Brisket Tenderness

[momeat]

The last brisket I made I started checking for tenderness around 195 by probing the flat. I kept checking for tenderness every 2 degrees and never got the desired "feel". The flat started getting around 207 - 209 and the probe still wasn't giving me that "cut through butter feel or even cut through jello feel." I started getting in the situation of not knowing if I should keep it on longer or if I was just drying it up more and going to completely burn it up. I pulled it off to not risk ruining it all. The point was tender and the flat was completely dry. Any suggestions on what I should do if that happens again or any idea of what I did wrong?

I smoked at 275 wrapped at IT of 165. Traeger Grill.

 

[SmokyMose]

Doesn't sound like you did anything wrong. I cook at around the same temps. The flat is almost always thinner and cooks faster. My offset runs hotter on the right (near the firebox) so I place the packer with the flat as far to the left as I can and keep my fingers crossed...

 

[bregent]

The point was tender and the flat was completely dry

The 'probe like butter' test is something that can take some time to get the feel for. You say the flat was dry, but did it pass the pull test?

 

[Chasdev]

Different people use/try different methods to try to avoid a dry flat, but the fact is that some if not most briskets will have a flat with little or no marbling so the meat will be dry.
Best practice is to spend as much as you possibly can on the packer and get the most fat marbling you can.
Stay away from select and lower ungraded briskets, choice or prime are the only ones to buy.
I find that super low and slow, 225 for 20 hours helps on select grade and strange enough, very hot and fast also helps a flat with little marbling.
Hot and fast sears the outside and the overall cook time is shorter so there's less time for it to dry out.
Plus if you crave a dark hard bark hot and fast delivers in spades.

 

[forktender]

Sounds like it should've been wrapped with a little beef broth to save it.
If it's not probe tender at 205* I always foil it with some broth which will almost always save it.
Wrap the point in foil and add a healthy amount of butter and heat it up for an hour at 250* or make some chili out of the tougher parts so it doesn't go to waste. Some times you just get a bunk piece of meat, bummer.

 

[BB-que]

Personally I’ve had points and butts “probe like butter”, but if I let a flat “probe like butter” it ends up overcooked. Just Gotta get a feel for what that means. When my packers have come out good there’s been some resistance. But everyone’s tastes And definition of probing like butter are different. Once you get one right you’ll always know that feel you’re looking for. Took me half a dozen or so to get it right

 

[gmc2003]

The last brisket I made I started checking for tenderness around 195 by probing the flat. I kept checking for tenderness every 2 degrees and never got the desired "feel". The flat started getting around 207 - 209 and the probe still wasn't giving me that "cut through butter feel or even cut through jello feel." I started getting in the situation of not knowing if I should keep it on longer or if I was just drying it up more and going to completely burn it up. I pulled it off to not risk ruining it all. The point was tender and the flat was completely dry. Any suggestions on what I should do if that happens again or any idea of what I did wrong?

I smoked at 275 wrapped at IT of 165. Traeger Grill.

I would have separated the point from the flat and pulled it if it was done. When the point is done and the flat still needs more time they should almost separate themselves. That way you won't ruin the point while the flat finishes up.

Chris

 

[Johnny Ray]

To me brisket is like a steak as it relates to doneness. If the target temp for a med rare steak is say 132* you pull the steak off the heat a few degrees shy of the target and let the carryover rise in temp take the steak to the final desired temp.
Likewise if your goal Is for the brisket to probe like warm butter it stands to reason the brisket needs to be pulled from the heat just before it probes like warm butter.
Once the brisket is wrapped, placed in a cooler to rest it will continue to cook some, hopefully taking it to the perfect “probe like warm butter” we all desire.

Johnny Ray

 

[forktender]

I would have separated the point from the flat and pulled it if it was done. When the point is done and the flat still needs more time they should almost separate themselves. That way you won't ruin the point while the flat finishes up.

Chris

That's how burnt ends were invented, guys separate the point and flat just for that reason so it won't get over done and dry up into an undesirable chunk of meat.

 

[tallbm]

The last brisket I made I started checking for tenderness around 195 by probing the flat. I kept checking for tenderness every 2 degrees and never got the desired "feel". The flat started getting around 207 - 209 and the probe still wasn't giving me that "cut through butter feel or even cut through jello feel." I started getting in the situation of not knowing if I should keep it on longer or if I was just drying it up more and going to completely burn it up. I pulled it off to not risk ruining it all. The point was tender and the flat was completely dry. Any suggestions on what I should do if that happens again or any idea of what I did wrong?

I smoked at 275 wrapped at IT of 165. Traeger Grill.

Hi there and welcome!

A dry tough flat means undercooked.
A dry fall apart flat means over cooked.
A dry brittle flat means WAY overcooked = burnt.

Placing meat probes into the proper spot of the flat (the place to probe) is tricky. This is why I do so with 3 meat probes from different angles. The target is the thickest yet center most portion of the flat. The point is hard to mess up and will temp quicker and be probe tender way before the flat. I then go with the probe that reads the lowest in the flat and guess what... its always way more correct on telling me when to probe for tenderness. I'll have a probe at 212F one at 209F and one at 200F so the range can be crazy when all aiming for the sweet spot.

With that said, and having some good experience smoking plenty of briskets, my first thought was that u got fooled on temps by the probe placement and the trickiness of brisket flats.
Once you get this all down you WILL run across a case where a flat muscle just doesn't want to get so tender. At this point its just about meat selection and quality. You can pick up two choice briskets and of identical weight and one will bend and fold with ease where the other wants to fight you. Choose the one that is more pliable and u will have a better brisket end the end hahha.