brisket no-fail

hotpit · Aug 16, 2012

ive cooked several briskets, (none recently) but would like to hear from some one with a fail safe time/temp to get tender brisket? I can rub it down and sauce it up to make it taste good, just need fail safe way to cook it???

but good general ideas on seasoning would be great too!!

my personal fav is mellow smoke, but super "fall apart" brisket.

dougmays · Aug 16, 2012

if you want a light smoke i would probably use a fruit wood llike apple or cherry instead of something heavier like hickory and mesquite.

i only slice mine, when you say fall apart do you want to pull it? or just have it super tender so when you slice it falls apart easily as you eat it? Briskets cook very similar to pork shoulders. I trim some of the fat off of the top and then put that sliced fat back on top so that the fat will still render down and keep the meat moist. Put on the smoker, fat side up (some will say down, personal preference) and cook between 225-250 and plan on atleast 1-1.5 hour per pound. but also monitor the temp with a meat prob and take it to 170-175 (others do different temps).

once you've reached your desired internal temp remove it and double foil it, let rest for atleast a hour. Then remove and slice. you should be good to go.

smokinhusker · Aug 16, 2012

I've only smoked 2 briskets, so I'm definitely a newbie in that area. The first was 16 lbs, I smoked at 225-250*, going by the general rule of thumb of 1.5-2 hrs per lb. I separated the point and flat at 160-165*, wrapped the flat in foil and smoked to a 195* IT. That was too tender and fall apart for us, since we like it sliced.

The second 13 lb, I smoked at the same temps but when I separated the point and flat I did not wrap the flat in foil. I smoked it to a 175* IT and this one was spot on for our tastes...not fall apart but tender enough that you didn't need a knife to cut the slices.

Treat like a pork butt and for Pulling it, take to a 200-205* IT. I trimmed each, applied rub and overnight rest in fridge. In smoker with fat cap up and also added a pan of Chef Jimmy's Au Jus both times.

hotpit · Aug 16, 2012

well, ive found one mistake ive made every time, i never have enough time to let it rest, and that would be of up-most importance. also, the temps and time with brisket seem to be much more fussy than pork butt, the pork is a little more forgiving of high temps, ive acrually seared the botttom of a brisket slightly and could taste burnt fat thoughout entire brisket....Ive come a long way since then, but if the same happens to a butt, you can save it.....

but all comments will taken

and thanks guys!!!!!

dougmays · Aug 17, 2012

the resting time is crucial. what i do is plan to be done 2-3 hours before "serving time". if i have people coming over at 5pm i plan my cooking as if i need to be done by 2 or 3pm. that way even if you need more time you might have atleast a hour for resting.

some people also foil the brisket after a few hours to cook faster. like like to leave my unwrapped

dean74 · Aug 19, 2012

I rarely cook a brisket with a set time. Ive cooking multiple briskets at the same time and have never found two that cook exactly the same. Generally the safest way I have found to cook a brisket it put it on the smoker at 225 until it reaches 165, pull it and foil it in a couple layers of foil put back on until you can push a thermo into it like butter.

for a simple good brisket I go with Pepper, garlic, and salt. Sometimes simple is better. also I usually try and add about a half a cup of liquid when I foil.

hotpit · Oct 21, 2012

Gonna cook one today, rubbed yesterday with headcountry rub and gonna smoke with post oak/mesquite. Will post pics later.

pit 4 brains · Oct 21, 2012

Score the fat, kosher salt and pepper, smoke fat side up, temps above 230 and below 260. Use a pan after awhile if ya need to keep your smoker clean, smoke until it is tender to a toothpick. Wrap, rest, and wait.

The hardest thing about briskets is patience...

hotpit · Oct 22, 2012

Temps below 230 and above 260??? Can you explain this?? I cooked one yesterday? And was tender, but didn't like it all that well. Was too "greasy". Had good bark, and moist and tender, but was really rich and greasy???? What causes this?

roadkill cafe · Oct 22, 2012

hotpit said:
Temps below 230 and above 260??? Can you explain this?? I cooked one yesterday? And was tender, but didn't like it all that well. Was too "greasy". Had good bark, and moist and tender, but was really rich and greasy???? What causes this?

Think you got reversed hotpit.

Pit 4 Brains said:
Score the fat, kosher salt and pepper, smoke flat side up, temps above 230 and below 260. Use a pan after awhile if ya need to keep your smoker clean, smoke until it is tender to a toothpick. Wrap, rest, and wait.

The hardest thing about briskets is patience...

pit 4 brains · Oct 22, 2012

hotpit said:
Temps below 230 and above 260??? Can you explain this?? I cooked one yesterday? And was tender, but didn't like it all that well. Was too "greasy". Had good bark, and moist and tender, but was really rich and greasy???? What causes this?

