1st Brisket attempt...not so much

Yep, those little flats tend to dry out on ya.

You might have to do a big packer and try a better grade also to get what you want.

You might also try starting on 225* or less, then turn up to 250* when you foil. Maybe foil at a lower temp like 150* instead of 160*. I am not a foiler myself.

Keep good notes and experiment often, and you will get it down. Have fun.

Well'I'm no expert on flats-but I have met a few guys that thought they were gonna be.

I have also read about a couple guys that were supposed to be.

Seems like Jeff Stehny of Oklahoma Joe's was supposed to cook good ones "back in the day".

The guys at Headcountry pick through 100 s of
packers,then cut


their choices a certain way,and wind up with sort of a flat and fast cook them,and only rest about 30 mins.

Their techniques are available on the Headcountry website.


If we had a little more info,it would be easier to start.

What shelf?

If it came from Costco,was it choice,and what brand?

Always cook packers-

unless you have large vending jobs,and labor costs/poor help/time/are a factor.

Packers lose 50% and the leftovers freeze great.

You also don't wind up making chili,or grinding up a poor flat with sauce to make sanwiches-so it is more cost effective.

You also get the point,which is the best part and the cook's choice.

The folks that have tried to make me into a butt/brisket cook advocate that the longer you are in the plateau,the better to break down collagen and the more time to render fat.

I can't figure how higher temps,could leave you in the melt zone longer.

Water boils off at 212*,so under that,you should not be losing moisture.

No,at 250*,you won't find a plateau.

Donna's family designed the Smokette as a brisket cooker,and if anything,it cooks too moist.

Thus, foil is more often used to speed up the cook,if you are behind schedule.

Many comp cooks find that 2-3 hr rest in foil is essential.

With a little more info,we'll try to help.

Like GLH says,practice.

All briskets have a mind of their own.

The poke test is more critical than finish temp-which is only an indication of when to start poking it.

Take good notes and have fun.

Just a couple of thoughts.

Don't cook a brisket at over 225 degrees or otherwise you'll boil the fat right out of it and dry it out. I have read that advise on many websites about brisket and followed that advise myself.I have yet to cook a bad brisket!

dombey

I've done 55-60 flats over the last year. And they always turn out pretty good. We just clean and trim if needed. Then put our rub on, and nothing else. Latley the cookshack brisket rub (GREAT). Then put them on at 225 until they come up to 165 then pull them off and wrap with apple juice and butter and maybe some honey if I feel like it. Also I spray twice during the initial cook. Then take the temp up to 200 and pull them off. Don't open to check, just slide probe through the foil.

Some people say to open the foil and let the meat cool some and then close the foil back up. I think letting the stay wrapped at 200 isn't too bad. But don't cut the meat while it is hot. The juices will come gushing out and the meat will end up dry. Let it cool then slice.

Maybe the flat you had was very thin??

we're trying a 10 pounder in the morning, I hope ours comes out better than yours did.

Dombey,

Have you check your temp gauges lately.

quote:

Originally posted by Gem:
we're trying a 10 pounder in the morning, I hope ours comes out better than yours did.

If that's a 10 lb flat,It must be off a right fair sized steer.

We do see a bunch on 16-17 lb packers that the flat runs that size.

Sure hope it is choice,or better.

I just made a brisket for the office on Wednesday and it was pure heaven. I purchased a 6.25 lb brisket and I left the fat cap on and made sure the membrane was off of the bottom side. I washed the brisket, dried it and then seasoned it with my homemade rub (go easy on the rub I always recommend). Make sure you bring the meat up to room temperature before you season it. I also cut it in half so it would fit in the smoker better (model 009). I adjusted the rack holders so the top piece of the brisket was right under the vent hole. The other half was placed on the second shelf. I put one piece of hickory and two small branches of apple in the box. I took the bark off of the apple. I usually put a small glass jar of apple juice in the smoker next to the fire box for steam, but all I had was cranberry/apple juice. I'm glad I tried it as it was my best brisket yet. I set the unit to 210 degrees F and cooked from 1900 unit 0530 when I had to get up for work. I did not use my thermometer this time. At 0530 I took the meat from the unit and put it in a glass container and with a double batch of finishing sauce. make sure you put some sauce in the bottom of the pan so the entire product is covered. I made the sauce the night prior. The sauce is from Cookshacks cookbook and I used 1/2 cup of sugar, and 1/4 cup each of orange juice, ketchup and honey. Make sure you heat the items up to dissolve the sugar and blend the ingredients. I then put the covered product in the oven at 320 degrees F for 45 minutes. I then took the meat out and put a plastic cover on it and into an insulated cooking carrying case. At 0800 three of us tried it and it was a 12 out of 10. I think I will use this method even when I make it at home. The extra time slow cooking in the sauce makes the meat incredibly moist but not mushy. I personally think people get hung up on the internal temperature to much. Try this method and your wife will never complain again. My office always asks me if I'm going to bring my brisket in for our monthly pot luck lunches. They want me to bring something else in but brisket is the easiest to do. Next time I plan on trying chicken thighs.

Are you at a high altitude such as the German Alps?

Inquiring minds need to know.

I live in Darmstadt (10 miles south of Frankfurt), work in Heidelberg (40 miles south of Frankfurt), and am 5 hours north of the Alps by car.

Thanks. Being as you are steaming the brisket, are you sure the juice boils at 210*F, or do you think your temp knob setting is off due to the difference in electric service over there? I am sure the sauce boils in the oven at 320*F to accomplish the braising technique.

So, steam, then braise, don't worry about the meat temp, correct?

Oh yea, before I forget, the briskets over there have a membrane like pork ribs?

Good luck with your chicken thighs.