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Brisket

Unknown
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I have been looking for advice on how to make my brisket more moist. I can't find it here. I saw on the old forum to look on the new forum and can't find anything. I have tried flat 5-7 pound pieces for 7-9 hours to 200 degrees internally. I have made delicious briskets, they are just not moist. I even did it with strips of bacon on top hoping the extra grease would help. It was good, but still dry. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Comments

  • Cory430
    Cory430 Posts: 1,073
    I am not a brisket expert by any means, but I think that you need to be trying larger pieces of meat. I think that 9-11lbs is a bit more manageable in the moist department.

    Hope this helps,
    Cory
  • Broc
    Broc Posts: 1,398
    I'm not a brisquet expert -- let's hope other answer.

    Whenever I do ANY lo-'n-slow, any type of roast, I put water, ginger-ale, coke -- whatever -- in the drip pan, which boils and keeps the inside chamber of the Egg moist.

    I've never had dried meat this way, so long as I don't over cook.

    Also, I pull the meat at the lowest possible temperature [brisquet as close to 190 as possible] and then double wrap in HDfoil and towels... and hold for several hours...

    Juicy-juicy!

    Good luck --

    ~ Broc
  • ThrRoff
    ThrRoff Posts: 169
    I am not a brisket expert either. However, I like to wrap the meat in foil and add a cup or so of beef broth for the last couple hours of the cook. This one was wrapped after the picture and it was nice and moist. It did start at about 11 pounds.

    brisketweb.jpg
  • Celtic Wolf
    Celtic Wolf Posts: 9,773
    What temp are you cooking these at? How much fat is on the brisket and how much are you trimming off?

    7-9 hours seems a little short too fast of a cook will dry out a brisket fast. Plus they will dry out pretty fast after they are sliced.
  • In general:
    . Buy choice grade or better.
    . A whole "packer trim" brisket, which includes the flat and the point (smaller, fattier section), cooks up better than a smaller cut. I generally look for one about 13 pounds (6 kg).
    . Some people believe that choosing a more limber brisket at the meat market will render a more tender brisket after it is cooked.
    . Some people believe that a brisket covered in white, hard fat (as opposed to yellow fat) indicates that the animal was fattened on grain and will render a superior final product.
    . You can trim the fat cap over the flat to about 1/3 inch (1 cm) thick.
    . Set-up: plate setter-legs up (I orient the plate setter with one leg lined up with the hot spot near the back of the Egg); drip pan slightly elevated off of the plate setter, grate.
    . Put the brisket on with the point toward the back of the egg and the fat cap down.
    . I know it sounds like a waste, but pouring a two or three cans of beer in the drip pan at the start wouldn’t hurt.
    . Make sure the drip pan is under the entire brisket. If you have a little overhang at the start of the cook, protect the brisket ends with a couple layers of heavy duty aluminum foil.
    . You can cook at higher temps to push the brisket through the plateaus faster, but low-n-slow is the way to go for tender results. You want about 225* (110*C) at the grate. Don’t go over 250*F (120*C). I read recently where some people drop the temp down to 200* - 210* to extend the plateau.
    . Do not pull it off until you have an honest internal temp of 190*F (87*C), measured in the center of the flat from the side of the brisket. Don’t try to measure temp in the point; the extra fat there often causes incorrect readings. At 190*F (87*C) the brisket should be fork tender. Test by sticking a meat fork in the flat and twisting. 205*F (96*C) is not overcooked, but you’ll have to slice it a little thicker to keep the slices from falling apart.
    * 1 hour or more rest time in a warm cooler prior to slicing is just as important as any other part of the preparation. Do not skip or skimp on it!
    . The grain of the beef runs in different directions in the point and flat. Separate the two before slicing, and always slice thin and across the grain.
    . For burnt ends, cut the point into 3/4 inch (2cm) cubes, put a light coat of rub on them, put them in an aluminum pan with some of your favorite BBQ sauce, and then put them back in the Egg for another hour or two.
  • tjv
    tjv Posts: 3,830
    brisketclose.jpg

    Sound advice from the others. The brisket cut is not the moistest cut off the hoof. Brisket flats do dry out fast once sliced. I like to cook 5-7 pound flats. They usually take 10-12 hours at 230ish grid temp. Every so often one gets done faster than 10 hours.

