"Franklin Style" Brisket - killed it.

nolaegghead

This is definitely my brisket opus magnum.   I'm not one that cooks many briskets, and when I do, it's just as likely ground up into burgers, or corned beef or pastrami.  I've cooked more than a few, but have never been that excited about cooking them because, although I'll get some good point meat, I always end up with some complaint - dry flat usually.  I've only had brisket a few times that was at that top level, and you don't have to be a connoisseur to identify it.  Cen-Tex brought some to Salado. 

When I was cooking this brisket, I had that feeling that's hard to describe, but a good analogy might be, you shoot a basket and long before you see the ball score, you have that feeling that everything is right about it, and you don't even need to watch it go in. 

Anyway, this cook resulted in the best brisky I've ever cooked, and I think I've ever eaten.  Even the flat was fall apart tender and moist.  The flavor was phenomenal.  SWMBO who normally isn't crazy about brisket said it was "special".  I was so excited, I wanted to share with some friends and neighbors, so I made a few calls and packaged up some to share the spoils.

Details to follow.

R2Egg2Q

Sounds great Nola! Looking forward to hearing more about it & hopefully seeing it. Congrats!

shtgunal3

I'm glad you have experienced brisket success. Let me know if you need my address.

Mickey

Send mine to FL please.

nolaegghead

I bought a brisket that was CAB (certified angus beef) choice.  14 pounds, nice and floppy.  Under three bucks a pound, don't remember exactly.

It sat in the fridge for a week.  Yesterday I started cooking it.  Here are the details, and I'm not formulating any judgment about there being only one way to do it right, it's right no matter how you cook it if the results taste good. 

Spent 5 minutes trimming just the thick, hard fat.  The factory trim looked fine, I liked the mass with the fat, so I just stopped there. I usually spend a lot of time trimming fat and following veins of it in a compulsive fashion. Not here.

Seasoned with 50/50 salt pepper.  Added a dash of cure because we eat with our eyes and I didn't want to do anything weird to try to get a smoke ring.  So sue me.  It's like using food coloring, I know.

Filled the egg up with weekend warrior and three large chunks of oak.  Maybe 8-12 oz chunks that I cut up a while back from a neighbor's live oak. (yeah, he knows about it).

Stabilized the grate at 230 with meat.  Went to bed.  In the morning it was up around 290 and the thick part of the flat was 180.  Started checking tenderness around 190.  Wood skewer slid freely in the flat at 195.  I pulled it off.  It was moist and about to fall apart almost like a butt.

Preheated my Pelican 45 qt cooler with some boiling water.  FTC brisket.  6.5 hours later, when we were ready to eat, pulled out of the cooler and found the internal temp to be 165F.  That's preheating and demonstrates the insulation efficiency of a top notch cooler.  Excellent faux cambro.

Anyway, split the point off the flat, cut it up and it was incredible.  

I'll post some pics tomorrow, too tired to pull off phone.

I had enough lump left over in the egg to do a 10# picnic, which I just pulled off an hour ago.  And there's still plenty of lump left. 

nolaegghead

oh, temp probably averaged 265F (ranged 230 - 290F).   12.5 hours for a 14 pound untrimmed, probably 13 pounds trimmed brisket. 

The long FTC may have helped.  It sure didn't hurt.

Wolfpack

Awesome- congrats

hapster

Can't wait to see the pictures...

Sounds like it was a winner from start to finish

Egghead_Daron

Gotta love those moments that remind you why you love the Egg! Sounds great and looking forward to some pics. My next brisky goes on Saturday afternoon.

Zaltydog

I have been reluctant to try a brisket.  This thread is the inspiration I need to take the next step.  Cooked four butts yesterday that came out well.  I need to take my egg to the next level.

Austin Egghead

Did yourself proud. Waiting to see pictures.

SmokeyPitt

Sounds great Nola!  Congrats on nailing it.

JohnInCarolina

Three pointer!!!

Eggcelsior

This definitely did not happen. No pics.

Nola probably just "enjoyed" that brisket with the pink elephants floating by his head. 

Foghorn

@Eggcelsior broke the code.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Now you know. Well played sir.

nolaegghead

Problems uploading. ...it did happen!

nolaegghead

Moar

nolaegghead

Moar

Acn

Looks great!

jaydub58

I'd roar for "moar"!

 

The Cen-Tex Smoker

oh my. dank ass brisky

Eggcelsior

I'm super jelly! 

Thank you, scientist. Got any papers?

SkinnyV

The cut of meat before cooking was beautiful. That's where it all started... Nice.

nolaegghead

SkinnyV said:

The cut of meat before cooking was beautiful. That's where it all started... Nice.

I think that's the biggest part of brisket fails - inferior packers.  This one was beautiful.  After cooking, the whole thing was floppy and moist.

Alton

Awesome Brisket!!, perfection my friend! ^:)^

nolaegghead

Thanks y'all.  The pictures didn't really do it justice, weird color.  Now if I can reproduce this reliably, I might be able to join the ranks of the Texas brisket masters like CT.  I'm not declaring anything unless I pull it off a few more times.

Cymbaline65

Nice job! I've buggered up 2 briskets so far and just don't have the fortitude to destroy another..

The Cen-Tex Smoker

nolaegghead said:

Thanks y'all.  The pictures didn't really do it justice, weird color.  Now if I can reproduce this reliably, I might be able to join the ranks of the Texas brisket masters like CT.  I'm not declaring anything unless I pull it off a few more times.

you are well on your way with that one.hell, you kicked my ass this weekend. Mine was a dud.

FearlessTheEggNoob

People will drive for miles and stand in looong lines just to eat brisket like that.

nolaegghead said:

lousubcap

@nola-Home-run for sure.  Congrats on nailing it!