Smoking and Sous Vide

Sliced smoked brisket with a peppery bark and smoke ring on butcher paper

Low-and-slow cooking for the best results with big cuts: Texas brisket and baby back ribs on the smoker, hot-smoked salmon, and perfectly even steaks cooked sous vide or with the reverse sear.

All of these rely on temperature, not time, so a good instant-read or leave-in probe thermometer is the most important tool.

6 recipes

Smoker

  • Texas Smoked Brisket13 hr 30 min total | 12 to 16 servings

    A whole packer brisket rubbed with coarse salt and pepper, smoked low and slow over oak or hickory, wrapped in butcher paper and rested until tender. Serves 12 to 16.

  • Smoked Baby Back Ribs5 hr 20 min total | 4 to 6 servings

    Baby back ribs rubbed with a sweet and smoky spice blend, smoked low and slow, wrapped until tender and finished with a glossy barbecue sauce glaze. Serves 4 to 6.

  • Hot-Smoked Salmon7 hr 20 min total | 8 servings

    A side of salmon cured briefly in salt and brown sugar, then smoked over alder or apple wood until flaky, moist and lightly glazed. Serves 8.

Sous vide and reverse sear

  • Sous Vide Steak1 hr 25 min total | 2 servings

    A thick ribeye or strip steak cooked in a precise water bath to an even edge-to-edge doneness, then seared hard in cast iron for a dark crust. Serves 2.

  • Reverse-Seared Thick-Cut Steak1 hr 10 min total | 2 to 3 servings

    A 1 1/2 to 2-inch steak cooked slowly in a 250°F oven, then seared in a blazing skillet for an even edge-to-edge pink center and a dark crust. Serves 2 to 3.

  • Tomahawk Ribeye2 hr 35 min total | 2 to 3 servings

    A giant long-bone ribeye cooked low in the oven, then seared hard for a dark crust and an even rosy center. A showstopper that serves 2 to 3.

Common questions

What temperature should I smoke at?
225 to 250 F for brisket and ribs; lower, 175 to 200 F, for salmon.
Is sous vide steak safe at 129 F?
Yes, for whole cuts of beef like steak, where any bacteria are on the surface and are killed by the final sear.

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