Wagyu Brisket

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gnatboy911

Meat Mopper
Original poster
Jan 4, 2017
281
96
Western, CO
Well, nothing like cooking an $85 brisket for my first one.  I've done lots of pork in the past 6 years since I built my smoker, and recently have done a few chuck roasts that were great.  But I haven't done a brisket yet.  I wanted to smoke one for my son's 1st birthday.  My parents and the inlaws are coming over.  So not a big crowd.  I work one night  a week at a local restaurant and I'm good friends with the owner.  I asked him to get me a full packer brisket from his meat supplier.  Prime if possible, choice other wise.  Well, they had a wagyu brisket so he got me that.  Oy.  He is pretty sure they source their Wagyu from Australia.  He gets wagyu grind regularly for a kobe burger on the menu.

I've done research on here and the old internet.  Some people say just cook it like a regular brisket and enjoy...others have wild and crazy techniques. Most say it cooks a little faster. 

I've been researching cooking a brisket for a long time so I was going to just salt and pepper...cook at 240-250ish until probe tender...rest in cooler for a couple hours.  Thoughts?  I have a reverse flow cabinet smoker that I use charcoal and wood chunks.  I've got her pretty dialed in and can keep consistent temp all day long.

The brisket is a 14.4 lbs, I have not opened the vac bag yet and done any trimming.

I did notice that the flat seems to be a little on the thinner side from other briskets I've seen.  I'm wondering if that will make the flat cook a little quicker.

Any suggestions or thoughts you guys have on this one would be appreciated.

thanks

Nate.
 
I say go with the plan you seem to have set. It may cook faster, it may not. Like you mention, probe tender in the thickest part of the flat is what you are looking for. Keep the point end on the hotter side of your smoker.  Make sure to let it cool down for a bit before wrapping/re-wrapping and placing it in the cooler. Patience is the name of the game for brisket, give yourself plenty of time for it to be stubborn and not get tender, or you'll pull it too early and be disappointed. 

Let us know how it goes and pictures!
 
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You know?  that's a great price you got on the Wagyu brisket !  Most I have seen are $250 for a 15 lb brisket and if you can get them continually at that price you're golden!

Your plan sounds good to me and should turn out great. I do the Costco primes and have never done a Wagyu brisket and the only thing I might suggest is maybe  prob a little early, say around 190 ish??  As I would assume that better grade of meat might finish a little earlier than a prime or choice cut.

I also like to keep things simple. salt and pepper for the rub and I wrap in the pink butcher paper when I get the bark/color to my liking (around 8-10 hrs) finish to probe tender, and a loooong rest  in a cooler or warmer (8-10 hrs) to let the brisket get really loose.

Good luck and don't forget to post some Q's!!
 
Mike, thanks for the tips.  Yea, it was 5.85 a pound.  I just ordered some pink butcher paper on Amazon...will be here Thursday.

8 to 10 hrs seems like a long time!  But, I'll take all the recommendations you guys have.  In the past I've put boiling water in my cooler for an hour or so to heat it up before putting pork butts in there to rest.  If I do that for this one, will it hold heat that long?  The lowest my oven will go is 170.
 
Thanks for the links! I read those a while back but couldnt remember where they were. I've read so many that I got confused. Haha. I was wanting to read those posts again.
 
 
Mike, thanks for the tips.  Yea, it was 5.85 a pound.  I just ordered some pink butcher paper on Amazon...will be here Thursday.

8 to 10 hrs seems like a long time!  But, I'll take all the recommendations you guys have.  In the past I've put boiling water in my cooler for an hour or so to heat it up before putting pork butts in there to rest.  If I do that for this one, will it hold heat that long?  The lowest my oven will go is 170.
Yeah, heat the cooler up then put the finished wrapped brisket in it and cover/pack the cooler with bath towels. You'll be surprised how long the brisket will stay hot. You can also put a layer of foil over the wrapped brisket in the cooler to keep the bath towels clean. 
 
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Yes Gary S is definitely the guy to answer your brisket questions.

However the rest in the cooler is to keep it hot until it's ready to be served.

If your brisket is probe tender, a short 1/2 hour rest on the counter is all you need. IMHO!

I don't see Franklin putting his briskets in foil, wrapped in towels & in a cooler for hours.

So I don't think I need to do that either & my briskets are always tender & juicy!

Just my 2 cents!

Al
 
Your plan and the advice above sounds good. Now while a rest, 30 to 60 minutes for juices to redistribute is a necessity, l don't get the crazy long rests some advocate. I have seen 2-4 hours mentioned in posts and, long time member , Mike above suggesting 8- 10 hours. Why? Cooking over 45 years, 20 in pro kitchens, Done is Done. If the brisket is done as in probe tender with the perfect balance of bite and tenderness...What is there to gain spending 10 hours in a cooler? Is it going to get Better Done? A perfectly ripe Georgia Peach, at it's peak of juiciness and sweetness, doesn't get more perfect waiting a few more days. Same with meat. A perfectly done med/rare 2 pound porterhouse benefits from a 15 minute rest but it ain't going to get more perfect sitting in a cooler for 4 hours. Worst case, that perfect done, probe tender brisket will go from perfect and ready to eat to a falling apart, unsliceable, mushy mess as the residual heat carryover Cooks the brisket further and all the connective tissue converts to gelatin. If for whatever reason the meat is nearly done but you won't be ready to serve for 4-6 hours, that is the time to pull it, just shy of probe tender, and cooler it to buy time and get completely done. I am not looking to step on toes or get in a battle but with all the Chef Instructors l had and the long time Pro Chefs l worked with, none ever said, " That meat is done but it needs to rest 8 hours in the holding cabinet before we serve it..."...JJ
 
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Yes Gary S is definitely the guy to answer your brisket questions.

