Eggsperimental Brisket Tonight

Spring Chicken · February 2011

A few days ago I posted about the method City BBQ in Giddings, Texas uses to cook brisket. I said I was going to have to try it. Here's the link to the post:

http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=1033133&catid=1

Well, I tried it today. Turned out pretty good even though Spring Hen and I had to leave for over an hour right about the time I had planned to take it off the Egg.

Here's what I did... I purchased a trimmed brisket at Sam's Club yesterday. All fat had been removed. The flat and point were held together by a very thin area of connective tissue so I just made two individual pieces of it.

I rubbed it down thoroughly with some John Henry's Brisket Rub.

I set up Lily Large indirect, raised grid with a wet drip pan and used Mesquite lump. I cooked the brisket @ about 350° from 11:30 to 3:15 (3.75 hrs), basting a couple of times, then transferred it to a pan containing a regular size bottle of KC Masterpiece Original BBQ Sauce and about a gallon of water which I heated to about 150° before putting the meat in it.

I then placed the pan back on the Egg and was going to let it remain there until 5:30. I was looking for about 185-190 meat temperature. That's about when we had to leave. So I shut the Egg down and left. When we returned an hour an a half later it was still at 170° dome and looked good. The meat was 185°.

We only let it rest about ten minutes before slicing the point part for just a few sample slices.

Here's some photos:

It was definitely tender and moist. Spring Hen said it was my best one so far. I wasn't excited about the flavor but it was one of my top five for sure.

I just thought it was a method of cooking briskets that I had to try. I may try again with a differet rub and a stronger concentration of water/sauce. And I won't walk away at the last minute.

Spring "Dark Water Brisket" Chicken
Spring Texas USA

cookn biker · February 2011

that's the secret to your success

DOW lurking and Eggin'

Mickey · February 2011

Very interesting Harr Chicken :laugh:

TXTriker · February 2011

Please let us know when you try it again which you like best.Your old method or the new. Certainly is a shorter time.

hornhonk · February 2011

Verrry interesting...

Vincent Chase · February 2011

Braised brisket is obviously pretty common but I haven't seen a brisket par-cooked in the smoker then finished off in a braise. Did the smoke flavor still hold up?

I'm interested in giving this a try. I think I'd put the brisket on pretty cold into a 250 degree Egg and hit it with really heavy smoke for flavor and presentation (smoke ring). The braising liquid is where I think a lot of flavor can be imparted and give the brisket your own unique twist, so I'd definitely make a home made sauce and instead of diluting it with water, I'd use a home made veal stock to thin it out. I'd take it out of the braise at around 175, 180, and reduce my braising liquid to concentrate the flavors and thicken it into a glaze/sauce and baste the brisket with it until 190ish, with a bump up in dome temperature and a few extra wood chips for some extra last minute smoke (because I like to believe the smoke gets 'stuck' in the glaze).. dang, I gotta do this soon!

Spring Chicken · February 2011

I didn't use any smoking wood at all on this first one. Instead, I used Mesquite lump (it turned out to be poor quality in my opinion) and there was a slight Mesquite flavor imparted into the meat, but very slight. The store uses oak sticks exclusively.

I also used an untested but widly popular rub (John Henry's Brisket Rub). I will definitely revert to a rub that I am fully confident and familiar with next time.

I also think I will let the brisket warm up a bit while waiting for the Egg to stabilize. I put it on cold this time thinking it would take on some of the lump flavor.

I had to guess at the temperature because he goes by "feel" not "dome temperature." My guess was 350° dome in order to get it almost cooked in under four hours. It did that.

His briskets are cooked over an open pit so there was no need for a drip pan. I had to add water a few times to the drip pan in order to keep the brisket juices from burning that awful smell when it dripped in the pan. I think I did right by that.

I'm sure the owner's description was simplified a bit but here's what he said about cooking briskets:

"Birkelbach and his staff begin their days around 5:30 in the morning when the fire in the smokers is stoked and the first briskets put on to cook. During the day he'll cook several hundred pounds of brisket, sausage, pork butt, pork ribs, chicken, pork chops, pork steaks, and several different kinds of beef steaks thick enough to remain juicy in the extreme heat of the smokers.

He prefers using smaller briskets because they have less fat and tend to be more tender. Birkelbach also likes to cook them fast to add to the tenderness. The meat that is the mainstay of any Texas barbecue house is cooked until it is almost done and then it is placed in a pan with water and barbecue sauce on the grill to finish it off. Depending on their size, the briskets can be ready by about nine o'clock. The main lunch run begins about 10:30am and ends around 1:30pm."

I just had to try it.

Next time I will make some changes in order to make it work for me. If the second one I do isn't FANTASTIC I'll go back to the traditional method.

Good luck with yours.

Spring "There's Always Next Brisket" Chicken

Spring Chicken · February 2011

Yea, I thought to myself, how lucky I am to have my Spring Chicken Grid to cook this on. I really like it now that it is getting broken in.

Maybe I should take it to Salado to show off and brag about. Yea... Popsicle did that in Plano and made lots of friends.

Plus, I think it has magic powers.

Spring "Using Magic To Turn Raw Meat Into Art" Chicken

Spring Chicken · February 2011

Yes it was.

Spring "Conceptual Cooking" Chicken

Spring Chicken · February 2011

I'll definitely share the results on the next one.

Spring "Have Idea Will Share" Chicken

Spring Chicken · February 2011

Yes... I've had briskets cooked over firepits, on every kind of indoor and outdoor cooker, and under many different conditions. The simplist were always the most tasty.

Spring "Simply Delicious" Chicken

mad max beyond eggdome · February 2011

leroy, this isn't too different from my "jewish" brisket, but instead of wine, you used the bbq sauce/water....

couple of things you may want to try... . instead of water with the bbq sauce, try using beef broth....may add to a beefier flavor, and should mix just fine with the sauce. .. .

also, when i do mine this way, i seal the pan with foil. ... at 350, it cooks much faster after the initial couple of hours of smoke.. . it only takes about 2 hours sealed up to be done. .. .

texture is definitely different than your usual 'texas nugget', a lot on the 'pot roasty' texture, but the flavor and moisture is outstanding....i'm also thinking your sauce will be more flavorful using beef broth instead of the water. ...

Hoss · February 2011

That is interesting.I may hafta give it a go myself.

Spring Chicken · February 2011

Yes to the beef broth. I was just attempting to duplicate what he said he does.

And I was aware of the wine bath but didn't want that flavor.

I like the foil idea.

Thanks

Spring "Try Anything One And A Half Times" Chicken

Spring Chicken · February 2011

I'm sure you would 'home-run' it if you applied all your Eggsperience. I'm still learning the game.

Spring "Strike Four" Chicken

Eggsperimental Brisket Tonight

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