Keeping Brisket in the Fridge for a Year Isn’t as Weird as It Sounds

Call it wet aging, or call it weird – but Texas Monthly’s barbecue editor ate year-old brisket so you don’t have to.

By Casey CheekFebruary 23, 2017 4:29 pm,

Cooking and then eating brisket that had been sitting in a refrigerator for a full year was just another day on the job for Texas Monthly’s Barbecue Editor, Daniel Vaughn.

His latest experiment tested the limits of the process known as “wet-aging.” The technique involves vacuum sealing uncooked brisket in a plastic bag and allowing naturally occurring enzymes to tenderize the meat. Vaughn says that the practice is more common than many people realize but does not typically span an entire year.

“There are some pit masters out there who swear by the fact that if it’s not sitting in the bag for 21 days, that it’s just not good enough for them to even smoke,” Vaughn says.

What you’ll hear in this segment:

– What Vaughn looked for to determine if the meat was safe to eat

– How the brisket tasted compared to fresh brisket

–The advantages and disadvantages of wet-aging

Written by Emma Whalen.