Fear of the brisket

IQthere4iam · August 2011

So I have been cooking about 3-5 days a week some fast cooks and some slow and low for 6 months. I have cooked burgers to pork butt to st louis ribs and even took a shot a curing and smoking my own bacon.

Well I have yet to cook a brisket in fear of ruining it. I am dying to try one but it seems to be a big peice of meat. I also have a party coming up in Sep. where a friend of ours who sells high dollar sea food to hugh end restaraunts has offered to provid me scallops and a kobe brisket, on her. I realy really dont want to mess that up. I have often heard brisket is a tough cook that you either get right or destroy.

I do have a digiQ to use but would like to get some advice on cooking and the normal reassurance that we get on this board.

Thanks

Steve

IQthere4iam · August 2011

No tips?

BENTE · August 2011

sorry i did not see this earlier.

my tips are to read thirdeyes page on briskets it helped me http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/1996/03/brisket.html

i dont know how to make that clickable just copy and paste it

IQthere4iam · August 2011

Great link thanks.... And its clickable

Squeeze · August 2011

Kobe cooks very different. Not the best thing to try for a first brisket. That could make for some expensive jerky.

field hand · August 2011

Sounds like you've got a few weeks before your party, suggest you try a regular brisket as practice. Maybe something around 6-7 lbs that will cook during day light hours. Bente gave you the right link for the details on how-to's.

Barry
Marthasville, MO

IQthere4iam · August 2011

Yeah id hate to experiment with $$$$ meat.

Thanks

Daddyo · August 2011

I've never understood the problem with brisket. If you have the hang of St. Louis ribs, you can make a brisket. I trim most of the fat, coat with yellow mustard, dust with rub, and put it on between 230 and 240 degrees, but anywhere between 220 and 250 is fine if the egg stays there. Cook till its 195 -200 internal temp and that's it.

One reason I suspect I've never had a problem is that I almost always cook a pork butt over top of my brisket. I just put bricks on the right and left of the brisket and rest a second grill rack on the bricks. Brisket on bottom. Pork on top. The pork drippings baste the brisket as it cooks. I've got a 9 pound butt over a 12.5 pound brisket as I type this. I'll take a picture when it comes off, but that won't be for about 18 hours.

reh111 · August 2011

To me, brisket is one of the easier things to cook as long as you do it low and slow. I'll tell you how I do it but can't take credit for the instructions - they were given to me: Sam's has jalapeño peppers pickled in a large jar - go buy one. Use whatever rub you like on your brisket, wrap it in Saran wrap (some sort of plastic wrap) and put it in the refrigerator over night. Set up your egg for smoking - plate setter, grill, etc - sometime around 6 or 7 pm, put the brisket on the egg bare, fat side up, and smoke it at about 225 degrees for 4-5 hours - then, about 10 - 11 pm take the brisket off and put it in an aluminum pan. Pour the juice from the Jalapeño jar over the brisket in the pan - let a few of the jalapeños go into the juice and even on top of the brisket. Cover with aluminum foil and let it cook all night at 225 degrees. After it's cooked about 15 hours (all of the times are dependent on when you want to serve it - but it needs to cook about 15 hours - it will stay warm wrapped in foil for a couple of hours) it will have the consistency of a pot roast and the fat on top will simply come off when you scrape it with a knife. Warning: calibrate your thermometer - the first time I didn't and it turned out that it was over 100 degrees off and I ended up with burnt shoe leather.

UGAVET · August 2011

I'm going to give this a try.

meat03man · August 2011

I did my first brisket the other day and used the Myron Mixon method in his book at about 300 degrees, it was pretty awesome. The only real advice I can give is save your grease cook it in a pan and use your grease on your meat, it takes the flavor profile to the next level. True it's not healthy but I would take taste over health most days anyways haha.

DrZaius · August 2011

True about saving the juices. Vidalia1 showed me how to do it with pork butt as well and it is really good.

IQthere4iam · August 2011

I've never understood the problem with brisket. If you have the hang of St. Louis ribs, you can make a brisket. I trim most of the fat, coat with yellow mustard, dust with rub, and put it on between 230 and 240 degrees, but anywhere between 220 and 250 is fine if the egg stays there. Cook till its 195 -200 internal temp and that's it.

One reason I suspect I've never had a problem is that I almost always cook a pork butt over top of my brisket. I just put bricks on the right and left of the brisket and rest a second grill rack on the bricks. Brisket on bottom. Pork on top. The pork drippings baste the brisket as it cooks. I've got a 9 pound butt over a 12.5 pound brisket as I type this. I'll take a picture when it comes off, but that won't be for about 18 hours.

I got a buddy that does this and raves about it. I guess my big fear is it cooking to quickly. Every pork but I have cooked has been turbo butt. I put on at 11 pm to be ready around noon next day and its usually done by 8am. 2 hr per lb has not worked well for me.

Guess i just need to try it.

Hungry Joe · August 2011

I've never understood the problem with brisket. If you have the hang of St. Louis ribs, you can make a brisket. I trim most of the fat, coat with yellow mustard, dust with rub, and put it on between 230 and 240 degrees, but anywhere between 220 and 250 is fine if the egg stays there. Cook till its 195 -200 internal temp and that's it.

One reason I suspect I've never had a problem is that I almost always cook a pork butt over top of my brisket. I just put bricks on the right and left of the brisket and rest a second grill rack on the bricks. Brisket on bottom. Pork on top. The pork drippings baste the brisket as it cooks. I've got a 9 pound butt over a 12.5 pound brisket as I type this. I'll take a picture when it comes off, but that won't be for about 18 hours.
I got a buddy that does this and raves about it. I guess my big fear is it cooking to quickly. Every pork but I have cooked has been turbo butt. I put on at 11 pm to be ready around noon next day and its usually done by 8am. 2 hr per lb has not worked well for me.

Guess i just need to try it.

Is your thermometer calibrated?

lousubcap · August 2011

All my brisket cooks (flats 5-8 lbs) average around 2.1-2.2hrs/lb with a calibrated dome of 250*F. Once twisted fork tender I double wrap in HDAF for at least 1-2 hours before slicing. Some have been great-all have been very good!
Good luck-

IQthere4iam · August 2011

Yes, all is calibrated

Ill be trying soon. Thanks!

IQthere4iam · August 2011

Well wish me luck. I have a 8lb bone in pork but going over the top of a 6 lb brisket (flat). Going on at 10:30 in hopes I dont cook to fast, but can have it ready by lunch tomorrow.

Egg Juju · August 2011

Probably a skoash late... but good luck. I think if you followed the advice above you will be fine. Don't forget to post some pics of the finished product.

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Fear of the brisket

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