Brisket crust?

DuckDogDr

Guys how do you get the "burned" or charred look on a brisket but still keep it tender on the inside ?
Never cooked one before...had one on a vacation trip someone cooked and still thinking about it

U_tarded

Smoke, salt, and pepper, it’s magic.  

Sugar content in rubs help but just the above ran at 275 or so always turns out for me.  (Will add granulated garlic and onion to mix it up)

Theophan

DuckDogDr said:

Guys how do you get the "burned" or charred look on a brisket but still keep it tender on the inside ?...

You might have it backward:  

• With some cuts of meat, like a strip steak, for example, it can take some care getting a char on the outside without making the inside overcooked and tough.  
• But with other cuts of meat, like brisket and short ribs, they're more likely to be dry and tough if they're UNDERcooked!  Brisket goes from raw to rather dry and tough but then with continued slow cooking the connective tissue slowly turns to gelatin, and not only makes the meat more tender, but also more juicy.

So if you've cooked the brisket long enough for it to be tender on the inside, it's really hard NOT to have a dark char on the outside!

jeffwit

So if you've cooked the brisket long enough for it to be tender on the inside, it's really hard NOT to have a dark char on the outside!

Unless, of course, you boil it. 

HoustonEgger

Steaks have a crust when done right, Brisket has a Bark. 

johnnyp

The bark on the outside of a brisket is less like a charred crust (burgers and steak) than you may be thinking.   Its more of a sticky layer of melted fat that mixes with your rub and changes color as it captures smoke and starts to brown in the heat. 

For a more detailed discussion about what bark is and how it forms, read this

https://amazingribs.com/more-technique-and-science/more-cooking-science/what-bark-and-why-it-makes-us-howl-more