brisket vs. butt on cooks

I think smoking a butt and yeiding very good results is not hard at all. However, my experience is that getting very good results for brisket is much more difficult.

I have smoked close to 50 butts with only one or two that I was not thrilled with.

On the other hand, I have only smoked 9 or 10 briskets. I loved two of them. I would be happy serving another two to friends and family. The other were ... well let's just say there were parts of them that were OK. :pinch:

Just my 2 cents!

Smokey

Smokey,

I agree. Other than having a fire go out the butts are pretty much just patience. Most of the brisket I have done has been acceptable but only a few have been as good as they can be. I always order from a butcher and have him leave on 1/2 to 3/8" of fat, use liquid in a drip pan and spray through the top vent. I usually keep the heat at 235*. Still seems to involve some luck.
Worth it when you nail one though.

Steve

I really believe, but don't say often enough, is that barbecuing a brisket is a very involved cook. You can't get into a hurry and you need to pay more attention to certain details (before, during and after the cook)

We all know how "forgiving" a butt can be. Your temperature can swing 100°, they like all kinds of wood flavor and combinations of rubs, they can be sliced, chopped or pulled with a very short rest if needed, and they almost never come out dry.

Briskets on the other hand, can be purchased in different USDA grades, like consistent temperatures and lighter amounts of flavor wood. Many folks won't cook one that is not injected. They also love a long rest, and must be sliced to order. And after all of that, there is no guarantee that one will come out moist or tender. As far as rubs go I guess we all have our favorites...

I agree with everything you just stated - the only exception being the wood. I do my briskets with a pretty heavy dose of 75/25 hickory and mesquite.

As far as doing things differently, I never mop or spray a butt, but do mop a brisket. Literally with a mini-mop. not a spray - I soak that sucker several times before the plateau, but never after it breaks. That is when I am letting the bark set.

You can get a packer cuts in the 9 and up range. When I cook on the Egg, I look for one around 13 pounds, just to make sure there is a good fit. (I also take a tape measure to Sam's Club).

Taste wise, the fats and the mass of the meat on a packer cut give up a more beefier taste to me. Kind of like the difference between a chuck roast and a burger made with ground chuck. The same meat, but different flavors.

For the record, I pretty much pump all my briskets with broth, beef soup base, wooster, pepper and a little oil.

I still consider myself to be a newbe but...I have cooked both with great results, according to my guests. Still, I consider the butt to be a fun cook and the brisket to be a potential problem everytime I start.

I'm with the others; briskets are harder to cook, but when you get one right, its a thing and taste of beauty. This one was an 11 pound packer where the flat really stuck up above the point, and cooked much quicker. When it reached the plateau, I seperated them, foiled the flat and let the point go for burnt ends.

im pretty faithful to 235 at the grill for brisket, with butts i just let them cook anywheres from 200 to 275, even letting the temps go higher and lower at times.

As you have probably noticed, there are as many different ways of looking at this as there are folks that smoke meat.

Personally, the only difference I use between the 2 is the wood smoke.

I prefer mesquite for beef and oak for ribs - your mileage may vary. If I'm doing both at the same time, I'll use a combination of hickory and apple.

Just my $0.02

Kevin