brisket - the land of the unknown

[13spicerub]

i've spent a lot of time cooking and experimenting with poultry, pork, and fish. My go-to rub wouldnt pair with beef very well. It's got a sweetness to it and I personally dont think beef goes well with sweet. Any good brisket rub recipes?

I've done 2 fresh briskets before but that was early in my "Q-Career".

For my parties I usually do up the pre-corned beefs
(soaked and smoked). Those are pretty much fail proof and everyone loves em.

A friend of mine wants some briskets for her labor day party, i'm gonna do the pre-corned beef and a fresh brisket. I got an excellent cut and I really dont wanna screw it up.


this is what im goin with: rub, smoke to 165, foil and cooler it for 2 hours.

any other pointers?

any trade secrets out there (i.e. AJ/Rum spray for pulled pork, brining for a turkey)?

 

[rivet]

I've got to say the best spritz/ mop I've tasted so far is TasunkaWitko's spritz I used in my last brisket. It's 1/3 cup low-salt soy sauce (I used Kikkoman's) 1/3 cup olive oil and a can of Dr. Pepper. Sounds way to simple to be that good, but trust me~ It's the killer substance for brisket!

Just don't shake the squirt bottle after you make it like I did cause the pressure from the DR Pepper's gas isn't exactly a good result in the kitchen!

 

[fishawn]

Going to 165*, then foil, then cooler seems quite low to me????

Are you planning on slicing or pulling?

I take mine to 190*+- when slicing & 205* when pulling, but that's just me....

Here is some good info about a recent first brisket smoke & help from the forum

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...t+temps&page=3

 

[fire it up]

What exactly do you mean by pre-corned beef? Normally that would simply be a cut of brisket unless you meant a piece of brisket you yourself would be corning ahead of time (pre-corned).

I have never tried the spritz Rivet mentioned (Tas's sprtiz) but I'm about to do another brisket so I'll give that a try (thanks for the tip about not shaking)

 

[bman62526]

I'm wondering if he meant, "smoke to 160...foil (*then take up to desiered temp like 195,200,205*) and THEN COOLER. ?? Eiither way - that link above will help. Also - you are right that sweet pork rubs aren't always suited for beef. With beef - keep it simple. Guys and gals on here will give you plenty of ideas to choose from when it comes to beef rubs. Ask cowgirl

 

[Dutch]

For a simple brisket smoke, I like to slather Worcestershire sauce on the brisket, and then sprinkle on a little bit of kosher salt and a lot of fresh cracked black pepper. To add a bit more flavor, I’ll forgo the salt and pepper and use some low sodium Montreal Steak Seasoning.



More often than not, your brisket will be somewhere in the plateau phase at 165*. Your brisket needs this plateau time; this is when the connective tissues break down, becomes edible and adds their juices to the surrounding meat. Like Fishawn said, take it to 195* to slice and 205* to pull. The best indicator to tell when it's done is to insert a probe of an instant read thermo into the thick part of the flat. If the probe goes in easy (no resistance) and pulls out the same way, it's done. If you want, go ahead and look at the temp once it's in the meat. I'm pretty sure you will be in the 190’s. I start probing at around the 10 hour mark. But then I do full packer briskets. If you're doing flats, they aren’t going to take near as long to get to 190*.

 

[mballi3011]

Everything sound good so far. I would run with the advice these guy gave you for one thing they are that good. so Happy smoking and don't foget the Qview.

 

[geek with fire]

Not discounting what anyone has said here, but I think it's hard to beat a nice brisket with just salt and pepper; seared, SmokieOkie style.

 

[oldschoolbbq]

Keep it simple, OK?
Best flavor pairing with Beef(in my opinion) is Salt,Peppre and a flavor of choice, be it garlic,Chile, or whathave you!!!
Pepper(cracked Black variety)is a perfect choice for Beef. Adds to the depth of the meat's flavor.And it does not really impart a hot sensation. If someone complains, scrape it off, easy.And still has the flavor...
I've done Brisky that way for years and have loved it, I HAVE tried some rubs on it, but they only disguise the meat's flavor.
No injections, no fancy trimming(I like to use all I pay for) and leave it alone in the smoke chamber to get to know the smoke and let the humidity rise and tenderize the tissues.
Put it on fat side up and Point toward the hot side and go away. After closing the lid(duh). 1.5hrs. per lb. average time and 220*F until it says Uncle and is tender.....
Good luck and
SMOKE HAPPY
Old School aka bbqfans

 

[bbqhead]

to keep it simple,once I just tried salt,pepper and garlic powder. took it to 200* ,no foil and I was surprised ,not bad at all.but it was just kind of a dare. In your case ,smoke to @160*-165*, then double foil,"heavy duty foil", continue to cook to 200* to slice or chop after it rest 1 hr. this works for me on briskit.

 

[13spicerub]

Thanks everyone. I knew you guys wouldn't let me down. Can't wait to get outta work and light the coals. Q-view is a definite.