Brisket Firsts - Salt/Pepper and Paper Wrap

minniemoh

18# Angus packer. This one was wet aged in the fridge for about 5 weeks. First time I have used only salt and pepper (Black Ops has been my go-to). Also the first time I used butcher paper to wrap (I usually just cook naked all the way through). I wrapped at 12 hours and the internal was about 155. 20 hours cook time over Rockwood with Oak chunks. Had to bump temp to 275 at the end to have some rest time before dinner. It was still about 155-160 when I sliced. It turned out very juicy even though it doesn't seem to show in the pictures. Pencil-thin slices held together nicely. I'm excited for the next one.

WeberWho

That plated pic looks awesome. Good looking grub!

minniemoh

Thanks @WeberWho. I took a page out of your book (your last brisket thread was a winner!)

Budgeezer

Looks great!  I've been craving brisket lately.  

bhedges1987

You nailed that one 

BilZol

I chickened out at two weeks wet age. How did the beef feel and smell at five weeks? I haven't wrapped a brisket either but considered it. What differences did you notice? Worth trying?
Food looks great. Wish I had after pics of mine. 

Foghorn

It is remarkable how fast it dries out after you slice it.

But you can see the moisture on the plated pic.  Great cook and post.

minniemoh

BilZol said:

I chickened out at two weeks wet age. How did the beef feel and smell at five weeks? I haven't wrapped a brisket either but considered it. What differences did you notice? Worth trying?
Food looks great. Wish I had after pics of mine. 

Thanks @BilZol. Your's looked delicious too.

I bought this one a while back as it was just too nice of a piece of meat to pass up. It didn't have a lot of fat on it and it was crazy flexible in the packaging. They had it marked as a flat but it still had quite a bit of point on it. The length of the aging wasn't really on purpose - I just had not had time to cook it. I've gone 4 weeks a few times and to be honest, I'm not really sure if there is a difference from buying it and putting on the egg. It had a little bit of cryo smell when I opened it but NOTHING like pork stink. 

My favorite part about eating this one was that the flavor was very deep with the oak smoke and salt/pepper. It was just a really nice piece of meat and that may have been the reason. As far as the wrap, I'll definitely do butcher paper again to see if I get the same results on a Kirkland brand. The bark was excellent and it didn't peel off like it sometimes does when I have FTC'd in foil. I rested it on the counter for 2 hours in the paper. The first hour it was resting on a baker's rack and the second hour I covered with a heavy beach towel so it would hopefully be about 140-150 at slicing. It was still a little over that range when I sliced.

Truth be told, I have been lusting for an offset or some other kind of a stick burner hoping to get a bit more smoke flavor. This brisket may have curbed that if I can get it to turn out like this again.

lousubcap

@minniemoh - great cook and result.  Thanks for the paper wrap insights as I am lazy and have always run nekked to the finish-line.  Reads like you wrapped at the front-end of the approaching stall and left it on the counter wrapped for a couple of hours.  Then had a great outcome.  Most eggcellent.

Now, about the stick burner craving.  I just went down that road a few weeks ago-not for the smoke flavor as much as to learn that method of cooking.  It definitely is not a fire and forget but a whole different animal to learn.  We will see how much fun it remains once the winter sets in.  

NDG

wow . . the brisket cook takes skill . . . I am sooo hit or miss . . but yours looks excellent!

NPHuskerFL

Looks like a winner to me.