tough as my wife brisket

I have cooked 20+ briskets in my Eggs over time, I have found unless you cook a whole packer brisket (point & flat)you are sort of wasting your time.

It really amazes me to see so many people cooking brisket flats and then complaining about how damn tough they are...you are simply trying to do what is next to impossible to do.

Having an award winning brisket is as easy as buying the right cut of meat and letting the Egg work...stay out of it's way and you will be fine (don't open the Egg for 11-15 hours).


If you can't find whole packers, than cook a pork butt and be happy.

sad ron,[p]Well that's a long time for the flat on a 6.5 brisket. When you stuck in this thermometer, what was the reading? Is this a trimmed brisket? Given the size it sounds like it probably was. Was there any fat on it or was it devoid of fat? If the latter, did you put any on it? Need more details. Please answer in old forum. Thanks.[p]MShark

Well said. I have cooked several briskets and never had a tough one. I always cook a whole packer. I hope people read your post it may save a lot of wasted time and effort. There is only so much an egg can do.

I am going to go with those thinking it was the small size. A whole packer with Experienced's technique is the way to go.

sad ron,[p]You have to go by temperature with brisket. Because of the huge size diff between a point and a flat (the hump and the, well, flat part) they frequently finish at different times. Keep an eye on the temp. Once it gets past that 160 looooong stretch, it will climb pretty quick. Pull at 190. If the point isn't quite done, cut off the flat and wrap it in foil and then in a beach towel and stick it out of the way of the dog. Then let the point come to 190. A lot of people do artsy things with the point at this juncture, but if you're looking for plain old brisket, just let it finish and give it the wrap treatment. I've had briskets take less than an hour a point and some 1-1/2 hrs. Time is NOT the best indicator.[p]mShark

Newbie here, but I've cooked two briskets and they were great....beginners luck, but there were two things I did that basically were just guesses. First was I bought the biggest 'packed' brisket I could find (wrapped in plastic from the packing house) and the second was I asked the butcher not to strip any of the fat.

When I prepared the briskets....I took a little (very little fat) off and then followed everyones instructions on preparation. I then cooked them in the egg, fat side up, for 9 hours and 13 hours respectively until they reached temp.

When I pulled them out, they were tender and I found that most of the fat had been reduced during the cook.

I've heard that I should have put the fat side down and that I should have trimmed more off. What are the groups suggestions?

Also, what is the difference between point and flat brisket and what I bought....whould it be considered a whole packer brisket?

Thanks,
Terry McManus

I am telling you exactly that Darry. I have searched high and low for packers. Every meat monger I call tells me the same thing. They can not get them.

When I compete in Salisbury The Virginian is getting packers for me. Gawd knows if anybody can tell me where to get packers anywhere near Raleigh/Durham let me know.

Yes Smitty I am getting close to that perfect flat.. The Egg Rules.