However the rest in the cooler is to keep it hot until it's ready to be served.

If your brisket is probe tender, a short 1/2 hour rest on the counter is all you need. IMHO!

I don't see Franklin putting his briskets in foil, wrapped in towels & in a cooler for hours.

So I don't think I need to do that either & my briskets are always tender & juicy!

Just my 2 cents!

Al
For the record:

Franklin's finished briskets go into a 140-160 degree food warmer and are held there for 8 + hrs until being served. . He has stated he believes that the extended period in the warmer "really relaxes/loosens them up."
 
Your plan and the advice above sounds good. Now while a rest, 30 to 60 minutes for juices to redistribute is a necessity, l don't get the crazy long rests some advocate. I have seen 2-4 hours mentioned in posts and, long time member , Mike above suggesting 8- 10 hours. Why? Cooking over 45 years, 20 in pro kitchens, Done is Done. If the brisket is done as in probe tender with the perfect balance of bite and tenderness...What is there to gain spending 10 hours in a cooler? Is it going to get Better Done? A perfectly ripe Georgia Peach, at it's peak of juiciness and sweetness, doesn't get more perfect waiting a few more days. Same with meat. A perfectly done med/rare 2 pound porterhouse benefits from a 15 minute rest but it ain't going to get more perfect sitting in a cooler for 4 hours. Worst case, that perfect done, probe tender brisket will go from perfect and ready to eat to a falling apart, unsliceable, mushy mess as the residual heat carryover Cooks the brisket further and all the connective tissue converts to gelatin. If for whatever reason the meat is nearly done but you won't be ready to serve for 4-6 hours, that is the time to pull it, just shy of probe tender, and cooler it to buy time and get completely done. I am not looking to step on toes or get in a battle but with all the Chef Instructors l had and the long time Pro Chefs l worked with, none ever said, " That meat is done but it needs to rest 8 hours in the holding cabinet before we serve it..."...JJ
Which is why it's important to let the brisket rest before wrapping it and placing it in the cooler. For me, the wrapping/cooler isn't to keep cooking it/make some magic happen, it's because I'm always going to err on the side of done early, in case the cow is uncooperative and take 18 hours to cook instead of 14. Then my guests aren't waiting for 3 hours to eat.  I don't have the money or desire to buy a warming oven like the pros do, so a cooler works for me. 
 
 
Which is why it's important to let the brisket rest before wrapping it and placing it in the cooler. For me, the wrapping/cooler isn't to keep cooking it/make some magic happen, it's because I'm always going to err on the side of done early, in case the cow is uncooperative and take 18 hours to cook instead of 14. Then my guests aren't waiting for 3 hours to eat.  I don't have the money or desire to buy a warming oven like the pros do, so a cooler works for me. 
I agree with you, and follow the very same approach for the same reasons as you do. Around 20 years ago when we had several guests for dinner, I had a brisket that got hung up around 180F for what seemed forever. I ended up having pizzas and Chinese food delivered. Never again since then.
 
Which is why it's important to let the brisket rest before wrapping it and placing it in the cooler. For me, the wrapping/cooler isn't to keep cooking it/make some magic happen, it's because I'm always going to err on the side of done early, in case the cow is uncooperative and take 18 hours to cook instead of 14. Then my guests aren't waiting for 3 hours to eat.  I don't have the money or desire to buy a warming oven like the pros do, so a cooler works for me. 

Thats a different story. And l too agree. If cooling well below 200 then wrapping and coolering to hold. That l totally get and have done the same.You keep warm without carryover cooking. But you are probably the first to say you cool before hitting the cooler. Most just say when done, probe tender...Foil, towel and rest in the cooler X hours...JJ
 
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I'll be using a cooler to hold it until we're ready to eat. I'm not sure how long this thing is going to take. Good to know that 2-3 hrs will be fine. I'd like to try to makes some burnt ends.....should I wait to separate the point until the flat is tender? Then cube, season, and back in the smoker while flat goes in the cooler? I've had a hard time finding good info on that.

Thanks for all the replies!
 
If cooling well below 200 then wrapping and coolering to hold. That l totally get and have done the same.You keep warm without carryover cooking. But you are probably the first to say you cool before hitting the cooler. Most just say when done, probe tender...Foil, towel and rest in the cooler X hours...JJ
Yeah I know I'm not the first to say it (I had to learn that from somewhere, I just can't remember where) but it's definitely key. 

Also in reading my post it reads a bit argumentative with you, that wasn't my intention and hopefully didn't come across that way to you.

Squatch
 
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I worked at a Restaurant that specialized in Prime Rib. We sold way too much and too quickly to time the meat to come out of the oven at 5pm. Like most high volume restaurants, we would roast off the estimated number of roasts at 350°, first thing in the morning. When the IT hit 125, about 2 hours, they were pulled tented in foil and allowed to cool and carryover to 135°, one hour. At this point the roasts went in a 140° holding oven and sat there until service and pulled as needed. All told, the meat was held 5 to 10 hours at 140. Was some butter tender meat. Only issue was no Rare available...JJ
 
Yeah I know I'm not the first to say it (I had to learn that from somewhere, I just can't remember where) but it's definitely key. 

Also in reading my post it reads a bit argumentative with you, that wasn't my intention and hopefully didn't come across that way to you.

Squatch

No Sir, and no offense taken. I am giving you points for a most excellent recommendation...JJ
 
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My problem on Briskets I'm lucky to get 30 min to an hour resting before it starts to be Devoured !!

Gary
 
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