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A tale of 2 briskets (and 2 eggs)

The Cen-Tex Smoker
The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,951
edited July 2012 in EggHead Forum
So I did 2 briskets in 48 hours this week. One on my large, and one on my FIL's new large. Mine was huge (17lb) and his was smallish (9lb). The large one was choice from the grocery store and the smaller one was "choice or above" from Whole Foods. Both were very well marbled and extremely flexible in the cryo. I did Salt Lick Rub on both which was awesome but salty. I did both around 260 grid and both were done at about an hour per lb. Faster than some but I attribute this to the heavy marbling throughout both (fat cooks faster than muscle). Setup was the same for both- v-rack over a drip pan. The large was filled with water, the smaller one was not. No difference whatsoever- they were both very moist and tender. No binder (mustard) was used on either and both had crazy crust, even after being wrapped in foil for hours before we ate. Both cooked over Ozark Oak with Oak chunks. Will use this combo on Brisket from now on. Great flavor for beef. Both came out as the best i have ever done and the people that ate them said they were the best they have had so I guess this flavor profile and time/temp work. I think I have found it and I'm not changing anymore!

The only other note I can pass along is that my in-laws had an electric knife. I ordered one as soon as I got home. It was so easy and smooth to trim their brisket I'll never do it another way again.

Anyhow, hope some of these tips help
Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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Comments

  • Duganboy
    Duganboy Posts: 1,118
    Just goes to show you what you can do with a brisket when your not blind running drunk.  Where is the fun in that?  Can't tell you how disappointed in you I am. :D:)>-
  • Just goes to show you what you can do with a brisket when your not blind running drunk.  Where is the fun in that?  Can't tell you how disappointed in you I am. :D:)>-
    excellent point. Note to self, do NOT hang out with @Lakewade before a brisket cook.


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Brownie
    Brownie Posts: 1,023
    Does this mean you are changing brands of lump?    Great news about your (and excited FIL) success.
  • Does this mean you are changing brands of lump?    Great news about your (and excited FIL) success.
    I'll still buy and use BOTW because is so cheap. But there is no doubt that Ozark Oak is better. I think I'll stick to OO for my briskets form now on. I'm not changing anything after these last 2....until I do :D


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • BYS1981
    BYS1981 Posts: 2,533
    Electric knife is ref on my bday list,which I will gladly post here.
  • Brownie
    Brownie Posts: 1,023
    OO is in my top 3.
  • Electric knife is ref on my bday list,which I will gladly post here.
    I can't believe i'd never thought of it before. It was effortless and every slice was perfect. Highly recommended


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • OO is in my top 3.
    what are the other 2?


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Brownie
    Brownie Posts: 1,023
    Nature Own Sugar Maple (favorite flavor), and WG Weekend Warrior (break the large pieces).....Although not my in my top 3, I use Royal Oak very often. Needless to say I always keep a bare minimum of one full bag of Natures Own at all times.
  • Nature Own Sugar Maple (favorite flavor), and WG Weekend Warrior (break the large pieces).....Although not my in my top 3, I use Royal Oak very often. Needless to say I always keep a bare minimum of one full bag of Natures Own at all times.



    I've used both and thought they were excellent. I used WG for quite a while but it got pretty pricey so I found others. Great stuff though. Haven't used nature's Own in many years but still remeber it being great. besides. Sugar maple is what Jack Daniel's makes their charcoal out of to filter Jack so it can't be that bad.

    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • ncbbq
    ncbbq Posts: 257
    Man and I had heard mesquite was the official wood of Texas BBQ which is why I used it on the few briskets I have done. Do you like the oak a lot better? I have some oak bourbon barrel chunks. Do you think they would be good on some brisket?
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,170
    edited July 2012

    @Cen-Tex-Independently I landed in the same place for my next brisket- "Ozark Oak with Oak chunks".  except I will use oak chips since I have such an inventory.  Can't wait to try for the elusive home-run.  Beer and bourbon inventory at the high limits so it will be "all good" regardless fo the results.

    BTW-I'm with Brownie on the WGWW lump-you cannot beat it for the long duration low&slows-and in terms of burn rate it becomes a bit more cost effective.  And that's my story and I'm stickin to it.

    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • Brownie
    Brownie Posts: 1,023
    The Cen-Tex Smoker I really like N.O. but the size thats comes out of the bag is lots of chips and pieces the size of a golf ball or smaller with probably less than 15 percent of the bag large pieces. But I still love it.

    lousubcap I like your your story.
  • ncbbq
    ncbbq Posts: 257
    Just opened my first bag of WGWW today. I was impressed with the big chunks, some were almost logs. It was a little more difficult to light than I am accustomed to maybe because of the large chunks or the density or something, who knows. But it has been burning really stable for about 3 hours now. Royal Oak was my previous favorite due to price and availability. I had to order the WG and have it shipped to my local Ace. When I went to pick it up the Ace guy told me he may start carrying it so if it works out as good as everyone says it may be my new favorite.
  • I can't get WG down here anymore so Ozark Oak and best of the west mesquite for me.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Man and I had heard mesquite was the official wood of Texas BBQ which is why I used it on the few briskets I have done. Do you like the oak a lot better? I have some oak bourbon barrel chunks. Do you think they would be good on some brisket?
    I do a lot of mesquite (lump and chunks) but something about oak has been working for me lately. Bourbon barrel oak should be very good. I like bourbon .......I like oak.......what could go wrong?

    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • ncbbq
    ncbbq Posts: 257
    I like bourbon .......I like oak.......what could go wrong?

