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first brisket, temp at 190°, still pretty tough

Bruce Fischer
Bruce Fischer Posts: 30
edited November -0001 in EggHead Forum
It was a 9+ lb. brisket when I started. It has been on the egg for just over 9 hours. The polder alarm just went off at 190°, but when I test it with a fork it still feels pretty hard. I don't want to dry it out, how hot can I let it go before it goes down hill. Should I wrap it in foil and then put it back on? It sure looks and smells good, but I'm afraid it is gonna be really tough. Help Please!
'bluffer
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Comments

  • mollyshark
    mollyshark Posts: 1,519
    badbluffer,[p]Did you try the polder in a number of places...or jab it with a thermapen here and there? You're at an hour a pound and that is a little light it seems to me. The fork should just glide in and out without a whole lot more resistance than a slab of butter. Try the temps in some different spots and see if it is still holding 190. If it really IS 190, more cooking isn't going to get it more tender. You may just have a tough brisket! Wrap it in foil, wrap that in a beach towel, and stick it in a cooler or a warming drawer or some dogproof place for an hour. Come back and poke it with a fork again and see what you have.
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  • Bruce Fischer
    Bruce Fischer Posts: 30
    mollyshark,
    Thanks Molly, I just went and poked a couple new holes with the polder. The first move read at 182°, the second was down to 179°. I feel a lot better now. Got a BIG family thing tomorrow, I really don't want to feed them tough meat. Just in case this still seems tough in a couple hours, when it does get up to 190°, if you have any other tips, I'd appreciate the help.
    Thanks again,
    bruce

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  • mollyshark
    mollyshark Posts: 1,519
    badbluffer,[p]You need to get a thermapen. Really. If you stick 2 thermometers in the meat, you'll get two different readings. If you stick in 3, you'll crack up all together. Just depends on where there is meat, where there is fat. A thermapen will let you get some good readings instantly all around without leaving huge holes.[p]Enormous diff in a 172 brisket and a 190. If it is tough at 190, there isn't a damn thing you can do about it. It's just a bad piece of meat. But I'll bet it will be fine, particularly after you wrap it and let it sit.[p]mShark
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