Brisquette gone bad...

Eggvis · April 2005

Today, I decided to cook a brisket and thought I had things well under control. I got a very late start (1:00pm) with a 4.49 lb. flat, 1/4" cap at best briskette that was thawed over night on my counter. (later regridgerated to keep it safe) Dome temp at time of inception was 220. Cooked until 10 pm. (2hrs a lb rationale here)Internal temp when taken off grill was 178. Set in foil w/ towel insulation for 15 mins...cut and found well done meat thought out. Disappointed indeed....at least I got the grass cut today..[p]Paul[p]

Bobby-Q · April 2005

Eggvis,
2 things here. [p]1. Leaving meat out overnight to thaw on the counter is not safe at all.[p]2. Were you looking for the brisket to be less than well done? I'm not a brisket success story myself, but I thought it was supposed to be well done seeing as how it is cooked to such high internal temps.

Salmon · April 2005

Eggvis,[p]My opinion, 220 dome temp was to way to low. Internal temp of 178 was a bit low as well, twre it me I'd take the internal temp up to at least 190.........but that's just me.

Smokin Bob · April 2005

Salmon,[p]If the temp was too low then how did it get overdone???

Smokin Bob · April 2005

Bobby-Q,[p]Mine are closer to well done too but they aren't dried out...

thirdeye · April 2005

Eggvis,[p]Don't give up....briskets are a very difficult cook. For me, in an Egg, a 215° grate temp is ideal and I never go higher than 225°. A general range of target temps is 180° to 205°, but again, in the Egg, most every one of mine are done around 190°. I get the best product starting with about a 10# brisket. And I do my best to pick a lefty.[p]You most likely cooked at too low of a temp, and you should have let it rest a lot longer than 15 minutes in the foil. Try an hour or two. (The juices that do remain after a long cook need time settle themselves) [p]Another option is to foil 'em like many folks do to ribs for the last hour or so of the cook. Followed by a long rest. They are moist and flavorful, however the disadvantages to this method is the product has a pot roast texture and appearance and the bark is soggy.[p]Best of luck on your next one.[p]~thirdeye~

T-47 · April 2005

Eggvis,
I have only done briskets on my WSM since my Egg is new, but I have always cooked them at 225-235 and am looking for an internal temp of 190. I then wrap it in foil and a towel and let it rest in a dry cooler for 3-4 hours prior to slicing; they always come out very moist. I took a BBQ class recently and this was the method they taught.

WooDoggies · April 2005

<p />Eggvis,[p]What I've learned from the pros, a properly cooked brisket is going to be well done.
In order to get a tender end product, it will have to be cooked as long and as slow as a pork butt to break down all of the tough tissue and to render the fat.
So, unlike a london broil where you want pink in the middle... you have to cook the heck out of a brisket.[p]
John

Crab leg · April 2005

thirdeye,
"A lefty?" I have heard of this before, but can you really tell? How? Care to share? I am in the midwest, where brisket is hard to find other that at Sams anyway, but why a lefty and how do you tell the diff? I loves me some brisket and have had success on the egg, but there is always room for improvement.
Seth

thirdeye · April 2005

Crab leg,[p]With the fat side down, the point curves to the right on a lefty. Steers, for the most part lay on their left sides more often than on their right sides. They have to use their right leg to push themselves up, so in theory, the right brisket muscle gets more of a workout than the left.[p]~thirdeye~[p]PS: The brisket prayer, the lucky charms and the mojo bone also work.

Clarky · April 2005

Eggvis,
Always rub briket day before and refrigerate until 1 hr. before smoke; a rub with sugar (brown or turbinado) will help in tenderizing meat. Never get dome above 220 and cook until meat is 190; I prefer a heavy smoke (mesquite, hickory). Always have fat cap up. Slice across grain and at a slight angle.[p]Brisket can be difficult to master at first but once you get it, you can't stop.

Nature Boy · April 2005

Clarky,
Just figured I'd jump in here since you are using words like always and never and master. And not to argue, but just to point out a couple of things that I have noticed that might conflict with what you are saying. First I have not found a noticeable difference between rubbing the meat a few hours in advance and overnight. Maybe it is just something where my pallet can't tell the diff. [p]Then I have not heard of sugar tenderizing the meat, and was wondering what you had heard in this regard? Agree with you on the cooking temps and meat temps, and smoke is a personal preference. Lastly, since I switched to cooking fat cap down ala drbbq, my briskets have been even better. The fat tends to shield the heat from underneath. Give it a try if you want to break away from always and never![p]happy brisketering.
Chris

Eggvis · April 2005

WooDoggies,
Nice pic! What wood and how much did you use to get such a beautiful smoke ring? And your crust looks great. I use yellow mustard and cowlick/dizzy dust for mine, but it never comes out so thick and crusty...[p]Thanks for the tips and any others are very welcome!
Paul

Brisquette gone bad...

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