    That's what I was thinking when I ordered it. It came to me when I was drinking so I looked on the internet and there it was.
  • I like bourbon .......I like oak.......what could go wrong?

    That's what I was thinking when I ordered it. It came to me when I was drinking so I looked on the internet and there it was.
    Funny how that happens!


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • The Cen-Tex Smoker I really like N.O. but the size thats comes out of the bag is lots of chips and pieces the size of a golf ball or smaller with probably less than 15 percent of the bag large pieces. But I still love it.

    lousubcap I like your your story.
    Yeah, I like the bigger pieces but OO is smaller than I'm used to and it works great


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Brownie
    Brownie Posts: 1,023
    The OO I've been getting is comparable (size) to the RO I get. The N.O. is smaller. I have never had the pleasure of even considering breaking a piece.
  • The OO I've been getting is comparable (size) to the RO I get. The N.O. is smaller. I have never had the pleasure of even considering breaking a piece.
    If you want big pieces, try a bag of BOTW. There are logs in the 40lb bags. I keep a pick axe by my deck box to bust up pieces just so they will fit!


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • njl
    njl Posts: 1,123
    What's the reason for using the V-Rack vs just putting them on the cooking grid?

    Was the knife something like:
    http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CEK-40-Electric-Knife/dp/B00004WKI3/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341696660&sr=8-1&keywords=electric+knife

    Do you let them sit in the rub for any prolonged amount of time, or just remove from fridge, remove cryo, pat dry, coat with rub, and place in the prepped egg?  I still have an 8lb flat in the freezer that I need to attempt as soon as my patio/egg are back in service.
  • What's the reason for using the V-Rack vs just putting them on the cooking grid?

    Was the knife something like:
    http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CEK-40-Electric-Knife/dp/B00004WKI3/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341696660&sr=8-1&keywords=electric+knife

    Do you let them sit in the rub for any prolonged amount of time, or just remove from fridge, remove cryo, pat dry, coat with rub, and place in the prepped egg?  I still have an 8lb flat in the freezer that I need to attempt as soon as my patio/egg are back in service.



    I use a drip pan on all butts and briskets. The v-rack fits perfectly inside a 9.5x13.5 foil pan that you can get for $2 at the grocery store. You can set this on the grid, or for larger briskets, remove the grid and put on the platesetter (more room down there) with a spacer under the pan. Gives plenty of room to get smoke all the way around and when it's done, I just pick up the rack and dump it onto foil.

    i do not let mine sit with rub for any amount fo time. Out of the cryo, rub down, onto the egg

    the knife they had was cheaper. I saw that one you linked to but this was a 10 year old cheapie and worked awesome
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • joe317
    joe317 Posts: 28
    Cen-Tex - what internal temperature did you go to? Thx.

    I took your earlier advice and bought a nice 8 lb brisket from HEB that I plan on cooking tomorrow. Pretty much going to follow what you laid out above except I don't have a v-rack so I'll just put it on the regular grill rack with the drip pan sitting on the platesetter. Hoping for much better results this time.
  • Cen-Tex - what internal temperature did you go to? Thx.

    I took your earlier advice and bought a nice 8 lb brisket from HEB that I plan on cooking tomorrow. Pretty much going to follow what you laid out above except I don't have a v-rack so I'll just put it on the regular grill rack with the drip pan sitting on the platesetter. Hoping for much better results this time.



    195 on both. perfect.

    as far as taking my advice......good luck with that!

    did you get the choice brisket at HEB? They do carry a lot of select there too. I havent had as much luck with those
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • BYS1981
    BYS1981 Posts: 2,533
    The OO I've been getting is comparable (size) to the RO I get. The N.O. is smaller. I have never had the pleasure of even considering breaking a piece.
    If you want big pieces, try a bag of BOTW. There are logs in the 40lb bags. I keep a pick axe by my deck box to bust up pieces just so they will fit!


    I have had some pieces so big I they don't fit into a medium lol
  • The OO I've been getting is comparable (size) to the RO I get. The N.O. is smaller. I have never had the pleasure of even considering breaking a piece.
    If you want big pieces, try a bag of BOTW. There are logs in the 40lb bags. I keep a pick axe by my deck box to bust up pieces just so they will fit!


    I have had some pieces so big I they don't fit into a medium lol
    They don't fit in my large either


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • njl
    njl Posts: 1,123
    The Cuisinart one looked good, but the reviews appear to be very mixed, some saying it appears to be fragile and easily broken.  We do a lot of bread baking, and I've gotten reasonably competent with a bread knife, but anything that would make slicing easier, especially getting uniform thin sandwich slices, would be appreciated.  With good knives, cutting good meat shouldn't be an issue...but I can see how using a powered knife would take all the work out of it...just hold the knife, and let it glide through the meat...all you have to do is steer.
  • The Cuisinart one looked good, but the reviews appear to be very mixed, some saying it appears to be fragile and easily broken.  We do a lot of bread baking, and I've gotten reasonably competent with a bread knife, but anything that would make slicing easier, especially getting uniform thin sandwich slices, would be appreciated.  With good knives, cutting good meat shouldn't be an issue...but I can see how using a powered knife would take all the work out of it...just hold the knife, and let it glide through the meat...all you have to do is steer.



    i saw the same thing. i'm going to ask the forum if anyone has one they like
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • cazzy
    cazzy Posts: 9,136
    Cen...I recommend this one:

    http://www.basspro.com/Mister-Twister-Electric-Fisherman-Fillet-Knife/product/15930/91740

    I got the 9" replacement blade to go along with the 7" that comes with the fisherman. I read alot of reviews and many BBQ peeps like it.
    Just a hack that makes some $hitty BBQ....