FAIL!

Carolina Q · February 2010

Part 1, Brisket:

I sure wish I had some idea what brisket was supposed to taste like. And the correct texture. I have never eaten it before, other than my two failed attempts a few years ago (pre-egg) and I really don't know if today's attempt was "correct" or not. I haven't cared for any of my briskets, including this one, and if any of them taste remotely like they're supposed to, brisket is highly overrated.

I doubt I will try this again, at least until I try some prepared by someone who knows what they're doing. If I find out this is really what it's supposed to taste like, I'm done.

Part 2, sauce:

Tried a new sauce today too. From a Raichlen recipe. Glad I cut it in half - that means I only wasted half as much stuff. It was awful!

Part 3, Pinto beans:

In the DO on the egg. Not only were these awful, they were inedible! How can you screw up pinto beans?! I never have before, but I threw these out.

Hope your day is better than mine.

Oh yeah... recipes on request.

CaptainJimmy · February 2010

If you happen to have a famous daves around you, I happen to like their brisket and burnt ends. I too have had trouble getting briskey perfect.

My guests always love it, but I am always my worst critic. It's either delicious but falling apart, or dry and tough, etc. I have had a few good cooks though. I always attributed my brisket problems to the fact that I cannot get whole packer briskets - i can only get whole flats....around here they always take the point and make hamburger or corned beefs out of them.

cookn biker · February 2010

Sorry to hear egg woes. Tell me about the brisket and bean cooks.

Carolina Q · February 2010

I cooked 'em. They sucked. LOL

Carolina Q · February 2010

Turns out I do have a Famous Dave's not all that far away. Also, a friend who recently moved here from Texas tells me she FINALLY found a place that does a good job with brisket. Worth a shot, I guess.

This was an 11 lb packer, btw.

Fidel · February 2010

I am a huge brisket fan. A good brisket is better than the best pulled pork.

Problem is, brisket is really tough to really cook one well. But when you finally nail one you'll know what i mean. Pulled pork always turns out really good or great. Brisket is hit or miss, even for those with decades of experience.

I've never had restaurant brisket that even comes close to what can be done in the egg....when they turn out good.

Carolina Q · February 2010

Maybe I should just avoid skydiving.

There are too many other things that are consistently good eats to mess with something with such a high failure rate.

troutman · February 2010

I love a good brisket. I rarely, if ever, love the one I cook. I can't seem to get it right either. The burnt ends are always good, though, since they are basically cremated in gobs of sauce.

Happy to help with sound advice. Maybe this should be renamed the brisket support group.

Bash · February 2010

I did my first one last weekend.

I was disappointed in how the flat came out. It was not very tender, but was a bit dry (I pulled it at 197F). The next night I did the burnt ends as suggested by Ross In Ventura.

http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=786671&catid=1

I put a little beef broth in the pan when I started it, and at 90 minutes I sampled. It was tender and delicious. I then put some Carnivore sauce and cooked another 90 minutes. It came out great. We had BBQ sandwiches all week, and I don't think I've ever had a better tasting BBQ sammie. Better than pulled pork.

The point/burnt ends saved it, and made me want to try again. Maybe next time I can get the flat to be a better texture and flavor. I may see about getting a better grade from a butcher, instead of buying the $2.19/lb brisket from Kroger.

Richard

Village Idiot · February 2010

(from the home of Briskets)

Michael,

The trick to briskets is to cook them low and slow ( about 225°) until they reach an I.T. of about 195°. Then do a toothpick test to see if it goes in without any resistance. After that, double wrap the brisket in aluminum foil, wrap it in a towel, and put it in a dry cooler for a few hours.

The brisket will stall for a number of hours while the collagens are converting to gelatin. If you pull it before it's past the plateau, it will be tough and dry.

Also, use a good dry rub before putting it on. I douse mine in worcestershire sauce then apply Texas BBQ Rub. I think it's great. Gives a good bark.

My last brisket was a 15# packer and it took a little over 21 hours to cook.

Good luck. Some people will foil their brisket at about 165° and put it in the oven for the remainder of the cook (so they can get some sleep). A brisket won't take on any more smoke after about 140°. I don't do that anymore because the Egg will keep the temperature all night without tending. I use a Stoker to be sure.