I have no idea how a brisket can be greasy.. You should trim off the hard fats, like the corn and some of that surrounding fat. It just insulates the meat and doesn't render down well. The ugly fat also makes for poor presentation and sight is the first sense used by the one whos gonna eat it.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/a/brisket-separation-technique

I edited my earlier post to read "fat side up". Some smoke fat side down, you need to decide for yourself.

Look around at other posts about briskets and learn form others mistakes and successes, but experience is going to be your biggest ally.. Stick with it

so ms smoker · Oct 22, 2012

I would think fat side up if you do not plan to foil untill you reach the desired IT. Fat side down if you foil at 160.

Mike

hotpit · Oct 22, 2012

hotpit said:
Temps below 230 and above 260??? Can you explain this?? I cooked one yesterday? And was tender, but didn't like it all that well. Was too "greasy". Had good bark, and moist and tender, but was really rich and greasy???? What causes this?

Wow, I'm dumber than I thought!! Lol. Okay, yeah, got it on temps. Didn't get qveiw as everyone was hungry. Maybe do another soon.

oldschoolbbq · Oct 22, 2012

Hotpit, this is MY way and not many follow me as I am a bit "ANAL" about my Brisket.

Now know I have several pits , so less need to open them.

Now , ISeason with simple S/CBP and maybe some Garlic and Onion. You can let it sit overnight or put it right on like I do. I place my Grate Probe and the Meat Probe in the Pit as I load the meat in ,then in an hour ,stick the Meat Probe in the center of Muscle not touching bone. I then shut the door and leave it shut until my meat is to my temp. ,200° for pulling, THEN wrap and into a towel and cooler for an hour or so...

Betty 013 - Copy.JPG

oldschoolbbq
Oct 8, 2012

I can do several at a time and still get the same results , and they come out at appox. the same time...

brisket cook 5-17-12 027.JPG

oldschoolbbq
Jul 18, 2012

as you can see, tender and juicy.

Patience is my answer, when left to it's own , meat will cook as you feed the Smoker and watch the temps. I usually try to stay around 225° (+/- 15°).

Butts the same:

Betty 004 - Copy (2).JPG

oldschoolbbq
Oct 14, 2012

Nice , even sheen (sweat ) and

Betty 012.JPG

oldschoolbbq
Sep 29, 2012

tender , almost falls apart.

Of course I use this to do it, however it can be done with anything. Practice is the secret.

But I'm lazy and do it like a Fat Boy:

Frostyballs cook 004.JPG

oldschoolbbq
Jul 16, 2012

Have fun and...

05sprcrw · Oct 23, 2012

I have been having good luck with cooking around 250°, trimming my fat cap down to around 1/4" thick or a little less, and no foil for the whole cook. I then separate my point and flat, put point back in for burnt ends and double foil the flat and wrap in a couple towels, then throw in a small foam cooler that is just big enough to hold the brisket. I used to let it rest a min of an hour and it turned out great, but if you can get it to 3-4 hour mark on resting that is when I have had my best results and every one else has seemed to agree with me on that.

IMG_2024.jpg

05sprcrw
Oct 17, 2012

IMG_2022.jpg

05sprcrw
Oct 17, 2012

IMG_1682.jpg

05sprcrw
Oct 17, 2012

IMG_1681.jpg

05sprcrw
Oct 17, 2012

hotpit · Oct 24, 2012

Dang! Those are both really good posts fellas. Thanks a lot.
05, message me about the pit in your avatar! That looks like same design I'm working on.

fielies · Oct 24, 2012

Dang Good Yes!

05sprcrw · Oct 25, 2012

hotpit said:
Dang! Those are both really good posts fellas. Thanks a lot.
05, message me about the pit in your avatar! That looks like same design I'm working on.

PM sent

And thanks briskets are one of my favorite items to cook.

bruno994 · Oct 25, 2012

As far as briskets being kind of greasy, yes they are. It's the nature of that cut of meat, especially one with high marbling. Without the grease (fat), it would not hold it's moisture on the long cook it takes to get them tender. I shoot for 250 on all my smokes with a range of 230- 265 pit temp. Briskets are less forgiving, but they can handle some swings in temp. I also don't worry about IT temps anymore either (for the finish that is), I'll cook it until it gets the color I want on the outside, which is typically in the 165-170 IT range, then wrap it up in foil with a bit more of my rub and a can of either Coke or Dr Pepper, foil it up until it hits 200 IT, then open the foil to let the steam vent and start checking every 30-45 minutes with a toothpick for tenderness (as Pit For Brains stated above), I want the toothpick to just slide in like hot butter. The venting will allow you to do 2 things, check for tenderness easier and also reset the bark from the foiling stage which will turn the bark to mush. Once it's tender, allow it to rest anywhere from 1-4 hours. After an hours rest or so, I will usually seperate the point and flat to make burnt ends, but I wait at least 1 hour to allow the juices to redistribute and the IT to fall a bit.

brisket no-fail

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