Easter Sunday Flat Brisket

[kipper banjo]

This is my 5.1kg/11lbs of flat end brisket for Easter Sunday,

in the UK meat can be very expensive this one costing £30, around $45....so I will be treating it with great respect.

Luckily our local Butcher has great produce and looks after his customers 

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• kipper banjo
• Mar 23, 2013

I've trimmed the heavy fat back to about a ¼ inch and I'll use the trimmings to lay on and cover the 'bare' bits.

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• kipper banjo
• Mar 23, 2013

Last night I made up a brine by dissolving a cup of fine sea salt in 2 pints of water then making it up to a gallon with cold water.

To this I added:

3 inch lump of fresh ginger chopped
2 x onions
4 x crushed bay leaves
3 x medium chillies
a slack handful of peppercorns
a dozen cloves
a crushed head of garlic
a few sprigs of thyme and rosemary

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• kipper banjo
• Mar 23, 2013

The aroma from this this morning was unbelievable.......

I've laid some Cling wrap over it and I'm going to soak the meat (flipping it over every day) untill Saturday 30th March then I'll dab it dry with kitchen towel and cover with English Mustard and give it a rub of black pepper and sea salt at 2 parts pepper to 1 part salt.

I'm smoking this on my Weber Smokey Mountain using briquettes instead of charcoal as I find these give me an even longer burn. I'll start Saturday night at around 8pm and I'm aiming for an 18 hour smoke using good old English Oak at whatever temp the smoker evens out at, hopefully 220°- 255° untill 2pm Sunday, then a couple of hours wrapped and rested ready for 4pm.......It's very cold here at the moment and we get a freezing NE wind straight off the North Sea so cooking times may vary somewhat........

I'm also doing a pork shoulder and a couple of chickens....

Can't wait.......my first all nighter

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• kipper banjo
• Mar 23, 2013

 

[pgsmoker64]

Good luck my friend!

Better to cook to an expected internal temperature than to base strictly on time!

Figure two hours per pound on your brisket and pork butt.  Planning on a set amount of time can be a disaster if you are planning dinner by 4:00 p.m.  That brisket will probably take more like 22 hours than 18 unless you crank the temp up on the WSM to around 275.

Good luck and let us know if you need some help!

Bill

 

[kipper banjo]

Thanks Bill,

I'll start a bit earlier as I really want this low and slow ...I'll see how it goes and if by some miracle Spring arrives and the sun comes out and it's cooked earlier I'll just leave it wrapped in my insulated box. If I need some advice during the process with the time difference there should be a Master Pit Boss or two on hand

 

[chef jimmyj]

Bill's plan is a good one but I will add one thing...After a week of Brine at that salt strength, there is no way you should add salt to your Rub! It will be way too salty. You may even pull it on Friday and do a fry test to see it the meat needs to be soaked in fresh water to tone it down as is. That recipe has about 10oz Salt per Gallon of water, I use less than half that with good results...JJ

 

[kipper banjo]

I've just put it in so I'll add another gallon of water, thanks  :O)

 

[kipper banjo]

Just a thought are UK cups smaller than USA? Suppose I could always weigh the salt ...doh! hahaha

 

[chef jimmyj]

Either way you will have plenty of salt from the brine and will not need any in the Rub. If you still want more better to add at the table then have too much from the Brine...JJ

 

[oldschoolbbq]

Looks good, Kipper. Remember that "Patience" is your friend.  Let it get to temp. without cranking - up the heat. Try not to  look at it as much as you can , makes for better Bark.

Have fun and as always...

 

[s2k9k]

JJ mentioned doing a fry test, I think the fry test is the best invention since sliced butter. I'm sure I would have ruined a few large pieces of meat if it wasn't for doing a fry test.

 

[kipper banjo]

I think I'll leave the salt out of the rub and have a fry test on Friday (when else? :O)) :O) might use some dark brown sugar with the pepper

 

[chef jimmyj]

A bit of Sugar will give a nice Bark. This is my Favorite for Brisket, actually for any Beef. Obviously you would leave out the salt since you brined...JJ

Bubba Beef Rub

2T Turbinado Sugar

2T Kosher Salt

2T Black Peppercorns

1T Coriander Seed

1T Dry Minced Onion

1T Dry Minced Garlic

1tsp Allspice Berries

1tsp Mustard Seed

1tsp Dry Thyme Leaves

3 Bay Leaves, crumbled

1tsp Juniper Berries 

Add Cayenne if heat is desired.

All Spices are Whole and are toasted in a dry pan over Medium heat until fragrant. The Garlic and Onion do not need to be toasted.

Let the Spices cool then Grind in a cheapo Coffee Grinder until slightly less than Coarse. Mix with the Salt and Sugar. Store in an air tight container. Makes about a Half cup.

 

[kipper banjo]

Thanks Jimmy,

that looks like the one, I've got everything but the juniper berries but I'll call at out local health food shop they should have some, failing that I might have to put some gin in the brine :O)

 

[chef jimmyj]

I thought you might like that Rub as it will compliment your Brine nicely. I too have had a hard time finding Juniper locally and have left it out without a major impact...JJ

 

[kipper banjo]

As the weather forecast is for cold next weekend around -2.0° and the cost of charcoal in the UK is £5 per 5kg bag, thats around $7.50 per 10lbs,

I am thinking of cutting the meat in half to reduce the cooking time.

What would be the best way to cut it please if I go that way?

Across the grain or with the grain?

Cheers

Kip

 

[kipper banjo]

I've just spoken to my butcher and he's told me to cut it across the grain to keep the lean and fat even

 

[kipper banjo]

I've decided to cut the meat in two, tp reduce the cooking time, I'll take out of the brine tomorrow do a fry test and then soak it for a couple of days in ginger beer, the non acholic, lemonade type ginger beer :O) This is how I do my Christmas hams and it tastes wonderful.

 

[kipper banjo]

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• kipper banjo
• Mar 31, 2013

These have turned out really well...so far, I put them on last night at 22:30, the temp kept to a steady 225°, I wrapped them at 160° internal, it's 11:30 now and they are 195° so I'll pop em' in a cooler for couple of hours after the bark has crisped back up a bit

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• kipper banjo
• Mar 31, 2013

 

[kipper banjo]

The brisket turned out really well very happy with it and the pork loin just fell apart, thanks for all your help and tips folks

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• kipper banjo
• Apr 1, 2013

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• kipper banjo
• Apr 1, 2013

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• kipper banjo
• Apr 1, 2013

 

[seenred]

Everything looks wonderful!  Congratulations on a successful all-nighter. 

 

[kipper banjo]

Thanks I feel as though I've accomplished something :O)