Brisket

Tom

I am doing a brisket today. Should I cook it direct or indirect? Thanks, Tom

Unknown

Tom,
Yes it should be done indirect, and here is a copy of something I posted a while back to help ya a little bit.[p]Ahhh, where to begin...
First off is the quality of meat (as addressed in a thread below). I can get choice grade briskets for about $1.19 a lb and am always happy with it so I don't even bother with select grades. I would suggest the same; buy the best that you can get. There will be a difference. [p]Secondly is the makeup of the meat itself. The brisket comes from the chest of a cow and basically has three parts: point, flat and a fat cap that covers both. If you get it in this state (all three together) it is referred to as a “packers cut”. Often you will see brisket that is sold as a point only or flat only. If you purchase one of these make certain that the fat cap is still on it otherwise you will end up with shoe leather. You see, the fat slowly rends out while the collagen breaks down and bastes the meat making for a tender as well as juicy finished product. [p]*** excerpt from Jim Minion’s post concerning types of briskets to cook: If you are not going to do a packers cut or whole brisket then you will want a flat. The reason for cooking a whole brisket is because the point supplies fat to help keep the flat moist during the long cook. The point is normally used for a chopped brisket sandwich. I have no problems getting the point and flat down at the same time but I gauge where it is done or not by the condition of the flat. ***[p]So, now we know about the quality of meat and the types of brisket to cook, so lets cook them. No, not right now, first we need to prep the darn things. A popular theory is to trim the fat cap down to 1/4 or 1/8 of an inch, season liberally with your favorite rub or just salt and pepper. Whatever you like. The seasoning really won’t penetrate to deep into the meat and will be most noticeable on the bark only. Either way, wrap it up in plastic and let it sit for a few hours or over night in the fridge (or iced down as the case may be). This resting time allows the spices to “become one with the meat.” [p]So it’s been sitting and you are now ready to start cooking, do so at a grill temp of about 225 to 250. Make certain that you have your fire under control before you even think about putting the meat on. Figger about 1.5 to 2 hours per pound. When your thermometer slides in with little resistance, it's about done. This can happen anywhere from 170 to 195 degrees (meat temp). Pull it off and let it rest for a few minutes or a few hours. If you are gonna let it rest for a few hours wrap in foil and then insulate. An ice chest sans ice works fine, as does a good old fashioned sleeping bag or blanket or whatever. Keep in mind that the longer a brisket rests in foil, the more it will continue to cook. That being said, you will need to pull the brisket off at a lower temp than normal for an extended stay in foil. [p]Either way, you will wish to cook over indirect heat with the fat cap on the top. Again, this is so that the fat can baste downwards through the meat during the cooking process. [p]Okay, you have prepped everything, started and maintained a small hot fire and placed the brisket on the grill. Now you must decide what kind of smoking wood you will use, if any. Personally I enjoy the taste and aroma of hickory, which works out well since I have plenty of access to it. Use whatever smoking wood you like or have access to but remember that this hunk of meat is gonna be on there a long time and that there is such a thing as too much smoke. Too much smoke will cause a bitter taste to be present in the finished product. There are those who say that meat will only accept smoke up until the 140 degree mark while others disagree. I have no clue in this matter but I do feel that smoke should be present during the initial cooking process.
So your hungry and the food is ready, almost. Take a knife or what have you and then scrape off the remnants of the fat cap and then slice it thinly against the grain. The grain from the point will run perpendicular to that of the flat. A small little way to cheat about remembering which runs which way is to cut a small portion off of the point (or flat for that matter) before you cook it since you can see the grain nicely at that point or ummm juncture. [p]You should have a nice bark on the meat with great flavor but you may find that that the interior of the meat somewhat bland. If this is the case, lightly season with your favorite rub or salt and pepper whatever you like after you have sliced it.[p]That was a quick overview of the traditional method.
Some people will soak the whole thing in a marinade or milk or buttermilk before cooking. Others will remove the fat cap completely, season liberally and then place the fat cap back on during cooking. Personally, I leave the whole fat cap on and simply remove it once it’s done cooking. It comes off just as easy as if it were trimmed before the cook, the only drawback being the amount of grease/fat that drips off the darn thing. Since it is BBQ and not science each person will have an opinion about cooking times and temps which you may find more to your liking, so ask around for more preferences and find the one that you like the best.[p]The only question left at this juncture would be to foil or not as a purposeful way of finishing the cooking process and that is a completely different discussion. Either way, I am certain that I left something out or didn’t clarify enough where I should have but hopefully this will get you pointed in the right direction. Play around with different grill temps as well as internal meat temps until you find what you truly like. If you don’t have a monumental success on your first try then post back and keep trying! A properly smoked brisket is a real treat that you will want to have over and over again.[p]Matt. [p]PS - Beer. You must have beer to do this right. Having a friend or loved one help you consume the beer while you cook is highly encouraged.[p]Also, I have heard of people cooking briskets with the fat cap down with great success but I haven't tried it yet...