It was a series of coincidences that caused me to recently make my very first brisket.
I was on another forum where a guy was asking about sous vide machines. I posted my experience & advice, and there were comments from a few members admitting their heresy by stating they prefer cooking brisket that way versus smoking it. The gasps were audible. A couple of days later I was trolling the meat counter at the grocery store as I always do, looking for marked-down stuff, and there was a "cheap" end cut brisket (I think it was a little over 2# for $16.)
Recalling that thread, I bought it, rubbed it with kosher salt & cracked pepper, added a few drops of liquid smoke, vacuum sealed it, and cooked it in a 155° water bath for 36 hours. Then I dried it off, re-seasoned it, and finished it in a 300° oven for 2 hours to put a crust on it. It was so good that when I spotted a marked-down bottom roast, I cooked it the same method (131° for 24 hours, rubbed with salt & pepper with a little powdered au jus mix added, then dried & seared in a screeching-hot cast iron skillet.)
I don't know that I'd do a large cut of beef any other way. It comes out perfect (not dry and almost impossible to overcook), and the juices make great gravy/dipping sauce.
