The Promised "Theory of Brisket"

Anthony Up North · January 2001

Here is the information (theory) I found on the WEB about Brisket. I thank the source, but unfortunitly I do not have the WEB site nor the name. (That will teach me to keep better records)[p]Anthony[p] BRISKET[p]Cooking beef brisket has traditionally been a lesson in compromise. Nature
supplies the cut with a hearty taste, so producing flavor is not difficult.
The tricky part is the delicate balance between toughness and moisture - you
can have one or have the other, but it is very difficult to get both in the
same piece of meat.
Because the brisket is cut from a load-bearing portion of the steer, right
next to the foreleg, this cut has a much higher concentration of the
connective tissue protein collagen than is found in a less active section of
the steer. The collagen is what makes the meat tough, but if it is cooked
long enough, the connective tissue will break down into gelatin, causing the
meat to become tender. Collagen begins to convert to gelatin at about 150
degrees. As the internal temperature increases beyond 150 degrees and even
though the collagen is being converted to gelatin, moisture is being driven
out of the brisket. As the brisket gets drier it actually starts to toughen
again even though the collagen is being converted. This is true as the
internal temperature rises to near 200 degrees. But at approximately 210
degrees a dramatic reversal occurs. The brisket becomes remarkably (fork)
tender and the rapid increase in the gelatinization of the collagen at this
temperature outpaces the loss of moister thus producing a texturally
pleasing brisket. An ideal situation.
A full, untrimmed beef brisket can weigh as much as 14 pounds, of which
about 10 percent is surface fat. During the cooking process the brisket will
lose up to 35% of its weight and will shrink in size.
HERE'S HOW
If you are not cooking a whole brisket, then chose the "point" end to BBQ.
The "point" end is the thicker end and contains more ribbons of fat. Even
though the "flat" end is considered the better cut, the "point" does an
outstanding job of BBQing because the ribbons of fat help keep the brisket
moist during the cooking process. Generally the "point" end is not readily
available at the meat counter - ask your butcher for an untrimmed "point"
that is 5 or 6 lbs. If you do the "flat" or a whole brisket instead, be sure
to ask the butcher for an untrimmed cut.
Apply your favorite rub prior to putting the brisket on the BBQ. Cook the
brisket for about 14 hours. BBQ the brisket with the fat side up. Adjust the
BBQ for a grill level temperature of 225 degrees. Apply heat and smoke
(Hickory, Oak, Mesquite, etc.) for the first 3 to 5 hours of cooking; apply
only heat beyond that. Too much smoke can impart a bitter taste.[p]When the internal temperature reaches 205 to 210 degrees remove the brisket
from the cooker and let rest for a half-hour so. Slice the brisket across
the grain. The brisket should be fork tender and quite moist.[p]NOTE: Generally the temperature gages on a smoker do not measure the grill
level temperature and can vary widely from that at the grill level. The
smoker temperature gages can be calibrated by placing an oven thermometer on
the grill and noting the difference in the readings. (This test should be
done while burning charcoal since wood smoke will cause the oven thermometer
cloud over to the point the thermometer can not be read.) An alternative is
to use a Volt-Ohmmeter that can electronically measure temperature. The BK
VOM model 2706 is one such device. Podler also makes a very nice electronic
thermometer.[p] SOME RESULTS
Before Cooking After Cooking
10 lbs 6.25 lbs (35% loss)
Size: 18" x 8.5" Size: 13" x 8".

Looks like charred, shriveled shoe leather - but that is how it should look![p] It will be fork tender and juicy![p]

Char-Woody · January 2001

Anthony Up North, Not to much to disagree with here and that alone ruins my day. :-)
The last brisket I cooked was a 13.9 lb brisket, and most if not all what accurred in the BGE was as described in this post.
One thing I might suggest, if you do a large brisket like this is to separate the point and flat, into two portions, and place the flat under the point similar to a tied roast, and let the thicker top portion baste the lower thinner portions thru the cook. This may help to keep the flat from being the drier part of the roast.
If I remember right, this nearly 14lb brisket was rubbing the dome when I closed it, then shrank to the 18 inch grill width.
C~W [p]

djm5x9 · January 2001

Anthony Up North:[p]Interesting notation about brisket shrinkage at the end of the article.

Anthony Up North · January 2001

Char-Woody,[p]That is a very good idea. Since my briskets are in the 6 lb. and I cut off the thin end, lets say two lbs, I could do two of those at a time and two of the thick ends at a time.[p]Come to think of it, this would be a very good way to see the how two different briskets cook up, since the cooking episode would be identical.[p]Very good suggestion.[p]Anthony

Unknown · February 2001

Here's the web site that has the original article. Look under the recipes section.

Unknown · February 2001

Sorry, let's try again. The site is www.purplesmoke.com[p]
[ul][li]Purple Smoke[/ul]

bubba tim · October 2008

I found this with an advanced google search. Thanks MollyShark. Good read.

The Promised "Theory of Brisket"

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