and cook thick steaks to perfection with just your grill. Cook “old school” style starting with a low and slow temperature, between 250ᵒ F - 300ᵒ F, over indirect heat. Roast until the internal temperature reaches about ten degrees below your final desired internal temp. If you want it around 140ᵒ F for medium (USDA may differ) target 130°F with a quick read thermometer. Then, pull it off the heat for a few minutes until it just drops slightly. Finally, fire up the grill to direct high heat and sear both sides 1-2 minutes to get a nice charred caramelization and crust. That final step will continue to cook and coax the center of the meat to your perfect finished temperature.
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Brisket Shortcut . I know this is controversial, but you can save hardwood, heat, and hassle by finishing your brisket in the oven. You’ll need to start with two or three hours on the grill with smoke. At that point, it’s absorbed most of its smoke. Once you achieve an internal temperature of 160ᵒ F, wrap it with heavy-duty aluminum foil (AKA the Texas Crutch) and finish slowly in the oven at 225ᵒ F until the brisket has worked its way to a gelatinous and succulent internal temperature of 200ᵒ F. This can be a great trick when you run out of hardwood or fuel.
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Go against the grain. Unless you’re making jerky, you’ll want your red meat to have a tender bite. Help it out by always cutting and slicing your meat against the grain. Note the grain before you season it when you can still see and better discern the lines of the muscle.
