Brisket - Two Stage Cooking?

[Little-m]

I've read a number of threads where folks needed to start their cooks very early in order to finish by a certain time.

I'm curious if splitting a cook has been considered - say, 5 hour smoke on day one and then a higher cook temp the next to finish things off.

Anyone?

 

[Little-m]

C'mon guys, don't just read it, comment - idiot idea or what? Just throwing this thought out there...

 

[jcam222]

It’s an interesting question. I’m following to see replies as I really don’t know. One option may be to do 4 hours or smoke and then put in a sous vide set at finish temp for a long stretch.

 

[tallbm]

I've read a number of threads where folks needed to start their cooks very early in order to finish by a certain time.

I'm curious if splitting a cook has been considered - say, 5 hour smoke on day one and then a higher cook temp the next to finish things off.

Anyone?

Well as long as safe temps and such kept so the meat doesn't spoil I don't see anything bad occurring with the approach.

I think one of the biggest issues you will run into is the practicality (or maybe lack there of) with the approach.

If you are doing a packer brisket at 275F smoker temp and not opening the door it will likely run a little over an hour a pound. So with a 12 pound brisket you are looking over 12 hours of cooking time.

So lets say you smoke it for 5 hours and you get the Internal Temp (IT) over 140F within 4 hours of this 5 hour smoke. You use up 5 hours of time.
The next day you cook in an over or a smoker (without smoke) at 275F you will still go over 12 hours to cook the brisket so it is tender.
This means a 12'ish hour smoke just got turned into a 17 hour smoke over 2 days.

Under normal circumstances that is not practical.
In a situation where you need to apply smoke in one location (like at home with the smoker), and then finish cooking at another location (friends house for a party) well then it might be a viable option, but only because there is some sort of circumstance that forces this to be the best option.

So I think it is possible, I just don't know how practical it is or what exact circumstances make a good approach to try.

If you want to experiment with the approach I am 100% behind you on it. Just be sure you share your findings with us so we know what to expect if/when that day comes that we might have to consider doing the same thing :)

 

[eddiememphis]

Smoke particulates only adhere to the outside of the meat.

I don't see why cooking in an oven then finishing in a smoker wouldn't work.

A cooked brisket, given the same surface area and cooking conditions should, in theory, attract the same amount of smoke as a raw brisket.

 

[S-met]

I don't exactly see a problem, but a couple of questions.
What is your smoker? Rather, can you maintain a higher temp like 350?

What are you hoping to gain? Simply a shorter smoke day (dinner on time) or something else?

Many have combo-cooked, smoke for 2-3 hrs then either crank up the heat and/or oven finish. (Optional, Return to the smoker for a refresher last hour or reheat.) Alternative, SV then smoke, or smoke then SV.

Alternative to the alternative, cook hot and fast.

 

[noboundaries]

I've been cooking in many forms for more than 40 years. I have never split a cook, smoke, grill, braise, bake, or boil. Prep? Yeah. Post cook construction...yep. It just doesn't make sense to me to cook something part-way, cool it back down to a safe temp, then start over raising the temp again. It wouldn't save any time.

 

[HalfSmoked]

I'm with noboundaries nothing to gain in a 2 part cook you bring it to whatever temp you decide to stop at then the second cook you will spend the same amount of time to bring it back to the stopped temp then continue to the finish temp. What's to gain? As said safety plays a big factor here.

Warren

 

[SmokinVOLfan]

I would think it would make the meat tough breaking it into two days. I have seen several people smoke for a certain amount of time and then SV or oven the rest of the time but never splitting it into two days.

 

[Little-m]

Okay, thanks for the responses. I thought of it as one of convenience, especially if you know a smoke will take longer than 12 hours.

We did short smokes using a Big Chief and then throwing the meat on the propane BBQ to cook, hence my idea.

 

[noboundaries]

Split cooks are definitely a thing; smoke for a few hours then immediately to the oven or stovetop to finish, whether using same temp or higher. We've all done it...just haven't waited to the next day.

 

[schlotz]

Just wouldn't be my first choice. Loads of way to smoke things but in general start with cold meat and smoke it. Hopefully getting the IT to 140º after 4 hours, then crank it to whatever temp will satisfy your timeline while still allowing the appropriate time for fat/collagen to properly break down.

 

[tallbm]

Okay, thanks for the responses. I thought of it as one of convenience, especially if you know a smoke will take longer than 12 hours.

We did short smokes using a Big Chief and then throwing the meat on the propane BBQ to cook, hence my idea.

This approach works and is more likely of a situation to happen to speed things up. Going 5 hours one day and then completing the cook the next day though simply adds more cooking time since it was never completed to begin with.
By all means feel free to smoke 5 hours and then transfer to a hotter oven or grill, this happens when time is of the essence :)

 

[twinwasp]

I actually did a split smoke with a 6 pound brisket with charcoal and wood chunks. It went in for about 3 hours of smoke at 230, then was cooked for another 3 hours the next day with a short trip to the grill to make sure the internal temp was right. I have been experimenting with a big dutch oven inside my smoker - it seems to improve moisture retention - lid off for smoke stage - lid on for the cook stage Result - good flavor - tender enough, but a bit overcooked. I am still working on mastery of moisture retention. Rather than pull the meat into the refrigerator I left it in the well insulated smoker overnight, with the last charcoal to burn out. The outside temp got down to about 40. The next day I fired it back up. This might make the FDA upset.