Best Timing For a Brisket & Best Cooking methods

[thechefswife]

My mother recently became aware of my new addiction to this Wagyu beef website, so she bought me a really pricey brisket. I'm thankful, but I'm not quite sure the best ways to cook it and how long to cook it. I have a regular electric oven and a gas grill at my immediate disposal, but my friend does have a great smoker.

My husband is a chef and could probably help me, but I'd prefer to surprise him, so I'm asking for advice. If it helps, this is what she bought me: http://www.hhwagyu.com/wagyu-roasts/wagyu-beef-brisket.html (She bought me the 10 pounder, under the assumption that it can be cut up and cooked on various occasions. Not sure how to really cut it properly either.)

Should I use the smoker for a brisket, or will the gas grill or electric oven work best? And if so, how long do you guys usually cook brisket to achieve that desired tenderness?

Thanks for any help!

-Apryl

 

[pkerchef]

Apryl , It would be a shame to see the waygu go into the hot box in the kitchen or in the gasser in my opinion. You have to burn some wood to make REAL bbq so i would definitely go with the smoker. The method would depend on how much time you want to put into it. If i had all day to cook i would do it low and slow say at 225 for 1-1.5 hours per lb. or until it would pass the toothpick test. if i was in a hurry i would cook it in the 275-300 range until it hit say 165 then pan and foil until it reaches say 195 wrap in towels and place in a cooler for a couple of hours then slice and enjoy. Great score on the waygu by the way. Pkerchef

 

[thechefswife]

Thank you for your reply, Pkerchef.

Brisket is an unfamiliar meat to me, so I am very lost. I figured the smoker would be best, but since I have to do it at my friend's home instead of my own, I hoped maybe one of the other two options would work.

But, in the end, it is most important to cook it properly, so I will take your advice and use her smoker.

Also, can briskets really be "cut-up" in any proper way? 10 pounds is a lot, and I would rather maybe break it into 2-4 sections to be cooked at different times.
 

 

[pkerchef]

Apryl I have never cut them up but i am sure it could be done. A brisket is 2 big muscles with the grain running opposite each other . The point is the part that you often hear people cutting into chunks to make burnt ends from. The flat is the prime piece if there is one and this is where we will get slices from. If you consider loss due to cooking of maybe say 40 percent you only have 6 pounds of cooked product to deal with.

 Brisket freezes well. I did two at a comp and i wasn't happy with the one that i turned in at all, so i didn't even break into the second one. I wrapped it in plastic wrap and then in double foil and froze it. Once thawed i wrapped it in foil and placed it in a 300 degree oven and heated it till warm. It was awesome even after about 3 months in the freezer. If you have a vacum sealer these things are great for dealing with leftovers. Have fun and post some pics so we can see how it turned out ! Pkerchef
 

 

[so ms smoker]

  Hi Apryl.  After you seperate the point and flat, you could cut the flat in half as well. Doing each piece sepertely will also reduce cooking time. For some examples of how to smoke the brisket, use the search feature at the top of the page. Jeff also has a great tutorial on brisket in his newsletter. Around April or May I think. Good luck with it and don't forget the pics!

  Mike

 

[grinder]

You can also smoke the brisket to 150, foil it up, transport it home and finish in your oven.
 

 

[thechefswife]

Hmmm..... interesting idea. I never thought of that. Thanks for the advice, everyone!

It looks like it will be cut up into 2-3 parts and one part will be in the smoker this weekend!