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brisket do's & don'ts

Big E
Big E Posts: 51
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Going to try my first brisket this weekend & was needing some tips such as size, fat up or down, trimmed or not, temps. etc. or someones web site to help me do this. Any guidance on this process would be much appreciated.

Comments

  • First, to give your the best chance at smoking a brisket that you'll be proud of your first time out...don't do a flat....Get a WHOLE brisket.....Do not trim it......A whole, packer cut brisket....And if you can't find it at your grocery store...go to a butcher and get one....I prefer fat side down....just in case of a flare up of any kind....fat protects the meat......but does nothing to "baste" or keep it juicy.......

    Make sure you have plenty of lump in the box.....set for indirect.....Dome temp at 250-275 is no problem....and you're looking for an internal meat temperature at 195 degrees......Don't get fancy...these aren't hard.....just as long as you get the whole brisket...forget about doing a "flat".....and you'll be fine.....

    Ed McLean.....eddiemac66
    Ft. Pierce, FL
  • mark9765
    mark9765 Posts: 122
    Be patient, open the dome as little as possible. Don't get nervous when the brisket reaches the platue (about 170-180. the meat temp will stall and maybe drop a little. This may last an hour or 2, this is typical. I personally like to cook @ a dome temp around 215-225. and pull when the meat reaches 195-200. And I like fat side up. But thats just me.
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,666
    i cook flats and packers, packers are better if you can get them. dont go smaller than a 7 pound flat. with the flat i cook them fat side down, 235 degrees at the grill level, and cook a butt above it on a raised grill. try and get one with about a quarter inch of fat on it. i have not seen a packer around here in years, hard to get up here. put the brisket wrapped in foil into a cooler after it reaches the tender point, i dont go by temps for that, for a couple of hours. reserve any juices that build up in the foil to add to a mixture of sauce and broth to drizzle on the slices after you cut it, it can dry out rather quickly after cutting so i wait to the last minute to cut and serve. its actually been a good year since i made brisket, maybe this weekend
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • Mike,

    Threw my clubs in the water :woohoo:
  • Just put one on myself the egg dose all the work set at 250 and forget it. doing a little hickory on this one.
  • Envy. Wish I was cooking a Brisket...

    Here is how I do it..

    collage.jpg

    Here is my website on how I have done it. Had good luck so far..

    Brisket - Big Green Eggsperience

    Cheers/Good Luck...JerryD
  • . Buy choice grade or better.
    . A whole "packer trim" brisket, which includes the flat and the point (smaller, fattier section), cooks up better than a smaller cut. I generally look for one about 13 pounds (6 kg).
    . Some people believe that choosing a more limber brisket at the meat market will render a more tender brisket after it is cooked.
    . Some people believe that a brisket covered in white, hard fat (as opposed to yellow fat) indicates that the animal was fattened on grain and will render a superior final product.
    . You can trim the fat cap over the flat to about 1/3 inch (1 cm) thick.
    . Set-up: plate setter-legs up (I orient the plate setter with one leg lined up with the hot spot near the back of the Egg); drip pan slightly elevated off of the plate setter, grate.
    . Put the brisket on with the point toward the back of the egg and the fat cap down.
    . I know it sounds like a waste, but pouring a two or three cans of beer in the drip pan at the start wouldn’t hurt.
    . Make sure the drip pan is under the entire brisket. If you have a little overhang at the start of the cook, protect the brisket ends with a couple layers of heavy duty aluminum foil.
    . You can cook at higher temps to push the brisket through the plateaus faster, but low-n-slow is the way to go for tender results. You want about 225* (110*C) at the grate. Don’t go over 250*F (120*C). I read recently where some people drop the temp down to 200* - 210* to extend the plateau.
    . Do not pull it off until you have an honest internal temp of 190*F (87*C), measured in the center of the flat from the side of the brisket. Don’t try to measure temp in the point; the extra fat there often causes incorrect readings. At 190*F (87*C) the brisket should be fork tender. Test by sticking a meat fork in the flat and twisting. 205*F (96*C) is not overcooked, but you’ll have to slice it a little thicker to keep the slices from falling apart.
    * 1 hour or more rest time in a warm cooler prior to slicing is just as important as any other part of the preparation. Do not skip or skimp on it!
    . The grain of the beef runs in different directions in the point and flat. Separate the two before slicing, and always slice thin and across the grain.
    . For burnt ends, cut the point into 3/4 inch (2cm) cubes, put a light coat of rub on them, put them in an aluminum pan with some of your favorite BBQ sauce, and then put them back in the Egg for another hour or two.