Brisket flat for chili

[OldSmoke]

Originally I was going to use a point, but they were out and busy at the butcher shop, so I brought home a seven pound flat. I cut it in half for the chili, and so it would fit my smoker. And, I would have a backup plan if I had a failure since this is my first try with brisket.

I rubbed it the night before with a salt and pepper coffee rub. This is the stuff I use on my jerky and I love it on beef.




I set the smoker at 250 with hickory and water in the pan. It stalled at about 155. At 170, I wrapped it with some beef broth. At 195 I started probing. At 205 I uncovered it to set the bark. It was pretty moist from the foil. At 207 I pulled it and let it rest. I would like a bit more pink, but it tastes great and passed the Mrs. Smoke test. I had to shoo her away to save some for the chili. Just slightly dry. Next time I may pull a bit earlier. It won’t be a problem for the chili this time though.

It took forever. About eight hours which seems high for this size which is just over three pounds. Is that normal?



Thanks for the ideas and help everyone has offered, now I need to make the chili! If I don’t get the brisket into the chili soon, there won’t be any left.

 

[Nefarious]

That looks like it will be some very tasty chili, have a great time with your friends.

 

[gmc2003]

Looks real good from here. When I smoke whole cuts of beef whether it's brisket or ribeye for chili. I try to take them off a little early because they'll continue cooking in the chili pot. I like small intact cubes of beef in my chili. The time of the cook is about normal. Flats can take forever if they want to. Some are easier then others.

Chris

 

[negolien]

They take as long as they take sometimes lol. People rush em and wonder why their unhappy with em. Way to stick with it looks great ty for sharing

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

That flat is going to make for some delicious chili.

 

[edmonds]

Yea, I'm not sure much would make it into the chili at my house either.
The 7 lb flat cut in half should cook for about the same as time as the whole flat because the thickness is the same. Making the meat shorter should not affect cooking time so much.
And I like Chris's suggestion of cooking less if it's gonna cook longer in another dish like chili.

 

[bauchjw]

Looks like a great start! it is a challenge to keep enough brisket at times! Looks awesome!

 

[OldSmoke]

Thar be chili!



Starting the three hour simmering phase. I used the drippings from the brisket after skimming the fat. It added a lot of richness. I also added coffee to compliment the coffee rub and chocolate.



I might give it a go in the smoker for a bit on serving day to add a bit of smoke to the flavor. As suggested here, it also adds a bit of showmanship. Preliminary tests suggest it is going to be pretty tasty. I can’t wait to try it after sitting overnight. The house smells great!

 

[negolien]

looks slamming

 

[jcam222]

Looks tasty. Love me some brisket chili.

 

[negolien]

Slamming bud

 

[OldSmoke]

Thanks for the comments and likes. There were no leftovers. I frequently heard “Best I’ve ever had.”

The dinner started at 5:30. We ate on the patio and it was a bit chill so I though we might wrap up by 8:30. We didn’t finish until midnight. The varieties of bourbon may have contributed. The guys just wanted to talk!

I served the chili with a side of cast iron pan cornbread and honey butter. None of that left over either. I really wanted pictures, but I failed to get any in the midst of the frenzy.

I can’t wait to make another batch of Chili v2.0. The brisket made all the difference!