My first, egg brisket story, thus far.

JNealLawson

Thanks for paying it forward, @danv23.  Your story here http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1152191/my-brisket-story-i-feel-like-a-pro#latest was a big help!

I was planning on buying pork spareribs at the store after work, but they were out so they gave me St. Louis ribs for the same price.  Then I noticed the meat guy was re-labeling prices on two big briskets, and I grabbed a 15 pounder.  I got it home, opened it to warm, got the egg going, and jumped on this forum to figure out what to do.  OK - salt and pepper would be a great starting baseline.  I'd keep it simple.  The only other thing I added was 2 chunks of pecan.

It went all-night from 8:30 PM to 11:00 AM, around 265 or so in the dome.  At 11:00, I probed it a few times with a thermometer, and it was consistently 195-197, and very tender.  So, I re-read @danv23 post, and pulled it off the egg, wrapped it in about 5 tight layers of heavy-duty foil, put it in a cooler on top of one towel, and packed 6 thick towels on top, and sat it in the sun on my deck.  Can't wait.  Here's what it looked like when I pulled it off:

(Thanks, beteez, for turning me onto this forum!)

nolaegghead

Sounds like you did it right!  Let us know how it tastes and take some pics of the cut meat.  Only cut as you serve, it dries out fast.

TexanOfTheNorth

Sounds like you're gold @JNealLawson. Like Nola said, let us know how it turns out and remember to slice the flat against the grain.

JNealLawson

Thanks for the tips!  Will let you know how it turns out and post some pics of the cut meat.  Thanks again.

danv23

JNealLawson said:

Thanks for the tips!  Will let you know how it turns out and post some pics of the cut meat.  Thanks again.

Hey Man!! Thanks for the kudos!!  The only thing I am going to do different next time is burnt ends, i.e., remove the entire point, cube it, sauce them, back on the egg.  I think I would do this 1 hour before slicing.  So, I would remove the foil, separate them, rewrap the flat (same foil), wait 30 min, remove top foil, slice 30 min later (basically same instructions). 

Reason I say this is Franklin will cut the point right with the flat.  The problem I had with that is the fat that runs between the point and the flat pretty much wrecked those pieces.

Let me know how it turns out!!!

The Cen-Tex Smoker

oh hell yes dude! that looks awesome. You are going to be happy. You know how to slice it right? Let me know if you don't- that's a big part of it. I do it like Franklin. I gut the brisket in half (cross ways) right where the point and flat meet, then I cut the point in half longways right down the middle. Follow the grain on the flat and slice the point against the grain outward from your slice you made down the middle if that makes sense.  

TexanOfTheNorth

Follow the grain on the flat??? Am I misreading that?

JNealLawson

Thanks, @danv23 for that additional tip.  That sounds even better!  I'll try the burnt ends just to get an idea of the other ways of doing it.  Learning has never been so tasty!

The Cen-Tex Smoker

TexanOfTheNorth said:

Follow the grain on the flat??? Am I misreading that?

sorry- against the grain.I meant to watch it and cut across- too much going on at once.

TexanOfTheNorth

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

TexanOfTheNorth said:

Follow the grain on the flat??? Am I misreading that?

sorry- against the grain.I meant to watch it and cut across- too much going on at once.

Thank goodness... I thought the world was coming to an end!

danv23

How did you end up???

danv23

I screwed up.  I re-watched Franklin cut the brisket and I didn't turn it when I got to the point like he did, so I apologize.  However, the 2 not real great briskets were separated like I described and the point was amazing.  Sauced and in a foil pan, cooked for 30 min foil lid on, 30 min foil lid off.