Brisket Question

[luter]

Ok, I have finally figured out how to get my brisket smoked and tender. Now the most difficult part. How do bbq joints keep their brisket so juicy. Mine is great the day it comes off the smoker but when reheated it is horribly dry. should I soak the meat in a broth before or while reheating? any info to serve juicy leftovers would be appreciated. thanks

 

[rbranstner]

I don't know if I got lucky or what but I made my first one last weekend and it is still juicy when I heat it up in the microwave. I just ate another sandwitch lastnight and it was still juicy. I injected mine the night before then applied a rub in the morning and then foiled at 160 and put some more injection in it then. I removed around 200 and it sat in the cooler for a couple of hours in foil and towels. I don't know which part of that process made it so juicy but something sure did. I have only done the one so I don't have anything to compare it to.

 

[triplebq]

The key is to just to reheat it and that is low and slow . Most folks start to reheat but in fact they are reheating at such high temps they are cooking it further which ruins it . I hardly ever have that much left over but when I do I save some of the juice from the original cook to pour over it when reheating begins .

The best reheating is in the nuke at halfpower with a wet paper towel over it .

Another good thing to do with left overs is to chop it up in a big bowl , add your favorite BBQ sauce and heat it up country style for chopped sammies ! Remember low and slow either way is the key .

Joints use heat lamps that hold temps at or around 140. They keep whole briskets wrapped in Saran Wrap tightly to retain moisture .

 

[pineywoods]

We use a steamer to reheat and find this keeps good moisture.

 

[ddave]

I have found that that works the best for me as well, although I've never used the wet paper towel. My wife would try to reheat it in a skillet and it would be drier than a popcorn fart. Was definitely just cooking it more.

Dave

 

[pit 4 brains]

I reheat leftover bbq in foil on the grill w/ indirect heat. It basically acts like the oven except the wee bit of moisture released by gas combustion. I usually turn one burner to med-low and toss the meat in and let it soak up to temp. Yhis also keeps it in it's own fats and whatnot. It's not fast but it will heat evenly withoout cooking much farther.
I think the bbq joints (at least the one by me) keep the serving food at the end of a looong horizontal and serve it up from there. They cook almost 24/7 and start the next-days dinner meat at 8 PM the night before. I'll have to get a pic of thier rigs and post it up...

 

[deltadude]

You have hit on the problem small BBQ joints have to struggle with, meat holding management. If they don't have enough business to keep turning over fresh Q, they have to manage how they hold the meat. I can't tell you how many places I have gone to on a Saturday or Sunday, and the joint has little or no business, order and on the plate is a pile of dried out meats.

The microwave is the best easy solution as per tripleBQ recommendation.
If you managed to save any drippings you can make a broth to heat with.
To heat up on the stove or in oven heat some BBQ sauce or a meat broth until it is simmering then either add your meat or pour the liquid over some meat, and put sealed in oven. The hot liquid will heat the meat up quickly. Often I will thin out some BBQ sauce with broth and use that for heating.

 

[wingman]

If for some reason is is dry, soak it in warm Au-Jus. Saw it on pitmaters BBQ.

 

[capt dan]

exactly!

 

[luter]

Guys, I appreciate the info, doing another brisket this weekend so I will try a couple different things and see how it goes.
Thanks again

 

[smokin relaxin steve]

x2

Or put it in the oven in a tinfoil sealed pan with either a little saved juices on the bottom or some water... the steam from that will produce moist meat

 

[billbo]

Since the meat mystery is solved I have another question. Luter is that beast a spike horn? Holy crap!

 

[mballi3011]

I'm with Jerry on this one too. I have always used a pasta pot/steamer to re-heat any meat and it wouldn't let the meat dry out either.