Brisket Virgin

Luck luck luck, Poppa! I'm a Brisket Virgin, too. Went to the Cost-co outlet a couple hundred miles away yesterday in hopes of finding a brisket. No luck. I cannot understand why I can't get a damn brisket in Alaska! I won't give up, though...

Popajack.....

Be prepared! If you are cooking a flat only, it MAY cook up in as little as 1 hour/lb.! I have been surprised a number of times by this happening. I cook all my briskets at 225� so anything higher and it will cook even quicker.

The maximum it should take is around 9 hours(1 1/2 hrs/lb.). It will all depend on the thickness of the flat. Sorry, but I have no guidelines as to the thickness vs. time variables.

I was just questioning if an overnighter is really needed.....hate to have you wake up to shoe leather!

Let us know how it turns out.

Stogie

Hey Stogie, What kind of wood would you recommend? I think Smokin likes Hickory. I like it too, but don't want it to be real smoky either. Also, about 2 AM this coming morning and I will be geting up around 10 or so...so I should be right in there unless it cooks real quick. Do you think 225� is good or could I lower it to 200� for a little longer leeway?

Thanks for the luck Andi, I will let you know how everything turns out. Did I ever mention that I am a graduate of East Anchorage High School class of '62? I bet it has changed a little.

Hi Popajack!!

Sounds like you have a very good handle on what you are doing!

I use hickory on mine. Brisket can actually withstand a huge amount of smoke before it will get too bitter. But, I ultimatley will use whatever wood I can get for free!!

I like the 225� and know a lot of Texans who cook it at 200�...so anything between those is great. Brisket, like pork butt, is one of the "ideal" BBQ meats because the low and slow method works so great in breaking down the collagen...the lower the better in this case.

HA HA, Poppa! West High alumni here..1964! The Least of West is the Best of East! Remember that one? You said: The Best of West is the Least of East! WOW! What memories!

Go Eagles!

Popajack,

If you're going to smoke your first brisket overnight, I would definitely go with the lower temp, around 200. Like Stogie, I've found flats smoking at 1hr per, especially the smaller ones.

IF it's not done when you get up, then bump the temp up so it will finish off to around 190.

Flats are difficult and will dry out if not supervised. The bacon will help, some. See how it works for you when you're done.

Smokin' likes hickory, but loves Pecan (we have lots of it in Oklahoma) but Hickory is a standard and like Stogie said, will hold a lot of smoke. But, as we've warned about CS's, don't oversmoke.

Smokin'

Hi Smokin, I put the brisket in at 1:15 AM at 200�. When I got up at 10:15 it was up to 179�. I'm keeping a close eye on it now. IT was up to 184� at 1 PM today. Should I wrap it and put it in the cooler at 190�? Could I wrap it and leave it in the Smokette at 140� for a few hours? I dont want it to dry out on me so give me a little of advice based on your degree as a Doctor of Que please. Thanks,

Forgot, one more thing...when I got up I kicked up the temp to about 215�.

sure, you can double wrap it.

It's take it out at 190, and it will probably go up to 195 or so in the foil. It should be fine for 3 to 4 hours, probably longer. I'd leave the bacon on until you cut it.

I don't know about Doctor of Que, but I am the Chancellor of Que University.

Sorry your Queship, When you said I could double wrap it did you mean to go the cooler route or leave it in at 140�? I am now at 188� So I gotta make a move real soon.

How long are you trying to "hold" it?

I'd double wrap it in foil if it's more than about 3 hours. The cooler is fine if you need to take it some where, or just leave it in the CS, but turn it off (it will retain enough heat to keep it for a while).

Smokin'

It hit 190� at about 1:10 PM. I double wrapped it in foil and put it in a small cooler I have. Dinner is at 5:30 so I guess it will be OK. Thanks for the info, and I will let you know how it "Eats".

Sounds great.

You have the right idea, let us know the "results" of your first time.

Smokin'

Well, here are the results of my first Brisket. I used the dry rub of NJ-Pony. I used 3 chunks of hickory...probably about 6 oz. I cooked it for a total of about 12 hours but at 205� except for the lat 3 hours which were ar 115�. I pulled it at 190�. I then double wrapped it, and put it in a small cooler til dinner at 6:00 PM. My critique is as follows. Personally, it was a little too Smoky for me, next time I will cut back the wood by half and try pecan. secondly, although the tenderness was definitely there, it was a little on the dry side for me. Not totally cotton mouth kind of dry, but not as moist as I would have liked. Although as I cut closer to the center, it did get more juicy. I like my brisket to be very juicy, so I will have to work on that aspect. Other than that, I have to say that is wasn't bad. I would give it a 7 out of 10. I would appreciate any suggestions you have so I can improve next time.

Popajack,it sounds like you have figured out the process and some of the changes that might help you.

Remember the brisket is probably the hardest to cook consistently,and the flat only really can add to the difficulty.

I find more variation in the meat from brisket to brisket than any thing I cook.

For the dryness,you might try adding about 1/4 cup of beef stock on top of it as you wrap it.

You can also wrap it in plastic wrap before you foil it and that will hold moisture more tightly in the meat.

Good luck and let us hear about the next one.

Hey Tom, great suggestion on the plastic wrap before foiling. I'm gonna try that next brisket. I don't know if it helps with the dryness or not but I like to brush a nice layer of bbq sauce on my brisket before I foil it. I know some say "sauce on the side only", but I find that this just enhances the bbq flavor and doesn't coverit up at all.

And Pappajack, may I say I am humbled by your decision to lose your brisket virginity with my rub and bacon technique. I can't get pecan wood up here in NJ so I tend toward the cherry and apple that was shipped with my smokette. I think they produce a lighter smoke than hickory. Keep at it and I'm sure you'll go from a 7 to a 9-10 pretty quick. And I'd nave to say that a 7 in a cs is probably close to a 10 in anything else you might cook in!

This is my first post ever and I have had a CS for about a year now. I've seen so much info about brisket that sometimes my head feels a little smoked too. I've smoked on indirect fire for quite a while and never could get a consistent brisket. Within no time of opening my new CS, I had a 12# packer(easy and cheap in Oklahoma) in it. I started using the times and ideas from the accompanying cookbook and was not very satisfied. Over the last year I have tweeked my approach and feel like I have a winner. To start, I wash my brisket upon opening it very well. I don't like the package taste. Then I rub it generously with Mortons Tender quick and poke it all over with a fork. I then spread yellow mustard all over it in a thin layer and sprinkle with Cavaners. Then I cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for a minimum of 24 hours. I use three to four medium chunks of hickory, put fat side up and cook for about two hours at 225 and then turn down to 200 and cook for another eighteen hours. So far I have not seen anyone suggest to cook a 12 pounder for 20 hours, but the taste and thick bark that is present is unbelievable. There is also a great smoke ring which previously on CS I could not get. It is still incredibly juicy and cuts clean but can be eaten easily with a fork. I am partial to slicing the flat and chopping the point with some homemade sauce. Anyway, this method has become a treat to my family and friends alike and plan to not make any changes. I hope this helps someone else.

Good Luck and Good Smoking,

Ken

nsrok, not to take anything away from your accompishment of cooking a good, maybe great brisket, the "smoke ring" you have is from the TenderQuick.

Sounds good!

For variety try some different rubs and different prepartion techniques. You may find something better than what you have.

Good luck.