"High Heat" Brisket

BigTex33 · April 2012

I decided to have fun with my XL this afternoon and smoke 2 brisket flats (8lb and 8.5lb) at 325*-ish. I usually smoke whole packer briskets at 225-250* until I hit 185* in the thickest part of the flat. I may have a hit or I may be drinking my sorrows away with some nice Saint Arnold Spring Bock...either way, I win.

8lb & 8.5lb Cryovac Angus flats
Ozark Oak Lump
Mesquite Chunks
Drip pan with water and beer
Dry rub (one with Hinze's Brisket Rub and the other with course sea salt, course ground pepper, and garlic powder)
Fat side down

I decided to go fat side down in hopes to not "leatherize" the bottom 1/4 inch of my briskets. We will see how that works out. Made my own sauce last night, hopefully it isn't necessary. I'll try to get some after pics. Plate setter is white because I went nuclear yesterday to clean the egg a bit.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · April 2012

Can't wait to hear how this works out. Sounds great.

lousubcap · April 2012

Since all I can get (unless pure luck) is flats, I too am looking forward to the outcome. I would guess (no proof) that the narrow window for brisket flat success will present a bit of a challenge but nothing a few cold adult beverages can't overcome. Thanks for the experiment-and you are right a win or a win, win regardless.

Mickey · April 2012

BT33 please keep us posted.

BigTex33 · April 2012

Here are some pics of the final product. I have been very skeptical of "high heat" brisket cooks...until now. The smoke flavor in this brisket was great. I loaded the egg up with mesquite chunks on top of the hot coals to get as much smoke as possible early on. Temperature stayed between 305-330* grate almost the whole time. Total cook time was 4hours 30 min for the 8lb flat and just over 5 hours for the 8.5lb flat.

5 things I think (thank you, Peter King):

1. High Heat works great for larger flats (305-325* and 6.5lb+)

2. Fat side down for higher heat may protect the meat from drying out.

3. Keep the rub simple...the sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder rub was superior by far to the fancier rub.

4. The drip pan with water and beer did an admirable job of keeping the cooking environment moist.

5. Please, dear God, let the meat rest for at least an hour before slicing. As long as the juices redistribute, you should not have to worry about dry brisket due to high cook temps.

These may have been the finest flats I have ever had. The homemade sauce was a huge hit with many people comparing it to Rudy's BBQ "Sause" in taste. No sauce was needed, however, because the meat was incredibly moist with just the right amount of pull before giving and a great, flavorful bark (hopefully this comes through in the pics).

Smoker_Guru · April 2012

That is some awesome looking brisket!! I've gotta try that.

Mickey · April 2012

Well done.

Chubbs · April 2012

Looks great. I think I am going to do a turbo brisket this weekend.

njl · April 2012

Just a dry rub? No mustard?

lousubcap · April 2012

Great cook and thanks for the lessons learned. Hope to achieve your success down the road.

MikeP624 · April 2012

I like your stand for the XL-BGE. Looks more stable than the one on the BGE website.

BigTex33 · April 2012

Just a dry rub? No mustard?

No mustard...I have done it with mustard before but I have gotten a great bark without it so I quit doing it.

BigTex33 · April 2012

I like your stand for the XL-BGE. Looks more stable than the one on the BGE website.

I got the stand from Foreman's General Store in Colleyville, TX. I like it because it has better stability and side tables than the one I saw on the BGE site. Anyone living in the DFW area should visit Foreman's if you get a chance. They have been great to me and they are a family run store.

Ragtop99 · April 2012

what temp did you take them off? 185?

That stand is definitely cool. I may have to make a shelf for the bottom of my nest.

BigTex33 · April 2012

what temp did you take them off? 185?

That stand is definitely cool. I may have to make a shelf for the bottom of my nest.

I took them off at 185* and let them rest for a little over an hour before slicing. For the most part, if I pull them off between 185-195* I get very good results. At 195* I will have some of the brisket on the ends that is a touch over cooked and falling apart too much for my liking.

BigTex33 · April 2012

BTW: I know this has been posted on other threads but I think there is alot to learn from this site about what the stall is and when it happens based on cook temp. Why not smoke at a slightly higher temperature and avoid the stall for the most part? To each his own but sometimes I need good Q and I don't have 15 hours to get there.

http://www.amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/the_stall.html

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