Elder Ward Brisket Question

SouthTex · August 2006

After reading Elder Wards brisket recipe, I noticed his cooking time is significantly less than several other recipes I have seen(ie. 11# cooked in 6-7 hours). I have read posts where some people say 2 hours per pound is right. Can someone shed some light on this matter as I dont know whether to cook my 14# brisket for 28 hours or 8-9 hours. Also does it matter if I put the rub on the night before. It sounds like Elders recipe is rubbed on right before placing on the egg. Thanks for everyones help.

JM3 · August 2006

SouthTex,[p]You can't cook briskets or pork butt to time. The best way to cook them and really any meat is to temperature and I've seen comments from others that you get them to a certain temperature (185) and then it is all by touch. How easy a skewer will slide into the meat.[p]The 2 hours per pound is a judgement guidline. My last brisket (a 13 pounder) cooked in 15 hours. Then I had to foil it and hold till serving time. I've never had anything go 2 hours per pound but I cook at at a little higher temp (250-275) so I don't have to worry so much about my fire going out.[p]As I tell my dad all the time it is the Zen of the BGE. Part of the joy of BBQ is being able to relax and let the egg do the cooking.[p]John

Unknown · August 2006

SouthTex, If you go back and reread Elder Wards set up he is cooking direct, using a v-rack, there is no mention of a plate setter. or indrect cooking, have not tried this method, hth jc

Unknown · August 2006

SouthTex, I've been cooking briskets since 1971 and have found that almost every brisket cooks a little differently; I sometimes think they have a mind of their own. Two hours per pound, cooking indirect, low and slow, is about right for a pork butt, as a rule of thumb. Generally, I believe you can use an hour and a half per pound is as a rule of thumb for a brisket, but it depends on the brisket and whether you foil it when it hits 165* internal temp or cook it all the way without foiling. They come out better for me when I foil, and they definitely finish cooking faster in the foil. I cook unfoiled, indirect, low and slow (between 210* and 225*), until it hits between 165* and 175* internal temp (in the lean end) and then double wrap it in foil and finish it in the egg or oven at 300*. I used to take them off when they hit 195* internal, but recently have waited until they get to 200* for better results (more tender). Let it sit in the kitchen, unwrapped, for a half hour before you slice it -- to let the juices redistribute inside the meat. If you aren't ready to eat when it gets done, wrap it in an old blanket or a bunch of newspapers and hold it in a warm cooler. They continue to slowly cook in the warm cooler and get even more tender. The egg cooking temperatures I mentioned are at the grid level, where the meat is cooking, not at the dome. Good luck.

SouthTex · August 2006

Chuck/Tx,[p]Thanks for an in depth explaination.

Celtic Wolf · August 2006

SouthTex,[p] The amount of think it takes per pound is related to the amount of connective tissue. In this case fat. The more fat the longer it will take per pound. How thick the cut is will affect cook time too.[p] The longer the rub is on the meat the more the spices will penetrate the meat. However this is not always a good thing.

Elder Ward · August 2006

SouthTex,
Well here is the thing. Everybody is correct.
My main purpose was to cook a slicable piece of meat. Not fork twisting done not fall off the fork pullable just great tasting and sliceable. [p]Now if you do it by my method that is exactly what you will get. May not be what you call classic brisket but it is damned good. So. Do what pleases you. [p]If you really want to know how a recipe works just follow the directions. It is just a piece of meat. If you don't like it after my short method you can always put it back on or wrap it in foil. But I just dare you to try it once by this method and see what you think. Hey we are not talking high end prime rib here. [p]Did you know why Texasains started this brisket thing? They were trying to get rid of the two worst things in Texas. Brisket the toughest cut of meat and Mesquet wood which grows like grab grass and is pretty much usless for anything else. It back fired and now the price of both went through the ceiling and they can't cut the mesquet down quick enough to stay adhead of it's growth rate. B^))[p]If you got em smoke em,
Elder Ward[p]

Elder Ward Brisket Question

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