Flat cut brisket

Unknown

This is my first attempt at a brisket. I have a 7# flat. I am planning to cook it like Dr bbq's shortcut brisket but without injection. Cook at 275 for 3-4 hours til internal is 160. Then wrap it foil and cook til 195 internal. Is this too hot a cooking temp for a brisket? How long of a cook should I anticipate? Has anybody cooked one like this? Any suggestions? Any help would be appreciated. steve

thirdeye

Girth,[p]I like to foil smaller briskets at 160°-170°. Is the 275° a dome temperature or measured at the grate?[p]You may reconsider the injection, it will add moisture.[p]~thirdeye~

Unknown

thirdeye,
I think it is dome temp. Will the foil help with moisture or does it just speed the cooking time?

thirdeye

Girth,[p]275° dome will be around 250° at the grate, that is fine. Foil does both, holds moisture & speeds up the finish time. The only disadvantage to using foil is the bark is softer due to the steaming action. After you rest the brisket, make sure and save the juices from the foil as they are good to add to a finishing or a table sauce.[p]Some folks feel the foil leaves the texture of the brisket more like a pot roast, but that is a personal preference.

Unknown

thirdeye,
How long do think this method will take? It is a choice flat cut if it matters.

thirdeye

Girth,[p]As you will find out with brisket and butts, time is one of the things that is never exact. Rules of thumb are 1.5 to 2 hours per pound when not using foil. The target temperature for doneness will be between 180° and 200°. Most folks use temperature and the poke test to check for tenderness once it reaches 180°, and once an hour until it is tender. Use a skewer or a fork with a twist. Don't get too western when probing or you'll lose juices. [p]So here is a guesstimate for your 7# flat. 4 or 5 hours to get to 160°. Another 3 or 4 hours in the foil to get to 180°, but it may happen quicker. ? hours to finish. At least one hour, still wrapped in foil, resting in a prewarmed cooler. So I guess we're looking at about 8 to 10 hours. Don't short yourself on the resting time, it is critical.[p]I still monitor the temp when they are in the foil and will make adjustments in the cooker temp as needed. Bear in mind that once it is in foil, it can be finished in the oven too. If it is done way early, no sweat as a brisket will hold in a cooler for hours. Wrap the foiled brisket in newspaper or towels for insulation, keep the probe in and watch the internal temp. You want it to stay above 140°.[p]Keeping a cooking log will come in handy for future cooks. Let us know how this guy turns out.[p]~thirdeye~

Unknown

thirdeye,
Thanks for your help! I will let you know how it turns out. Cooking it for football on Sunday.

thirdeye

Here is a link that has a logs in PDF & Excel formats.[p]~thirdeye~
[ul][li]Cooking Log[/ul]

BabyBoomBBQ

Girth,[p]Just did this. Follow the link for data.[p]
[ul][li]Shortcut brisket[/ul]