1st try on beef brisket, any advice??

ashevilleegg · December 2012

tomorrow i'm cooking my 1st brisket on the egg. the only brisket i could find without going to costco is only 5.5 pounds, so i'm sure my cooking times will be much faster.....

i've reviewed a few recipes & here's what i'm thinking:

-coat brisket w/ kosher salt & pepper

-cook over oak indirect (platesetter) at 225 dome

-when brisket hits 160 degrees, spray w/ worcestershire then wrap in butcher's paper until brisket reaches 200 degrees

i'm glad to take any suggestions, especially on the cooking temp....

BuckeyeBob · December 2012

At that size sounds like you have just the flat. Problem with the flat is that it can dry out so for those, I like to cook at higher temp around 300. Once it hits 165 temp, I wrap in foil with some beef broth and let it braise. It is done when you can insert your thermo probe in and out without any resistance. You do lose some on the bark with this method but it usually comes out moist. Hope this helps. Good luck.

cazzy · December 2012

Bump up your temp to 250-275 dome. Looks like you're going with the Aaron Franklin method...you'll have good flavor. Most suggest Travis's method for flats but I think the butcher paper will protect your meat as it will steam your flat and should help with tenderness. Flats are difficult to cook by themselves as they can dry out on you very easily. Just keep a close eye on it and let us know how it turns out...and post pics.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · December 2012

cook it way hotter. Like 300 dome. Trust me, there is no need to cook that low on an egg and it will only dry your brisket out. You have a much better chance of getting that flat to behave if you cook it a little hotter. Plan on about 1hr per lb.

Everything else looks about right if you are looking to cook a TX Franklin's BBQ style brisket. He cooks at 320 btw.

lousubcap · December 2012

You have a brisket flat and those are problematic at best. That's about all I can find to cook and sometimes it's a triple or homerun others, a good strike-out. Regardless a great journey. I would offer that 225*F on the calibrated (key word) dome is too low. The flat will likely dry out before you get anywhere near the finish-line. Even at 250 on the dome it can take around 2 hrs/#. Running at 280-300*F on the dome will result in about 1-11/4 hrs/# and you still get a great bark. A couple of things-it is done when it is done-somewhere in the 190-205*F range in the thickest part of the flat. You are there when a probe goes "in and out like butter". Always slice against the grain and don't slice til ready to eat. Here are some good links to check -out. I have never used butcher paper or foil so no help there. Enjoy the journey-

Check these sites for more info;

www.amazingribs.com/recipes/beef/texas_brisket.html
http://www.bubbatim.com/
http://www.nakedwhiz.com/recipes.htm
http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/1996/03/brisket.html
All the info you will ever need.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · December 2012

I also like them to rest a few hours in the paper in a cooler before eating. It helps flats a lot to rest a while. They get a lot more tender

ashevilleegg · December 2012

@ cen-tex: i am attempting the Franklin style. i'll ramp up my temp, thanks. So pull the brisket at 200 then let rest for a few hours in a cooler still wrapped in paper? Have you tried this method before? i'm going to try another brisket (full brisket this time in two weeks) & i'd love to hear your favorite way to cook a brisket. i was tempted to try travis's method but i thought i'd try this one first....

The Cen-Tex Smoker · December 2012

ashevilleegg said:

@ cen-tex: i am attempting the Franklin style. i'll ramp up my temp, thanks. So pull the brisket at 200 then let rest for a few hours in a cooler still wrapped in paper? Have you tried this method before? i'm going to try another brisket (full brisket this time in two weeks) & i'd love to hear your favorite way to cook a brisket. i was tempted to try travis's method but i thought i'd try this one first....

I don't wrap or spray. I was going to try this today but the freaking grocer wanted $5 per lb for brisket! I've never seen it that high down here. I figured for $78 for a choice brisket, I'll wait and grab one later in the week at the normal store (we were at the fancy market today). I'd already paid them $4 for pork belly and the wife was looking at me sideways when I put the $80 brisket in the cart (not really but enough is enough).

My way is simple. Rub or salt and pepper and cook in a v-rack in a drip pan at around 275-300 until it's done. Then I let them sit for a few hours in the cooler. That makes a huge difference and Franklin does this too. He leaves them wrapped and moves them to far side of the pit. . That's where your jiggle comes from on a packer.

travisstrick · December 2012

You have received great advice so far. Nothing to add.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · December 2012

cazzy said:

Bump up your temp to 250-275 dome. Looks like you're going with the Aaron Franklin method...you'll have good flavor. Most suggest Travis's method for flats but I think the butcher paper will protect your meat as it will steam your flat and should help with tenderness. Flats are difficult to cook by themselves as they can dry out on you very easily. Just keep a close eye on it and let us know how it turns out...and post pics.

Well said (and you too buckeye). I would love to see how this works on a flat. there has got to be a way out there to get these things to behave.

cmkratt · December 2012

Agree with all the advice to bump up to 275 dome. I found that 225 dries it out because of the long cook time. I've had much better success at 275.

ashevilleegg · December 2012

here's how it turned out....

i cooked it at 300 indirect for 4 hours over oak. when it got to 150deg i wrapped it in three layers of parchment paper and cooked it until the flat was at 201. i pulled it, wrapped it in a towel & put in a cooler for 2hrs. pretty tasty, but i'm looking forward to cooking the whole brisket next time. i'd like to try the travis method. thanks to all for the advice.

lousubcap · December 2012

Dang-great cook-a Homerun in my book. I'm not too sure I would go too far off the reservation given the results! But part of the fun is experimenting...enjoy!

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1st try on beef brisket, any advice??

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