Brisket

GJ · July 2001

I am looking for some suggestions on cooking brisket. I am going to try one this weekend and this will be my first one. [p]I usually like my beef rare but from what I have been reading this is not an option with brisket. Correct?

Char-Woody · July 2001

GJ, yuppers, you got it down pretty good..The brisket is a multi texture grain of meat and lends itself well to low and slow smokes..It will be very tender, and moist when done properly. Smoked on hickory or any good nut wood will enhance it. Use a good rub of your choice, or a marinate, and a good slather of plain old prepared mustard, wrap in plastic overnight to 24 hours..and cook at 225 to 250F degrees till you reach a internal of 190 on up. Some briskets require a longer period of time. Once you have reached the done plateau, you can insert a meat fork, twist it and find little or no resistance and the meat is at or just above the slicing stage. Enjoy..you will do good and there will be better suggestions coming up..Pick a good one and go for it..
Cheers..
C~W[p]

Nature Boy · July 2001

GJ,
As usual, CW has filled you in nicely. Those oft-used muscles need plenty of time to break down. Every brisket is different, so the cooking times will vary. Safe to figure 2 hours/pound though at 225-250. All you really need is some sort of indirect setup. And optimally, your drip pan (or whatever barrier you use) should be at least a few inches below your meat to allow good heat/air circulation. Your internal temp will stall in the 160-170 range for hours, then will begin climbing quickly toward 200. At 185 internal, I will usually do a fork test. If it slides in and out with little resistance, or if you can twist the fork, it is ready to pull off. Otherwise cook a tad longer. Until it passes the fork test.[p]Leave on the fat cap, and cook with the fat up to baste the chunk-o-chest as it cooks. I usually score the fat in a diamond pattern to allow the rub to penetrate...though this is not necessary.[p]If it is done early, wrapping in foil and storing in a warm cooler with towels will keep it steaming hot for hours. I will always pull at 185 if I will be storing for a couple hours, as it will finish cooking in the cooler.[p]Have fun....allow plenty of time...and enjoy. It is probably my favorite meal to cook.
NB

Unknown · August 2001

Char-Woody,
I did my first brisquet 2 days ago. Used a pizza clay plate on top the grill with a foil tray water bin on the top. Put the meat on a grill above the water bin. I slow (200) smoked it over hardwood coals and hickory. It was tough and sour and dry - sampled it at 5 hours and then again at 10 hrs. I then moved it into the oven inside a clay pot and cooked it another 4 hrs - finally it broke down ( tender) but stil sort of dry and sour. What am I doing wrong? Wrong temp? - maybe my temp gauge is off? Can I slow smoke it over direct heat? Any suggestions on the rub? I'm from Texas and embarrased that I can't get this right - Jeff

Char-Woody · August 2001

Jeff Morris, I will reprint your post here and try and dissect it a bit..maybe others will help also.[p]"I did my first brisquet 2 days ago. Used a pizza clay plate on top the grill with a foil tray water bin on the top. Put the meat on a grill above the water bin. I slow (200) smoked it over hardwood coals and hickory. It was tough and sour and dry - sampled it at 5 hours and then again at 10 hrs."
Jeff, first, I think you may have overdone the smoke end of it. Reduce your smoking chips(chunks) to just a few..two or three chunks is adequate..IMHO. Second, I question the quality of your brisket. Was is in a cryovac package? Did it have a nice fat cap? A good fat cap is needed for a self basting affect. At least a half inch thick. Was it a full brisket or just the flat or point?[p]The flat (thinnest part I recollect) will cook faster.[p]Forget about a clay pot, and just a drip pan will do with a bit of water to absorb the drippings and prevent acrid grease smoke...The raised grill is a.o.k. I do that all the time. [p]
I then moved it into the oven inside a clay pot and cooked it another 4 hrs - finally it broke down ( tender) but stil sort of dry and sour. What am I doing wrong? skip the clay pot..it might be a contributor.[p]Wrong temp? - maybe my temp gauge is off? Good question and one I suspect also. Check it in boiling water..with the tip not touching bottom and at least a inch or two away from the sides of the water container.[p]
Can I slow smoke it over direct heat? Yes...we used to do it all the time...either indirect or direct. Dome temps to around 225 to maximum of 250..try to maintain that for the extended cook. [p]
Any suggestions on the rub? I'm from Texas and embarrased that I can't get this right - Jeff I like JJ's rub (recipe section, but add a trace of salt if you like) but any good low salt type rub will do..too much salt on a beef cook will help to dry it out to soon. (Salt crust cook excluded)
Just a good coating of fresh ground peppercorn will work too. The main thing is to maintain the long term cook..your 5 hours is far too short a time period. Figure about 1.5 to 2 hours per lb. If you wish to rush it..foil wrap after the internal reaches 160F..I like it non foiled for the exterior crusting.
Yell out if you need more..others will fill or emphasis what I may have missed..we are here to help..BTW...Texas has no grip on the slippery brisket cook..Its a thing known to happen all over the country..heeeyaaaa. Any cooker, any cook. (Me too)
Cheers...
C~W[p]

Unknown · August 2001

Char-Woody, you forgot to mention to Jeff that a good mustard slather helps a bit on a brisket too...overnight in the fridge..snuggled down in a nice plastic wrap.
C~W
(Char-Woodys alter ego)..:-)

Jeff · August 2001

C~W,
Thanks for the excellent tech help. I will let you know how it turns out. If I use a 5 lb brisquet with a good fat pad ( not done previously) and use direct heat - How long in the BGE with and without smoke chips?

Char-Woody · August 2001

Jeff, a full size brisket will weigh in at around 9 to 13 lbs. So I suspect your getting a portion of a brisket.
Either way is fine. I would season my brisket with something like Char-Crust Garlic and Peppercorn and mustard, and if you want smoke use a good hickory or if you want milder, use pecan. Build your fire with smoke in mind and bury the chips/chunks sandwiched in between two layers of charcoal.. You want plenty of medium to large chunks with smaller on top. The smoke will roll...Put your brisket in at 160F to 200F degrees..and let it very gradually build to 225 and in the later stage 250 to 275 is fine. It will take you approximately 2 hours per lb. "IF" you do not exceed these temps. So 5 lbs..10 hours. You can insert your polder thermometer at the 8 hour point and start checking for a peak of 190 to 200F in the thick part of the brisket.
Then check with a fork at that point and if you can twist the fork with little resistance, your in with Flynn.
You should have a very nice crust with a super nice juicy interior, slicable, yet almost pullable. Great Beef.
Cheers...! Good luck..and always..Fat side up. No flip flop, and keep the dome shut for nearly the entire cook.
C~W[p]

Jeff · August 2001

Char-Woody,
Great help - thanks for the complete response. Here's a pretty good barbcue sauce and quick. 1/3 ketchup, 1/3 catalina dressing (no substitute), 1/3 coca cola, 1-2-3 packages of taco seasoning mix (amount depends on amount of sauce being made) Bring to boil and simmer for 40 minutes.
Thanks again. Jeff

Unknown · August 2001

Jeff,

Char-Woody · August 2001

Jeff, double post again..sri..and thanks for the sauce tip..I will check out a bottle of the Catalina next time in the store. Looks like a tantalizing sauce..Brisket??
C~W[p]

Brisket

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