Brisket for 30 ... for Christmas

[Foresemo29]

Hello all!

First and foremost, I have searched lo and hi and cannot find an exact method to Smoking Brisket for a Gathering ahead of time (and then reheating it at time of) and cannot find the exact resources that align with my thoughts. That being said, if there is something that I missed, will you guys please link it to me or suggest where I can find the info? Apologies in advance if this is a very common scenario and I missed it.

On to the dilemma; wife's very sweet grandma asked me to make brisket & pulled pork for the Christmas gathering this year. The problem(s) behind that is 1. I've never made brisket for that many people OR ahead of time in general and 2. the way we do holidays is odd, I go to my families ~noon while my wife goes to hers at noon, then when she's done eating she'll come out to mine to say hi and I'll leave with her to hers for the rest of the day (complicated but best of both worlds for us). I've also come to the conclusion that I will make a test brisket soon for friends to test my method out (below) and I'll end up probably doing 2/3 briskets from Costco for the gathering.

The Method
1. Briskets are rubbed & placed on the smoker at the tail end of Dec 22, think 1-2am
2. Cooking will take place throughout Dec 23
3. Pulled off when done, rested until around 165F, wrapped w/butcher paper and placed in fridge
4. Dec 24, pulled out of the fridge, sliced (because it's easier to slice cold) and packed into foil pans with drippings
5. Delivered pans to grandma on the 24th
6. Gma puts pans in oven on the 25th early in the morn and brought up to about 150-160F (I know Food Safe rules dictate 160)
7. Bingo bongo, lunch is served.

Does this work? Do you see flaws that I can subvert? I am definitely open to critiques on the method or how-to's if you've tried this before OR how you do it if you do this regularly!


The couple 'extra' maybe-not-necessary, opinion -y things that I'm getting hung up on are;
- should I leave brisket whole or am I okay to pre slice? (only a little worried about drying out, would add fat on top of slices)
- should I reheat or gma at day of? If me, then I can pack it all into cooler to deliver right before noon but would be cutting time close
- pull out of butcher paper and then wrap in foil to reheat (or foil pan)

I appreciate anything you guys can help me with or any experiences you've had where you wish you would've known one different thing!


Thank you!
Forrest

 

[schlotz]

Hmm... so when during all of this are you doing the pork butt? How far away does gma live?

If you are doing 2 briskets, are all 30 eating at gma's OR maybe 15 people at each location? If people eating are split then send the wife with a hot brisket wrapped and placed in a cooler to gma's. The other goes with you.

 

[sandyut]

well, many questions...i'll try to be concise:
-what start at 1am? not sure what the end time needs to be but turn up the heat to 275 and the brisket for the day of or day before.
-do a full packer - dont cut it up or preslice.
-if your making pulled pork, make when ever and vacuum pack and freeze or refrigerate. reheating PP is a breeze, stove top, oven, crockpot, Sous Vide, oven. PP is extremely forgiving. IMO. I make two butts and break them down and freeze them for long periods.
-I would cook the briskets to done, seal them up in plastic the day before and warm day of in a little beer or broth in the oven as described.

 

[Foresemo29]

Sorry guys I should have been more descriptive!

Only feeding the 30 people at wife's gmas - but I figured RIGHT AROUND 3/4 lb of brisket per person because truly I do want to make more as they eat lunch and then heat things back up later for supper and also will have the pork. My family does Turkey every year and we don't interfere with my gma making it because that's her pride and joy, she loves feeding us so I don't even bother to stop that (on Holidays that is). Gma lives roughly 20min away so I could definitely keep it warm with a cooler.

Pulled pork no worries, I'd probably do just as you described sandyut , cook the weekend before and cryo-vac that stuff, done that a few time with success over the years! Brisket; yes, absolutely full packer, I mean after it's cooked and rested and cooled in the fridge THEN slicing. The only reason I think about that is so I can make the slices a little more equal as it's easier to slice than when it's warmed up. No reason for start time besides letting it do a bit of the cooking while I get some sleep! I have no problem letting that go low and slow from 1am to 3pm (obviously I would wrap it and what not, just will be doing other stuff that day also).