Hi guys!
Longtime lurker here . . . I love my MES, it fits my lifestyle well and I have a lot of recipes down cold and get much praise for my ribs and fatty. That said, I can't seem to make brisket work - it's seems too dry.
But, like a Kenny Rogers song, my wife believes in me . . . and gifted me with a 10.7 lb. brisket to make Easter weekend.
So, any recommendations?!? How long, what temp, what tricks do you seasoned professionals have to share?
Any and all are appreciated!!!
Hi there and welcome!
Is this a whole packer brisket or just a brisket flat?
Whole packer (top and bottom view of a whole packer):
Brisket Flat only:
The best approach for cooking your brisket may likely be different based on what you have. (I didn't mention the brisket Point cut as that is rarer to see alone than the Flat).
In your areas of the US I believe you often just get the Brisket Flat. The flat is the more problematic muscle of the brisket because it is leaner than the Point and when the Flat is removed from the whole Packer you don't have that point to help you out with keeping the Flat from drying out.
Maybe the main rule of cooking Brisket is that
it is done when it is tender!!!
A dry tuff brisket = under cooked.
A dry fall apart brisket = over cooked.
A dry crusty hockey puck texture to your brisket = waaaay over cooked BUT this can happen on thin spots of the brisket (end of the flat or back end of the point) where while the rest of the brisket is fine... confusing, yes
I live in Texas and we mainly get whole packer briskets not just the flat or point alone so I have never just smoked a flat alone BUT I do know that it is the piece that will be less juicy and most problematic.
I would personally treat a lone Flat like it was a Chuck Roast.
Cooking a Brisket Flat:
I would smoke the Flat to about 160-170F Internal Temp (IT) and then I would wrap it in double foil with any captured drippings and a little liquid added (I usually add a few splashes of old white wine or a little beer or hell even plain water if I have nothing more flavorful).
I would smoke to an IT of about 200F and then start checking every degree or so for tenderness. I personally check using wooden bamboo kabob skewers.
When the Skewer goes into the meat, all over, with no resistance then it is tender and ready to be pulled!
Cooking a Whole Packer Brisket:
Now if it is a whole packer I would trim off any thin parts of the flat so what is left behind of the flat is all about the same uniform thickness. The thin part of the flat will just burn up into crusty hockey puck texture so I save the thin trimmed off meat to do other things with it:
I prefer to smoke my whole packers uncovered and untouched until they hit about 200F IT then I check for tenderness and pull when the tenderness tests tell me the brisket is ready. The flavor cannot be beat, the bark is great, and the brisket is always tender and juicy!
I double foil. I then wrap with 3 bath towels and rest it on the counter for 4 hours or so until it is time to eat. At that time I unwrap, slice, serve, and eat an amazing brisket!!!!
I plan my smokes to end about 4-5 hours before time to eat so there is no risk of being late and the wrap and rest technique I mention keeps a brisket piping hot for 4-6 hours with no problem!
Last but not least, I smoke my brisket and my chuck roasts at 275F smoker temp. At that temp a brisket cooks around or just over 1hour per pound.
I hope this info helps out!