Posted by arkansas_girl "Wouldn't a piece of meat cooked for two days at such low temps(129F) be spoiled? I don't get those super low temps? The meat certainly looks like it would taste good but doesn't seem hot enough to even kill the bacteria etc." That is a very important question. Very important. Fortunately today with internet, you can check out all kinds of information, and you do need to go to multiple sources to confirm your information. I am not going to be very specific, just some general ideas here. The general guideline given by the authorities are safe to the extreme, they need to account for all those young, old and the immunological challenged. Furthermore, to make things simple, the guidelines do not take into account the time factor. In other words, when they say (again, I am not giving any specific information here, just talking about concepts) 160F is safe for chickens, they are not telling you that is also safe for 150F if you cook at that temperature for 30 minutes, and 140F for 60 minutes. For beef, (for me, may not be for you) it is generally very safe that you can eat raw beef, if the beef is handled properly. Since you can not be sure of if the outside of the beef is handled properly, you can sear/torch using quick high heat to sanitize the outside before you cook the meat in very low temperature. It is entirely not recommended to eat raw ground beef because you cannot sanitize ground beef. There are charts available showing safe temperatures for all kinds of meat based on time and temperature. dcarch

Just came across this zombie thread. The mushroom soup Anita uses intrigued me. But one can has over half your daily sodium allowance, and MSG. Both of these probably make a very tasty roast. I think you could wing it with the ingredients of the soup, and use less salt and no additives. The ingredients I would keep match some of what earlier poster use: beef stock, water, mushrooms, tomato puree, flour, oil, a bit of wine, and then perhaps a little extra salt vs what you'd normally use (though I like to salt things to taste at the table - I find we use less salt overall that way.) My kids always like it when they go to dinner somewhere and campbell's soup has been used in the dish. It's all about the saltiness, I think. I think I'll put a chuck roast on the grocery list today. Yum.

Thanks islay, i will soon make that. A rustic easy prep is my game indeed. I don't have muffin tins of any kind, never have for some reason but will improvise with ramekins? Also late to the party having just spent the weekend harvesting yet again. I just made a wonderful vegetable soup using a smoked chicken stock from the freezer, creating during the drive home 'think tank'.. A nice pureed veg soup of roasted fresh harvest. Tomato. leek, shallot, celery, corn, green beans...had some left-over caramelized onions and half a baby white pumpkin i had roasted. All in the small 2 qrt soup pot when the stock came to heat...Un-packed the truck and it was ready...immersion blender and done. Nice that it did not have oil or any butter or fat at all but so rich with flavor. -I drove and husband snored the entire way home. He was shocked at the speedy outcome but cooking in my head while driving made the trip zippy fast. All the roasted veggies were from last nights dinner and a fresh tomato corn salsa. I don't consider it leftovers as i like to roast and prep soups a day ahead anyway.

Thanks everyone. I will take the advice...low and slow. I think with that much meat, 6 briskets, it could take as long as 3-4 hours. I may use a large dutch oven on top of the stove for a couple of the briskets. I think trying to cram them all in the Nesco may not work. I'm planning on refrigerating the meat and slicing it the next day. I'll take it to work in several zip locks, and then reheat in the nesco with some of the cooking broth doused on top to moisten. I will cook some small new potatoes in the broth in a crock pot and ditto with some cabbage. Every year I organize a Green Food Day on St. Pat's. It is fun. People bring in all kinds of cakes, cookies, dips, and veggies. Donna, your recipe sounds good. I will try that one for my family.