Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

First Brisket--Please let me know what ya think!

texbagger
texbagger Posts: 90
edited June 2012 in EggHead Forum
For my second cook on my nearly new XL BGE, tonight I bought a 10.3 pound
trimmed brisket today at the HEB on the NW edge of San Antonio.  Washed
it down with cold water, put it in a cast broiler pan, sliced deep straight down cuts and
inserted garlic cloves in the 25 or 30 knife cuts I made.  Covered
it with onion salt, morton salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and a
heavy coat of Bolners Fiesta Brisket rub.  Sitting in the pan in the frig now
until Friday night.  I'll drop it on a 250 degree XL BGE for an all night smoke of BGE lump and mesquite chunks.  Will post a
pic Saturday or so and share this hopefully tender and good brisket with close friends. I'm hoping I didn't screw up by not getting a big ol packer brisket but they had loads of fat on those and were very heavy.  Time will tell.

Reading here and learning more every day, thanks all for sharing your info!  I love the BGE!

Comments

  • BYS1981
    BYS1981 Posts: 2,533
    How much were the packers in weight? I saw some briskets at costco about 6lbs, and I think they were the flats? I have a medium and don't think I can fit a packer.
  • ChokeOnSmoke
    ChokeOnSmoke Posts: 1,942
    Never heard of anyone slicing into a brisket before cooking.  Interested to hear how the slicing and garlic do with the finished product.  
    Packerland, Wisconsin

  • MrCookingNurse
    MrCookingNurse Posts: 4,665
    My father in law sliced into a butt once and put garlic cloves and onions. It was pretty good but I wouldn't do it. Just not how I like my butt.


    _______________________________________________

    XLBGE 
  • texbagger
    texbagger Posts: 90
    The packers at HEB grocery here were about 20 to 25 pounds. 

    I'll certainly let y'all know how the "imbedded" garlic cloves work out.
  • Duganboy
    Duganboy Posts: 1,118
    The packers at HEB grocery here were about 20 to 25 pounds. 

    I'll certainly let y'all know how the "imbedded" garlic cloves work out.
    25 lbs??? Must have been from a rhino :D
  • cazzy
    cazzy Posts: 9,136
    edited June 2012

    @texbagger

    Costco rountinely has choice packers ranging from 9-16 pounds.  Also, check out Cooper's Meat Market off of Broadway.  Lots of great meat and they cut to order so you can get whatever thickness you'd like.  Their pre-marinated fajitas are great (CAB outside skirt steak).

    If you don't have a Costo Membership...shoot me a PM and i'd be happy to meet you at the UTSA & 10 location and we'll get you hooked up.

    Just a hack that makes some $hitty BBQ....
  • BYS1981
    BYS1981 Posts: 2,533
    A 9-16 packer I could deal with, but 25lbs.. I'd be eating brisket for months.
  • xraypat23
    xraypat23 Posts: 421
    I think you've got you're rub on there a little too long, that much salt will tend to draw out moisture. Other than that, sounds spot on. Put it on around 10-11 tonight and you'll have briskety goodness by lunch

  • tazcrash
    tazcrash Posts: 1,852

    Costco rountinely has choice packers ranging from 9-16 pounds. 

    I wish! Unfortuntely the butcher i spoke to at the costco near me told me they only get in pre-trimmed briskets.
    :-?

     I got a 2 pack of boneless pork butt, but no brisket! 
    ~X(
    Bx - > NJ ->TX!!! 
    All to get cheaper brisket! 
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    How much were the packers in weight? I saw some briskets at costco about 6lbs, and I think they were the flats? I have a medium and don't think I can fit a packer.
    I have 2 mediums, The first whole packer I put on, about 9 pounds, maybe, it covered so much of the grill that it chokes the air flow. I went away for maybe 1.5 hours, came back to a dome of 350, and the packer about an inch smaller in all directions.

    On a tip from thirdeye, the next one I did, about 11 pounds, I draped over a big can to fit (can also do that w. rib racks). When it shrank, took the can out, everything was fine.
    A 9-16 packer I could deal with, but 25lbs.. I'd be eating brisket for months.
    Remember, it will cook down to 12 - 14 pounds. Burnt ends freeze very well, if you can manage to not eat them immediately. And even a half way decent brisket will disappear pretty fast w. a couple of people to help. Nothin' then but a few lunch sandwiches left.
  • cazzy
    cazzy Posts: 9,136
    edited June 2012

    Costco rountinely has choice packers ranging from 9-16 pounds. 

    I wish! Unfortuntely the butcher i spoke to at the costco near me told me they only get in pre-trimmed briskets.
    :-?