That said, some people down here have told me they cook their briskets at 350° and get them nice and tender. Could be. I've just done it slow for a lot of years.

AZRP · February 2010

Don't feel bad, I tried brisket a couple times and didn't like my results. It wasn't until I judged my first KCBS contest that I realized I just plain don't like brisket. That is except for corned beef and pastrami. -RP

cookn biker · February 2010

See, I can't get the burnt ends right. :unsure:

Fidel · February 2010

A brisket won't take on any more smoke after about 140°

This is not true. The smoke ring stops forming around 140&deg but smoke flavor will impart to the meat at any time smoke is present.

You can cook a brisket in the oven until it hits 170&deg then pop it into a smoky egg and it will be flavored by the smoke. The smoke particles will still land on and adhere to the surface of the meat regardless of the temperature of that meat.

Carolina Q · February 2010

That's what I'm thinkin'!

Fidel · February 2010

It's not that the failure rate is so high so much as that the forgiveness is so small.

A pork butt cooked for pulled pork goes from good o great to good to mush in a temperature range of 20-25 degrees - from 185 or so to 205 or so.

A brisket can be perfect at 185, another can be perfect at 200. There is no "perfect temp" to pull every brisket. They are all different. And the go from tough to perfect to dry in a range of about 5-7 degrees.

You have to really keep an eye on them to pull them when the majority of it is in that perfect zone, then rest it and slice immediately before serving. Once you slice it the slices immediately begin drying out.

It is just a completely different cook from any other type of BBQ. But when you really nail one, it is worth it, in my opinion of course. My absolute favorite food in the world is burnt ends.

Carolina Q · February 2010

Gary, that's pretty much what I did. 250 dome, not 225. No worcestershire. Otherwise, what you said.

I need a good pork butt!

Village Idiot · February 2010

Might be semantics here. I can stand by a smokey fire and smell like smoke, but it hadn't penetrated into me. The smoke ring is the chemical reaction from the smoke penetrating the meat.

Fidel · February 2010

It's not semantics. There is a difference between smoke ring (which has no flavor) and "taking on smoke" which does add flavor.

The ring forms when the meat is under 140° but the meat will take on smoke flavor whenever smoke is present. There is a point of saturation when more smoke will not lead to more discernible flavor, but that has more to do with length of exposure to and amount of smoke present during the cook and nothing to do with temperature.

Village Idiot · February 2010

Whatever.

NoVA Bill · February 2010

Hey Michael,

Can't help ya with brisket - seems to be more of a Texas sport. I read in many places how finicky brisket is to cook and so I sort of stayed away from it.

Good news...tomorrow brings another day and new challenges.

Good luck!

Carolina Q · February 2010

yeah, i do a mean stripsteak! hahaha

Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker · February 2010

What he is saying is that smoke doesn't penetrate meat.

DrZaius · February 2010

I love brisket.

Just sayin! My last one turned out super awesome.

Angela · February 2010

I've had really good brisket, but I agree in general it's highly over rated. But then I much prefer pork bbq anyway.

Crimsongator · February 2010

Day in and out the folks at Gibson's in Decatur get brisket pretty close most of the times. And you are right, it is tough to consistantly hit.

Bacchus · February 2010

Hey "Super Awesome Brisket Boy", I started to call you earlier when I was out running around. Super H has some beautiful Ribeyes at 4.99/#.

asianflava · February 2010

I like both pork and beef both. I get more requests for beef though. Maybe everybody played up brisket so much that it let you down when you finally had it.

Beli · February 2010

Michael, don't give up.......sure you've seen all the cooking sites on the internet............stick to the ones that post on the Forum & you'll be fine.

civil eggineer · February 2010

I must just be lucky because I have cooked 8+ briskets and they were all fantastic. I buy whole packer cuts from Sam's and cook indirect at 250 dome until tender (between 180 - 195) usually around 15 hours. A good brisket is very similar in texture and taste to prime rib at 1/8 the cost. I also usually experience two plataues during the cook.