    Flat pictured is about halfway through a 12 hour cook.

    Tom
    www.ceramicgrillstore.com ACGP, Inc.
  • db
    db Posts: 37
    Very good info Michael.
  • fat cap down for the cook, but how about fat cap up when in the foil and in the cooler?
  • J Appledog
    J Appledog Posts: 1,046
    But not all briskets are the same. We have access to aged prime briskets and we pull them at 180°, foil and let them rest in a cooler. JCA
  • tjv
    tjv Posts: 3,830
    I find fat cap down preserves the bark when in the foil, especially if you add liquid. Brisket flat in photo was fat cap up in the foil, it's fat cap down on board......

    120_2096.jpg
    www.ceramicgrillstore.com ACGP, Inc.
  • thanks... i'm looking for a moister brisket also. the three i've done coulda been more moist. still practicing and i've ordered a 9+ pounder packer to try again. i've got to get this right by july! :huh:
  • how about a cab choice flat? i pulled at 185 and kinda dry although the thermapen slid in easily.
  • Thanks for the information here, everyone. I'm planning on Egging my first brisket tomorrow, a 6-pounder, and this was invaluable.
  • J Appledog
    J Appledog Posts: 1,046
    Here is a good tutorial: http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/brisketselect.html

    I remember 3 terrible briskets coming off the BGE before getting it right. Good luck!

    JCA
  • thanks! that site always has the greatest stuff
  • It is much more difficult to get a moist final product when you start with a flat. Choose one with the best marbling you can find.
    I quit cooking flats in the Egg when I figured out how much easier packers are.
  • Honestly, my wife bought the cut for me a few weeks ago and I have no idea what part of the brisket it is. I'll have to take a pic of it and post it before I begin tomorrow morning.

    It's smallish - about 6 lb - so I'm planning to follow Thirdeye's recommendation for small briskets and wrap it in foil at about 9-10 hours with some beef broth.
  • Prime grade brisket is hard to find. If you do find it, it is usually expensive, but well worth it for a special cook.
  • J Appledog
    J Appledog Posts: 1,046
    Amazingly it costs about the same as brisket from Meijer's. This particular butcher only sells prime beef. Each time I pick up a brisket he admonishes me to not cook it over 180°. (His porterhouses are sublime).
  • I used to go to a butcher in Atlanta who was like that. He supplied a lot of the high end restaurants in the area and had a small meat counter up front for walk-ins. I miss that shop sometimes.
  • J Appledog
    J Appledog Posts: 1,046
    Try this instead of broth:

    I believe Rick said in the original posting of this that this recipe was enough for 4 or 5 briskets.


    Posted by Salmon on BBQ Forum on July 25, 2003 at 22:54:02:

    You guys are killing me tonight, okay, I'm givin up yet another secret.

    Rick's Sinful Marinade

     12 oz. can of beer
     ½ cup cider vinegar
     ½ cup of water
     ¼ cup olive oil
     ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
     2 tablespoons barbeque sauce
     1 tablespoon seasoned salt or rub.
     1 tablespoon celery seed
     1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

    Mix the ingredients and baste as necessary, or add when wrapping at about 165*.


    The BBQ Forum Copyright © 2002
  • Marvin
    Marvin Posts: 515
    I believe that the advice that Dr. BBQ gives in his book answers the question: if its a brisket flat, foil it at 160 and continue the cook until the internal temp is 200. If its a whole brisket, foiling is not necessary. That advice has kept the flats that I cook moist and delicious.
  • Ooo...that sounds good. I'm not sure I have any cider vinegar around the place right now, but I might be able to substitute. Thanks!