     I got a 2 pack of boneless pork butt, but no brisket! 
    ~X(
    They're doing you wrong in your parts bruh. :(|)

    Tell them that costco's in San Antonio have packers and tri tip. 

    image

    image

    Just a hack that makes some $hitty BBQ....
  • tazcrash
    tazcrash Posts: 1,852
    edited June 2012
    no Kidding!!! and when we made one, the Mrs. paid almost double!!!!  :((


    Bx - > NJ ->TX!!! 
    All to get cheaper brisket! 
  • cazzy
    cazzy Posts: 9,136
    no Kidding!!! and when we made one, the Mrs. paid almost double!!!!  :((


    Really?  Double?  Where did she buy it and where do you live?  
    Just a hack that makes some $hitty BBQ....
  • tazcrash
    tazcrash Posts: 1,852
    I live in Northern NJ, right outside NYC. 
    When she first tried we went to a "good" German butcher, he wanted to charge us either 9 or 10 a lb for an untrimmed cryo brisket! 
    I'll find the link to that post later. 
    Bx - > NJ ->TX!!! 
    All to get cheaper brisket! 
  • boatbum
    boatbum Posts: 1,273

    Whoaaaaaaa     --  custom meat shop in Frisco - Prime Briskets - they trim to your spec's - thinking it was 5-6 a pound.

     

    Cookin in Texas
  • tazcrash
    tazcrash Posts: 1,852
    edited June 2012
    Here is the link:
    http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1138862/tazs-first-brisket/p1
    it was 10 a lb for a 15 pounder.
    Its expensive up here, but is is the land of corned beef and pastrami.
    when she did by it wasn't double but it was a 7lb flat.
    Bx - > NJ ->TX!!! 
    All to get cheaper brisket! 
  • texbagger
    texbagger Posts: 90
    Lit the lump charcoal and mesquite mix fire at midnight put on the inverted plate setter. and I been on an all night smoke here, temp was pretty steady at 250 after I got it dialed in. Took me about 2 hours playing with the daisy wheel and front vent. Just checked the brisket and still tough, poked a fork in and it still feels hard.  I'm giving her another 2 hours before I check it again. I know what a done brisket feels like when the fork goes in and she just ain't ready yet.Been on about 11 hours so far.

    Still in flight waiting patiently.  Thanks to all for the many posts and advice.  Next time I probably will go with a full packer style and yeah I got a costco card, buy most all my gas and groceries there when the size lets me. Not into a gallon of pickles at a time though! LOL.

    @cazzy, I appreciate your offer for COSTCO, I got it covered. Very nice of you to offer though! Thank you sir!
  • Jai-Bo
    Jai-Bo Posts: 584
    I just bought a flat (about 7-8 lbs)...I got it slathered in mustard/garlic salt/pepper/camp dog seasoning!  After cooking chicken this afternoon, she's going on!!!!  Last brisket was 18 hours!  Can't wait!!!  Love me some brisket!!! 
    Hunting-Fishing-Cookin' on my EGG! Nothing else compares!
  • texbagger
    texbagger Posts: 90
    Not sure why, but this brisket is really dry. Fat cooked down all the way, and it crumbles when I carve it. Let it rest 2 hours covered.  Maybe I just plain overcooked it.  Flavor is excellent and makes a damn good sandwich though.

    Opinions welcome on where this went south.

    I cooked until it was 190 on my digital probe thermometer on the thickest part of the point. Cooked for 14 hours and tender with a fork not meeting much resistance when pierced. At no time did the BGE analog Thermometer temp exceed 250 and the last few hours I was having a hard time getting her to go above 200. I resisted the urge to stir the fire.
  • texbagger
    texbagger Posts: 90
    BTW, I will not do that garlic thing again, makes for a really bitter burst of flavor when you eat one of those pockets pf garlic.
  • Airwolf
    Airwolf Posts: 76
    I wonder if it was a combination of the onion salt and normal salt and the long time in the fridge drew a lot of the moisture out of the brisket.  I am sure the brisket rub had salt in it as well.  I thought that brisket was only supposed to be rubbed a couple hours before putting it on?
  • texbagger
    texbagger Posts: 90
    It may have been too much rub too soon but the good news is the closer I got into the point of the brisket the better is carved and looked.  I took about 1/3 of the flat which appeared dried out, placed it in a large pyrex flat pan covered, put about 1/4 cup of water (maybe a little more) and it seems much more palatable.

    All in all I'm happy and learned from my first brisket.  I'm looking forward to so much more.  Advice here was very valuable and I appreciate all comments on my rookie skills.