Bag the Brisket

• Vac and seal the brisket in a sous vide bag.
  1 5 lb brisket

Heat the Water Bath

• Set your sous vide circulator to 155°F. This is the temperature I landed on after testing from 135°F to 165°F. Lower temps require 48+ hours to break down collagen; higher temps make the texture mushy instead of tender. Wait until the water reaches temp before adding the bag.
• Cook the brisket for 24-36 hours.

Cook for 24 to 36 Hours

• Submerge the sealed bag and clip it to the side of the container so it stays fully underwater. I cook for 24 hours if I want sliceable texture; 36 hours if I want fall-apart tender. Check the water level every 12 hours and top off as needed; evaporation happens over long cooks.

Ice Bath (If Not Finishing Immediately)

• Remove the bag from the water bath and plunge it into an ice bath to stop the cooking. This is critical if you are making this ahead; it drops the temp fast and keeps the meat safe. Refrigerate the sealed bag up to 3 days, then finish when ready.
• Sprinkle salt and pepper over the surface of the meat and smoke the meat on a grill or smoker at 300 for 2-3 hours or until the internal temperature is 170.
  salt, Black Pepper
• To serve, slice the meat in thin slices.

How to Finish the Meat

Drain and Season

• Remove the brisket from the bag and pour the juices into a container; save them for sauce or reheating. Blot the surface of the meat with paper towels so the seasoning sticks. Sprinkle kosher salt and cracked black pepper over all sides.

Smoke or Grill Fat-Side Up

• Place the brisket on your smoker or grill, fat cap facing up. This is non-negotiable; as the fat renders during finishing, it bastes the meat and keeps it from drying out. Cook over indirect heat at 300°F for 2 to 3 hours, or until the internal temp hits 170°F and a dark bark forms on the surface.

Rest and Slice Against the Grain

• Let the brisket rest 10 minutes after removing from heat. Slice against the grain in ¼-inch slices. The grain runs in different directions on flat cut vs. point cut; look at the muscle fibers and cut perpendicular to them.

How to make Gyro Meat - Sous Vide Instructions

• First, process the onion in a food processor, high power blender or 10 to 15 seconds or grate the onion.
  1 Onion
• Place the grated onion into a paper towel-lined colander and press until almost all of the onion juice is removed. Discard juice.
• Place all of the gyro meat ingredients into a mixer fixed with the paddle attachment.
  2 pounds ground lamb, 1 Onion, 1 Tablespoon Garlic, 1 Tablespoon dried marjoram, 1 Tablespoon Rosemary, 2 teaspoons Salt, ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
• Blend the ingredients on medium speed for 4 minutes. The meat will be well blended and almost gummy.
• Press the gyro meat blend into a vac and seal the bag, removing all the air from the bag.
• Set the sous vide to 150 F. Place the sous vide bag in the water and cook for 2 hours.
• Remove the meat from the sous vide and when ready to serve, discard the juices from the bag.
• To serve, sear the gyro meat on a hot skillet, giving it a bit of color. Slice thinly and serve with gyro sandwich accompaniments.

How to make Gyro Meat - Oven Instructions

• First, process the onion in a food processor, high power blender or 10 to 15 seconds or grate the onion.
• Place the grated onion into a paper towel-lined colander and press until almost all of the onion juice is removed. Discard juice.
• Place all of the gyro meat ingredients into a mixer fixed with the paddle attachment.
• Blend the ingredients on medium speed for 4 minutes. The meat will be well blended and almost gummy.
• Place the mixture into a loaf pan, press the meat into the sides of the pan, flattening the meat to a loaf.
• Place the loaf pan into a water bath, a rimmed pan filled with enough water to come up ½" up the side of the loaf pan.
• Bake at 325 for 60 to 75 minutes or until the mixture reaches 165 to 170 degrees F.
• Remove from the oven and drain off any fat.
• Place the loaf pan on a cooling rack and place a brick wrapped in aluminum foil directly on the surface of the meat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F.
• Slice and serve on pita bread with tzatziki sauce, chopped onion, tomatoes and feta cheese.

How to make Gyro Meat - Rotisserie Instructions

• First, process the onion in a food processor, high power blender or 10 to 15 seconds or grate the onion.
• Place the grated onion into a paper towel-lined colander and press until almost all of the onion juice is removed. Discard juice.
• Place all of the gyro meat ingredients into a mixer fixed with the paddle attachment.
• Blend the ingredients on medium speed for 4 minutes. The meat will be well blended and almost gummy.
• Form the meat mixture into a cylinder shape and place on a double thickness of plastic wrap that are at least 18 inches long.
• Roll the mixture in the plastic wrap tightly, making sure to remove any air pockets. Once the meat is completely rolled in the wrap, twist the ends of the plastic wrap until the surface of the wrap is tight.
• Store in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to overnight, to allow the mixture to firm up.
• Preheat the grill to high.
• Once fully chilled, slide the meat onto the rotisserie skewer and secure it.
• Place a double-thick piece of aluminum foil folded into a tray directly under the meat to catch any drippings.
• Cook on high for 15 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium and continue to cook for another 20 to 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165 degrees F.
• Turn off the heat and allow to continue to spin for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees.
• Slice and serve on pita bread with tzatziki sauce, chopped onion, tomatoes, and feta cheese.