Smoke and Water Cookery: The Perfect Marriage of Sous Vide and BBQ

Barbecue, with its tantalizing smoky aroma and tender, flavorful meat, is a tradition steeped in time. For centuries, pitmasters have honed their craft, carefully tending to low-and-slow cooking fires to achieve the perfect result. But in today’s culinary landscape, where innovation meets tradition, there’s room for a little modernization. Enter “smoke and water cookery,” a hybrid approach combining sous vide cooking with classic barbecue techniques.

As someone who uses this method in a commercial environment, I can personally vouch for its effectiveness. Whether I’m preparing briskets, pastrami, pulled pork, ribs, or short ribs, this approach ensures consistent, mouthwatering results every single time. It’s not just about achieving perfection—it’s about delivering that same perfection reliably for every customer who walks through the door. The best part? It’s a true set-it-and-leave-it approach during the sous vide phase. Once the meat is sealed and in the water bath, there’s no need to babysit it for hours. If you’ve ever marveled at how we get our brisket so tender with that perfect smoky bark, or how our ribs fall off the bone yet still have a satisfying bite, this is the secret behind it. By leveraging this method, we’ve been able to scale our operations without compromising on flavor or quality. It’s also the foundation of our sousBBQ range of products, which brings the same consistent, high-quality results to a wider audience.

Here’s why “smoke and water cookery” is worth trying and how it can elevate your BBQ to a whole new level.

The Pitfalls with Traditional BBQ

Traditional BBQ methods rely on maintaining a consistent, low heat source for hours to slowly break down tough connective tissues in meats like brisket, pork shoulder, and ribs. While the results can be divine, the process is not without its challenges:

1. Temperature Control: Maintaining a steady temperature in a smoker or grill requires constant vigilance. Fluctuations can result in uneven cooking or dry meat.
2. Time Commitment: Smoking meats can take 8, 12, or even 16 hours. For many, it’s tough to dedicate an entire day to tending a fire.
3. Risk of Overcooking: Even experienced pitmasters can fall victim to a brisket that turns out dry or ribs that are tough instead of tender.

While these challenges are part of the art and charm of BBQ, combining sous vide with smoking helps eliminate many of these pitfalls without sacrificing flavor.

The Role of Sous Vide in BBQ

Sous vide cooking involves vacuum-sealing food and immersing it in a precisely controlled water bath, cooking it to a specific temperature over an extended period. This method is known for its consistency and ability to deliver perfectly cooked results. In the context of BBQ, sous vide addresses some of the biggest challenges:

1. Precise Doneness: Sous vide ensures that your meat reaches the exact temperature needed for optimal tenderness without overcooking. For example, you can set your sous vide cooker to 155°F for brisket and leave it for 24 to 36 hours, knowing it will be consistently tender throughout.
2. Time Flexibility: Because the water bath holds the meat at a constant temperature, there’s no rush to finish cooking at a precise moment. This flexibility is perfect for entertaining or planning meals around a busy schedule.
3. Retention of Juices: Sous vide cooking locks in moisture, resulting in incredibly juicy meat, even before it’s exposed to smoke.

But while sous vide excels at creating tender meat, it lacks the hallmark flavors of BBQ—smoke and bark. That’s where the smoker comes in.

Smoke and Water: The Best of Both Worlds

The “smoke and water” method combines the strengths of sous vide and smoking for BBQ that’s both foolproof and full of flavor. Here’s how it works:

1. Pre-Smoking (Optional): For some cuts, you can start by smoking the meat briefly before sous vide cooking. This step infuses the meat with smoky flavor before vacuum sealing it. The smoky aroma penetrates the meat more deeply when it’s cold, so a short 1-2 hour smoke at the beginning can enhance flavor.
2. Sous Vide Cooking: After the initial smoke, vacuum-seal the meat with any desired rubs or marinades and cook it in the sous vide bath. This step ensures the meat is tender and cooked perfectly throughout. Depending on the cut, sous vide times and temperatures vary:
   • Brisket: 155°F for 24-36 hours
   • Pork Shoulder: 165°F for 18-24 hours
   • Ribs: 145°F for 24 hours or 165°F for 12 hours
3. Post-Smoking (Essential): Once the sous vide step is complete, finish the meat on the smoker or grill. This step is where you develop the crusty bark and deepen the smoky flavor. Typically, this involves 1-2 hours in the smoker at 225°F or a quick blast on a hot grill for searing.

