Ok, this is a partial lie. I have had one other full packer brisket but it was given to me so I made it into Montreal smoked meat to share with my benefactor. However, this is my first straight up smoke on the second packer brisket I have been able to get my hands on. Briskets are rarer than an impolite Canadian here in the Rockies. However, my brother brought me this one from Love's meats in Vaigreville, Alberta. It is a well traveled but much appreciated piece of beef.
It was a small brisket, 4 kg or 9 pounds. I just stared at it in awe for a few minutes.
The night before cooking, I opened her up and trimmed the large not of fat at the connection of the point and flat and took some of the hard fat off the fat side. I saved the fat for my all beef hot dogs.
Then I made up an injection of:
I put it in the fridge until the next morning (I got up at 4 am, who needs beauty sleep?)
I mixed up my rub, 4 parts coarse pepper, 2 parts kosher salt, 1 part onion powder, 1 part garlic powder. I gave the brisket a good rub.
I let the brisket sit for an hour while I fired up the pellet grill to 240 F.
I put the brisket on and settled in for the long haul.
I have been reading Franklin's book and followed his instructions of leaving the brisket alone for the first three hours. Then, I started spraying it with a fine mist of water every hour.
He also suggested the time to wrap was after the stall when the bark was nice and dark. I went by that colour and wrapped about 1 pm, 8 hours in the smoker.
I brought it in and wrapped it in butcher paper and put it back in the smoker.
At 4:00 pm, 11 hours in the smoker, the internal temperature hit 190 F and I started testing for doneness. Franklin said you could feel it and get it. However, I didn't really know what it would feel like. I used a skewer to see how tender it was.
By 4:30 it was at 195 and the skewer seemed to go in easily and I took it out.
I cut the point off and rewrapped the flat to sit wrapped in newspaper in a cooler.
I tossed the burnt ends with 1 cup barbecue sauce mixed with 1/4 cup beef stock and put them back in the smoker.
Two hours later, I started carving the flat.
I plated the burnt ends.
We served them with rolls and a couple of She Who Must Be Obeyed's great salads.
The Verdict
This was absolutely wonderful but not perfect. The beef was moist and tender but not the pull apart tender you want from a brisket. I am sure I pulled it too soon. That being said, my best friend was over for dinner and said it was the best food I've made. Regardless, it was delicious. The seasonings were on point, the brisket was moist and had big beef taste and the burnt ends were fall apart and wonderfully sweet/spicy.
I would appreciate comments and suggestions as this is my first go.
Disco
It was a small brisket, 4 kg or 9 pounds. I just stared at it in awe for a few minutes.
The night before cooking, I opened her up and trimmed the large not of fat at the connection of the point and flat and took some of the hard fat off the fat side. I saved the fat for my all beef hot dogs.
Then I made up an injection of:
- 125 ml (1/2 cup) beef stock
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) soy sauce
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) Worcestershire sauce
- 3 ml (1/2 teaspoon) onion powder
- 3 ml (1/2 teaspoon) garlic powder
I put it in the fridge until the next morning (I got up at 4 am, who needs beauty sleep?)
I mixed up my rub, 4 parts coarse pepper, 2 parts kosher salt, 1 part onion powder, 1 part garlic powder. I gave the brisket a good rub.
I let the brisket sit for an hour while I fired up the pellet grill to 240 F.
I put the brisket on and settled in for the long haul.
I have been reading Franklin's book and followed his instructions of leaving the brisket alone for the first three hours. Then, I started spraying it with a fine mist of water every hour.
He also suggested the time to wrap was after the stall when the bark was nice and dark. I went by that colour and wrapped about 1 pm, 8 hours in the smoker.
I brought it in and wrapped it in butcher paper and put it back in the smoker.
At 4:00 pm, 11 hours in the smoker, the internal temperature hit 190 F and I started testing for doneness. Franklin said you could feel it and get it. However, I didn't really know what it would feel like. I used a skewer to see how tender it was.
By 4:30 it was at 195 and the skewer seemed to go in easily and I took it out.
I cut the point off and rewrapped the flat to sit wrapped in newspaper in a cooler.
I tossed the burnt ends with 1 cup barbecue sauce mixed with 1/4 cup beef stock and put them back in the smoker.
Two hours later, I started carving the flat.
I plated the burnt ends.
We served them with rolls and a couple of She Who Must Be Obeyed's great salads.
The Verdict
This was absolutely wonderful but not perfect. The beef was moist and tender but not the pull apart tender you want from a brisket. I am sure I pulled it too soon. That being said, my best friend was over for dinner and said it was the best food I've made. Regardless, it was delicious. The seasonings were on point, the brisket was moist and had big beef taste and the burnt ends were fall apart and wonderfully sweet/spicy.
I would appreciate comments and suggestions as this is my first go.
Disco
