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First brisket in bear country

letskungfuletskungfu Posts: 7
in EggHead Forum
First I must explain that living at 8000 feet provides a lot of challenges to cooking. Lately the big bear that has been terrorizing the trash cans of my stupid / lazy neighbors has been #1. Last week I did a whole hog for a wedding on a cinder block oven and had a furry visitor get a little too close for comfort. Local BGE owners have had trouble of late with the neighborhood big boy knocking over their eggs to get at the delicious odors and finding broken ceramics... Purists beware, when I started this 16 hour experiment I had to begin in the oven. I din't want an unwelcome visitor enjoying my brisket.

Started with a dry rub on a trimmed 12lb brisket at 5pm yesterday, at 1 am I injected with a simple marinade and added half a coke to the pan and put in the oven at 200.(why Coke? Because I wasn't drinking beer.)  Around 8ish, maybe 8:30 I pulled from the oven, drip dried, and put on the egg. Seared all sides on a hot surface and placed fat side up for 30 minutes. 275 After 30 minutes flipped and left for 3 hours. Temp dropped and held at 200 after the flip.

After 3 sweet smelling hours I wrapped in foil and left until 5pm.

I then cut lengthwise and placed chunks in the skimmed broth from the previous night's braise. Immediately, I removed the chunks and started pulling the meat. WHY WOULD YOU PULL BRISKET?! Easy, because my wife like it better that way.

Doused in a simple sauce made by adding vinegar, beer (no more coke), honey, mustard powder, something I can't remember, and a little 'fridge door sauce', to the leftover braise liquid.

Maybe it was beginners luck, but it was fantastic. Photos below.





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Comments

  • SkinnyVSkinnyV Posts: 453
    Looks good, I wouldn't know the challenges of 8000 feet and would be shaking in my boots if someone said bears were hanging around right outside.
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  • Fred19FlintstoneFred19Flintstone Posts: 1,755
    No wonder the bears hang out there.  You got some mighty fine que happening!

    If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits 88 miles per hour, you're gonna see some serious shit!

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  • mrdnksmrdnks Posts: 47
    That looks great!
    Nice job.
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  • North_Is_UpNorth_Is_Up Posts: 89
    Nice. Do you notice that cooks take much longer at 8000 feet? I'm at only 6080' and everything takes at least twice as long at the same temperature as lower altitudes, from what I'm reading here. Must be even worse for you. My 11' brisket this weekend was about 27 hours at 225 dome. If my math is correct, this was 24 hours for you.  

    For bears, my Egg is on the second story off the kitchen and no steps down. Too much of a vertical climb for a bear on slippery supports, I hope. Never had an issue. But, I never had an Egg before. Hmmm. 
    XL BGE w/CyberQ Wifi
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  • DuganboyDuganboy Posts: 1,027
    Nice. Do you notice that cooks take much longer at 8000 feet? I'm at only 6080' and everything takes at least twice as long at the same temperature as lower altitudes, from what I'm reading here. Must be even worse for you. My 11' brisket this weekend was about 27 hours at 225 dome. If my math is correct, this was 24 hours for you.  

    For bears, my Egg is on the second story off the kitchen and no steps down. Too much of a vertical climb for a bear on slippery supports, I hope. Never had an issue. But, I never had an Egg before. Hmmm. 
    No doubt the altitude affects the cooking time, but at 225 dome your grid was probably at 200 or less, so it would take at least two hours per lb at that temp.
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  • smaschsmasch Posts: 80
    Waiting for pics of some smoked bear.............
    Owner of LBGE, 42 y/o Japanese Kamoda and numerous pull behinds!
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  • letskungfuletskungfu Posts: 7
    Altitude is tricky, the biggest problem I've found is moisture. Water boils at 197 instead of 212,,, food can dry out before it overcooks. With any long cook you get this odd fake-out period where it feels and looks done but the fat hasn't melted. Ever had a dry undercooked chicken? bizarre 

    The egg helps a lot. Holding in moisture up here is key. And keeping away bears... that's a close second.
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  • MacKay52MacKay52 Posts: 29
    We have occasional issues with black bears here. Elevation 879' I use motion sensing lights and a buzzer to notify me if I need to scare them away. If it ever becomes more of an issue, I will run temporary electric fence around the egg.
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  • North_Is_UpNorth_Is_Up Posts: 89
    letskungfu said:
    Altitude is tricky, the biggest problem I've found is moisture. Water boils at 197 instead of 212,,, food can dry out before it overcooks. With any long cook you get this odd fake-out period where it feels and looks done but the fat hasn't melted. Ever had a dry undercooked chicken? bizarre 

    The egg helps a lot. Holding in moisture up here is key. And keeping away bears... that's a close second.

    Water boils here at 201, but I don't know how that affects cooks. With the Egg, I never have dried out anything as long as I don't overcook it. I cook things to standard temps, like 195-ish for brisket and pork butts. I do have issues getting the Egg hot enough for pizza, though. Takes a very long time and everything has to be cleaned out first with new lump only.
    XL BGE w/CyberQ Wifi
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  • letskungfuletskungfu Posts: 7
    In a clean egg with new lump try using a hair dryer. I've had some success forcing air through the bottom vent to get temps high enough for pizza.

    I've been thinking about the canned air people use for cleaning keyboards... explosive? possible.


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  • nolaeggheadnolaegghead Posts: 6,040
    letskungfu said:
    In a clean egg with new lump try using a hair dryer. I've had some success forcing air through the bottom vent to get temps high enough for pizza.

    I've been thinking about the canned air people use for cleaning keyboards... explosive? possible.


    That canned air is actually a freon.  Most likely a fluorocarbon.  Exposed to a flame, you get extremely toxic hydrogen fluoride and carbonyl fluoride combustion by products.  Plus, some don't burn very well, will probably just help put out the fire.  And it's expensive.

    I've used an air compressor and a leaf blower to start charcoal in other grills.  Ended up melting the fire grate once.  Be careful.  A hair dryer or small box fan like you'd find in a computer case may be useful.
    New Orleans - best food on the planet. Large BGE
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  • tazcrashtazcrash Posts: 1,732
    FWIW, I have a battery operated air-mattress pump. Nice, cordless, and compact.
    I don't use it for getting high temps, Just helping spread an early fire.

    Bx - > NJ ->TX!!! 
    All to get cheaper brisket! 
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