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Brisket "flop"

wkygriller
wkygriller Posts: 408
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Cooked my first brisket yesterday. It came out dry with no flavor. Now I have 5 pounds of meat and not sure what to do with it.
Any suggestions/recipes?

Comments

  • Richard Fl
    Richard Fl Posts: 8,297
    Chop it up and make chili.
  • I second the chili suggestion. My first brisket had similar results since I did not let it get to proper temperature. Chopped it up and made chili in the crock pot.
  • BigA
    BigA Posts: 1,157
    you could make a big pot of beans, chili or put some bbq sauce and eat on a bun.
  • You only have about 10 more attempts at brisket before you just go ahead and go out and eat brisket out.
  • dhuffjr
    dhuffjr Posts: 3,182
    Hmmmmm chili does sound like a great idea. Another thought. Put it in a pot with some beef broth (chopped up/cubed first) and simmer for a bit. Drain it and sauce it up for sandwiches.

    Never done it but it is what I would do if I didn't want chili.
  • jeffinsgf
    jeffinsgf Posts: 1,259
    It isn't easy, is it? I've made a couple that turned out really good, but I've had more tough ones than good ones.

    Which leads me to a confession. I did a brisket yesterday in a Crock Pot, and it was one of the best I've ever cooked. :huh: Dumped in in with some onions, tomato sauce and pickled jalapenos and didn't touch it for 8 hours. Tender, moist and flavorful with no anxiety. My best Egg brisket was better, but my average Egg brisket wasn't as good.

    Just got the Crock Pot a couple weeks ago, because the wife has a new job where they have pot luck lunches every couple weeks. I scoffed at first, but one of her friends gave my wife a Crock Pot cookbook with some great looking recipes, including the above mentioned brisket.

    I think there's some experimentation in order, blending searing and smoking on the Egg and finishing in the Crock Pot.
  • BigA
    BigA Posts: 1,157
    dont give up on brisket, it is a very hard to master but once you get the hang of it you will enjoy making them. 1 thing to keep in mind is dont keep making it the same way if you dont like it, you better change something up. Ask for help on her if you need it. I sure ask!!! :) I have done several now and they are turning out great :cheer: Don't just go to the restaurant and order it.
  • Big A,
    I won't give up just yet. Here is what I did this time...
    200-220 dome
    5 lb flat brisket
    cooked for 10.5 hrs
    pulled @ 185 The recipe I used was from the forum recipes. It said to pull @200. That temp seemed a little high. maybe I should have gone longer
    Any tips?
  • you can go 200 or higher. When you poke it with a probe or fork it should slide in like butter. You need to rest it for about 1 hour as well. I would consider wrapping in foil with some broth around 170. Make sure your grate temp is what you go by not dome temp.
  • BigA
    BigA Posts: 1,157
    i do mine around 235 to 265 dome temp, i do go to about 190 to 200 internal temp, i do a poke test, when i insert my probe it has to slide in and out with out resistance. I wrap my brisket for atleast 1 hr before slicing. I wrap in foil with a little beef broth and set in a cooler with towels for insulation. i would guess your brisket wasnt on long enough to make it tender. also, it will help if you do a full packer, it has more marbling in it to keep it tender, that will help as well, next time try a full packer(flat and point) and do a poke test. it might be done at 190, 192, 199, but it is done when it is done, do a poke test, you will get it down. :)
  • Shiff
    Shiff Posts: 1,835
    Try to locate a packer cut brisket. This will cook much better than a flat. Many butchers trim too much fat off a flat, which makes them less juicy.

    Don't pull it off the BGE until it tests as tender using the fork test. This usually happens between 190 and 200 degrees internal temp. I generally aim for 250 degrees indirect cooking at the grid.

    Two great sources of brisket cooking information are:

    http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/1996/03/brisket.html

    and

    http://bubbatim.com/Bubba_s_Brisket.php
    Large BGE
    Barry, Lancaster, PA
  • tjv
    tjv Posts: 3,830
    chop it, throw in sauce pan with a little coke for moisture, when just about heated, add BBQ sauce.........chopped beef sammies, pickle and onion optional........
    www.ceramicgrillstore.com ACGP, Inc.
  • Lots of good suggestions here on what to do with your brisket.

    BRISKET IS **NOT** HARD TO MASTER. It's all about finding a good brisket to cook!

    It appears you used a flat here. Did it have a solid layer of fat over the top of at least a quarter-inch (most don't unless you live in the South)? If not: DRY BRISKET.

    Was it a whole flat or just a carved-up part of one? If it weighed less than five pounds, it's almost certainly the latter. Small pieces are harder to cook efficiently. Result: DRY BRISKET.

    If possible, buy a whole, untrimmed, packer cut brisket (Wal-Mart groceries sell them in much of the country). Trim the fat to about a quarter inch -- you don't have to be terribly accurate. Cook it at 235-250 degrees until you have an internal temperature of 185-190 in the meat. Spritz it via a sprayer with apple juice every few hours while it cooks. When it's done, wrap it in foil and rest it in a cooler for at least an hour. Result: MOIST BRISKET.

    Seriously, don't think too hard about it. Worrying makes the meat tougher!