Need some guidance on a flat and....

dabdesign · Jul 11, 2012

Doing a contest this weekend, and swung by sams yesterday to pick up my meat. They didn't have any whole packers that caught my eye, so I decided to go with a flat. This will be the first time I've done a flat (I know, I know....a contest isn't the time to try something new). But I bought it, and now I'm stuck with it. It's approx 10lb angus. Still has a nice layer of fat on one side.

I plan on trimming, if required, tomorrow evening. I can't do any seasoning until Friday 6pm. after checkin. I plan on injecting with beef broth with some of my rub mixed in. Spritzing with apple juice and jack daniels while smoking over a mix of pecan and cherry.

Is the estimate of 1hr per pound still valid when just doing a flat? I've done both foil and no foil in the past and have had mixed results from both. What is the perferred method for a flat? Foil? At what IT? What IT to pull it at?

I'll be cooking this along with 2 pork butts. I only have the one homemade cooker and have to cook pork butt, brisket, ribs and chicken. I purchased a 2 pack of butts, the flat, a 3 pack of ribs, and two 2 packs of chickens. I'm hoping for a lot of leftovers with the chicken

. The pork and brisket will go on ASAP after checkin. As soon as I pull them, the ribs will go on, then a couple hours later, the chickens. Of course it won't work as smoothly as I want/need it to, but we're gunna give er the ol college try. Will the butts and brisket be ok in the cooler for several hours? Up to 5-6 hours?

Ugh..so many questions and I'm not sure they all belong in this post. My first contest so yeah...just a bit flustered. Say a prayer to the smoke gods for me.

oldschoolbbq · Jul 11, 2012

Dabber, sounds like you got a start of your plan,I don't do comps. , however patience is a wonderful thing when BBQing. Try keeping the lid and heat in as much as possible and save the heat, and keep cooking going better.

Here's a "Smoke God" prayer :

Oh, mighty Smoke God , Make my smoke Blue and thin , keep me focused on the job at hand . Help me keep my own knowledge and not be seduced into other's ideas ,and bless the food I serve.

I will do the good Samaritan thing with my leftovers and "give" them to the less fortunate.

Thank You for the Smoke and Bless me.....

Hope that helps and...

smokinhusker · Jul 11, 2012

Never done a comp or brisket flat, but sure sounds like you have a plan. Are you permitted by rules to trim prior to check in?

Hopefully someone will come along with more experience with answers to your questions. If not try searching the forum with the search bar at the top of the page.

Good luck!

dabdesign · Jul 11, 2012

SmokinHusker (nice name), we can do anything except season the meat in any way before checkin.

bruno994 · Jul 11, 2012

Yes, once the flat is cooked, it will only get better from resting in the cooler for a few hours, even up to 5 or 6 if need be. Same with the butts. What kind of smoker are you running? I know you said homemade, but is it direct flow, reverse, any other details and pics would be great, we love some Q-view around here. As far as the IT of the flat, I always shoot for 200+, but the toothpick or probe test is the true reading of doneness. What time are your turn ins? Our turn ins here in Texas are usually as follows: Chicken at 12:00, ribs at 1:30 and brisket at 3:00 (we rarely do pork butts in Texas). Some comps vary a bit, but this is the norm. I rarely start my briskets before 5 am on Saturday of a comp. I cook full packers (usually 12-15 pounds), start them at 5:00 and pull them off the smoker at 1:30 or so for an hours rest prior to seperating and slicing. This allows me to get at least some sleep Friday night, keeps me a bit more pleasant as my wife likes to say on Saturday. Give us all the questions you got, if I can't answer them, someone will. Most of all, enjoy the comp, they are alot of fun, plus you get to eat all the leftovers.

dabdesign · Jul 11, 2012

Here's a pic of the smoker. It's approx. 48" long, and 19" diameter. The 2nd pic is with it loaded down with 3 slabs of ribs. In the past, I have split the ribs up into sections because it makes it easier to handle if they start "falling off the bone". I have since bought a rib rack that holds them vertically, so I will have plenty of room for the ribs and chicken.

Turn ins start at noon with ribs, then chicken, pork, brisket (half hour increments).

If I get the pork butts and brisket on at no later than 6:45, I'm hoping that they'll be off no later than 6am. If they take longer than that, I'm going to be in a bit of a pickle since I do my ribs with the 3-2-1 method. However, if they go over, I suppose I could try upping the temp. But that would be another thing that I haven't tried, and really don't want to try at the comp.

bruno994 · Jul 12, 2012

Sounds like you have a great plan, especially with limited space on your pit for briskets, butts and ribs. By the way, nice setup you have there. I am assuming this is a KCBS comp by the turn in times? If it is, watch out on the 3-2-1 method, fall off the bone will be overdone according to their judges. Here in Texas, you tend to want to get everything as tender as possible because the judges are taking samples of your meat with flimsy plastic forks and knives, but in KCBS, it's a different story. Each judge gets a sample of your meat, if the bones fall out or the meat pulls clean off the bone, you'll get marked down for being overdone. Most of all have fun and good luck!

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Need some guidance on a flat and....

dabdesign

Newbie

oldschoolbbq

Legendary Pitmaster

smokinhusker

Legendary Pitmaster

dabdesign

Newbie

bruno994

Master of the Pit

dabdesign

Newbie

bruno994

Master of the Pit

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