Why Smoke and Water Cookery Works

The magic of this hybrid method lies in its efficiency and consistency. Here are the key benefits, renumbered and streamlined for clarity:

1. Enhanced Flavor: The smoker imparts the rich, smoky flavor we associate with traditional BBQ, while the sous vide process ensures every bite is tender and juicy.
2. Predictable Results: Unlike traditional BBQ, where minor missteps can lead to disappointing outcomes, sous vide provides a safety net. You’ll never worry about undercooking or drying out your meat.
3. Set-It-and-Leave-It Simplicity: Once your meat is in the sous vide bath, there’s no need to check on it constantly. This hands-off approach lets you focus on other tasks or simply relax until it’s time to move to the smoker.
4. Time Management: The sous vide portion can be done well in advance, making this method ideal for entertaining or meal prepping. Once the meat is cooked, all that remains is a short stint in the smoker to finish.
5. Energy Efficiency: With sous vide, you’re not burning fuel for hours on end. The smoker is used only for flavor development, not for the entire cooking process.
6. Versatility Across Cuts: This method works for a wide variety of cuts and proteins beyond traditional BBQ staples, including chicken, turkey, lamb, and more.
7. Great Results with Smaller Cuts: Whether you’re cooking a full brisket or just a smaller piece of meat, you can achieve the same level of tenderness and smoky flavor. This versatility makes it perfect for any size gathering or meal prep.

Tips for Success

To get the most out of your smoke and water cookery, keep these tips in mind:

1. Choose the Right Wood: The type of wood you use for smoking influences flavor. Hickory and oak are great for brisket and pork, while fruit woods like apple or cherry work well for ribs and chicken.
2. Season Generously: Sous vide locks in flavor, so be bold with your rubs and marinades. Apply seasoning liberally before vacuum sealing.
3. Don’t Skip the Bark: The final step in the smoker or on the grill is essential for developing a flavorful crust. Make sure your smoker is preheated and that the meat has time to dry out slightly before finishing.
4. Rest the Meat: After the final smoke, let the meat rest for 15-30 minutes before slicing. This step ensures juices redistribute, resulting in a more satisfying texture.

Why You Should Try It

Beyond BBQ, sous vide is a fantastic tool for a variety of other culinary applications. Whether it’s cooking delicate fish fillets to perfection, making creamy custards, or preparing vegetables with precise texture, sous vide offers unmatched versatility. It’s an investment in consistency and creativity, allowing you to explore a world of flavors and techniques outside the smoker.

Combining sous vide with smoking offers a streamlined approach to BBQ that delivers superior results with less stress. Whether you’re a seasoned pitmaster looking to experiment or a home cook intimidated by traditional BBQ methods, “smoke and water cookery” opens up a world of possibilities.

Imagine biting into a brisket with a deep, smoky crust and a buttery, tender interior. Or ribs that slide clean off the bone yet still retain a satisfying chew. With this method, you’ll consistently produce BBQ that’s as impressive to the eye as it is to the palate.

So get yourself a sous vide cooker, fire up the smoker, and embrace the delicious synergy of smoke and water. Once you’ve tasted the results, there’s no turning back—this might just become your new favorite way to BBQ.

Links

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Sous Vide machines for every budget. The more expensive the machine in general the larger capacity of water they can handle

1. Inkbird, from the same people who produce ultra reliable thermometers, around £90 good for 15 litres. Get it on Amazon
2. Kitchen Boss 50 Litre. Big enough to handle a full packer brisket. The one I would recommend for home use. Around £140. Get it on Amazon
3. Sous Vide Tools 80 Litre. The one I actually use, It’s more of a commercial bit of kit and it’s built to last. Around £400 Get it on Amazon

Although it’s not entirely necessary you could get a vacuum packing machine, a relatively cheap option is available on Amazon for about £30. The Bonsen Vacuum Packer. Get it on Amazon You can use ziplock bags and use the water displacement method to get air out the bag to seal it.

Vacuum Bags

If your going to get a vacuum packer you will need bags. Get them on Amazon

Note: If you purchase your meat from us online, let us know in the order comments section and we will throw in a bag suitable for cooking your chosen joint.

Water Bath

You can use any size water bath as long as it will take the size of the joint you are cooking. A saucepan will do. However if you plan on doing something like a packer brisket your going to need a bath of at least 20 litre. You can get one on Amazon, you need to choose the right one for your chosen sous vide tool as the lid has a bespoke cut in it. Get One on Amazon

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