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Brisket...might this work?

njl
njl Posts: 1,123
in EggHead Forum
I was in Costco the other day and noticed a few small brisket flats in the cryo, which is unusual for my Costco.  Normally, if they have any out at all, they're all trimmed of fat and store wrapped.  I found this totally floppy 6 lb one and bought it.  I've read that these can actually benefit from some wet aging (just keeping it in the back of the fridge, sealed in the cryo, for a couple of weeks).  So, I'm not rushing into cooking it.

I'm really happy with my turbo ribs.  I use my own wet/dry rubs, preferably applied the night before.  Cook indirect a little over an hour at 300-350F, then I foil them drizzled with honey and pour in some apple cider.  Cook another 1:15.  Remove from foil, brush with a mix of BBQ sauce and the liquids from the foil.  Put back on the grill 20min or so indirect.  If people aren't in a rush to eat, remove and foil for a bit.

So...I'm wondering if I can do roughly the same with a small brisket flat.  Obviously, I'd give it more time...probably about 2 hours on the grill, 2 hours "boated" with the honey and cider, and if I sauced it at the end, another 30 min on the grill, and then probably 30min-1hr FTC.  We're going to have family visiting in about 2 weeks.  What's the odds of this working?  By then, it'll have been about 3 weeks since I bought it.
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Comments

  • njl
    njl Posts: 1,123
    Nobody wants to say "yeah, that should work" or "you're going to ruin it doing that."  :)

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  • JohnInCarolina
    JohnInCarolina Posts: 30,936
    I'd say your odds of this working are slightly above or below 50%
    "I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike
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  • njl
    njl Posts: 1,123
    Now we're getting somewhere.
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  • JohnInCarolina
    JohnInCarolina Posts: 30,936
    Yeah, sorry, I was just giving you the business. But honestly I have no idea whether this would work or not. I've only tried to cook one flat, and it was pretty damn mediocre. I basically stay away from them based in everything written on this forum. I'd say go for it, why not experiment? The worst that can happen is you end up tossing it in the garbage and ordering pizza.
    "I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike
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  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
    Like "What About Mary"...do a trial run.
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
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  • SmokinDAWG82
    SmokinDAWG82 Posts: 1,705
    IMHO I would not put the honey mix on a brisket. Love it on pork but flavor profile is quite different on beef. If you like it, go for it but I wouldn't.
    LBGE
    Go Dawgs! - Marietta, GA
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  • Scottborasjr
    Scottborasjr Posts: 3,494
    I agree with @SmokinDAWG82, I wouldn't put honey in the mix for any brisket.  Just too much sugar for such a chunk of meat. But feel free to experiment as that is how any decent recipe began anyway. Good luck and if you do something along those lines let us know how it turns out. 
    I raise my kids, cook and golf.  When work gets in the way I'm pissed, I'm pissed off 48 weeks a year.
    Inbetween Iowa and Colorado, not close to anything remotely entertaining outside of football season. 
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  • njl
    njl Posts: 1,123
    I'm calling this a success.

    I prepped it with my version of Test Kitchen rub last night.  Tonight I cooked.  2 hours indirect at 300F.  Boated it with apple cider and cider vinegar, drizzled the top with honey, back in the egg 2 hours at 340F.  Tried to get some bark on it by putting back in the egg sans boat with the vents wide open for about 10 minutes...but it really didn't do much to it.  Moved it to a pyrex dish, and FTC for 90 minutes.  I just cut a few slices for a taste test...and I like it.  My wife didn't hate it (said it was better than my previous attempts...but she's got her own method for braised brisket, and nothing else is proper brisket to her)...so it can't be too bad.

    image
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  • jls9595
    jls9595 Posts: 1,533
    that looks really good, never done brisket myself but plan on it soon...  My untrained eye gives it an A+! 
    In Manchester, TN
    Vol For Life!
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  • Crimsongator
    Crimsongator Posts: 5,797

    Sorry I am late to the show. For brisket, I have no problem using brown sugar or honey although I balance it out with pepper or something with more kick. I could see something like a 50/50 swamp venom and dizzy dust blending well and cutting the sweetness of the honey.

     

    Next time, instead of foiling, try cooking the entire time in a foil pan and just covering it when you need to. That will reserve the juices and I have found more success with that on just flats. The 350 temp doesn't scare me and is effective because of the inherent moist cooking chamber in the egg

     

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  • FearlessTheEggNoob
    FearlessTheEggNoob Posts: 888
    I think I'm seeing 50% point in your slice? Nice smoke ring BTW.
    Gittin' there...
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  • njl
    njl Posts: 1,123
    It was sold as a flat, but yeah, there could be more to it than just flat.  I've eaten about half of it now and it's all been really good.  I'll definitely be doing this again.
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,958
    that is the point/flat part of the brisket. the best part
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • njl
    njl Posts: 1,123
    Is that what it is any time you have layers of:

    fat
    meat
    werid sort of connective fat
    meat

    I'm guessing this would be the most desirable type of "flat" to shop for...as it's probably the easiest to not screw up / dry out?
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,958
    njl said:

    Is that what it is any time you have layers of:

    fat
    meat
    werid sort of connective fat
    meat

    I'm guessing this would be the most desirable type of "flat" to shop for...as it's probably the easiest to not screw up / dry out?

    Yes.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • njl
    njl Posts: 1,123
    I think I scored another one of these (5.96lb "flat" in the cryo, but it looks to me like part flat, part point).  I found it at a time when I knew I wouldn't be able to cook it for a while, so it's been in the back of the fridge a few weeks and is nearly 30 days past pack date.  I might cook it this weekend...if not tomorrow, definitely next weekend.  Planning a repeat of the process I used last time.
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  • njl
    njl Posts: 1,123
    I'm 43 days past the pack date, and finally cut the thing open last night to apply rub.  Like any long aged meat, it was a little disconcerting looking.  I actually decided to trim a little dark/discolored bit from one end, and then figured as long as the knife was dirty, may as well trim some of the thicker/harder fat off it.  I must have removed at least half a pound. 

    The plan is to do a repeat of the above cook, starting somewhere shortly after noon.
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  • njl
    njl Posts: 1,123
    Way behind schedule...brisket just went on.

    48F IT, 315F grid
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  • njl
    njl Posts: 1,123
    More scheduling challenges :)

    Just boated it.  It's at 149F IT, and just under 400F grid (if you believe the Maverick, or 280F dome.  I think the dome thermo may be due for a recalibration.
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  • njl
    njl Posts: 1,123
    Looks like they're both wrong.  I stuck the thermopen in the dome thermo hole, and after the minute or so it took to stabilize (so much for instant read) it said 315F and began to wander up/down a degree or so.
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  • njl
    njl Posts: 1,123
    It's at 190F IT now, just removed it from the boat and put it back in the egg to finish.
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  • njl
    njl Posts: 1,123
    I realized I had the meat probe in a bad spot and the flat was only 170F.  I ended up putting it back in the boat for about an hour...just came out...and now it's finishing again :)
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  • njl
    njl Posts: 1,123
    Flavor and tenderness weren't bad...but the flat got dry :(

    And the whole time I was eating it, I kept thinking "I hope I don't give us food poisoning."  I don't think I'd wet age one quite this long again.

    I'm thinking I might slice what's left really thin for sandwiches and freeze single portions in food saver bags.
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