What have you learned that really took your briskets to the next level?

[NorthernCTSmoker]

I'm always trying to take my bbq to the next level and love learning about potential game changers from others. What are some of the things that you've learned about brisket that's really elevated your game? Here's a list of things that have helped me:

The overnight hold. Buying a toaster oven that can go down to 140/145 has been one of the biggest lightbulb moments for me. Generally, take the brisket to around 200+ and sit it until lunch the next day. Might try the magic 190 that people often suggest.​

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Going by feel rather than temp.​

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Not fussing with a wrap until much later in the cook. Also wrapping in tallow for the hold.​

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Getting an offset pit. Cooking on a WSM was good, but as soon as I got a true stick burner, things changed.​

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Simple is better. I used to buy all sorts of rubs, but now I really like SPG and maybe some Lawrys.​

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Last, but not least, buying better beef. Nothing can replicate prime beef and trying to get a similar product to restaurants with basic choice isn't really going to happen.​

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[Retired Spook]

What have you learned that really took your briskets to the next level?

Patience...

 

[SmokinEdge]

The whole spirit of brisket is to take a otherwise tough undesirable cut of meat and make it delicious. That is the glory of a pitmaster. Using prime cut brisket is fine, but In the end it’s still a brisket and you have to follow good process. Question is, what’s the difference between a tender delicious piece of brisket and a fail. Is it prime vs. select? Or is it process?

 

[NorthernCTSmoker]

The whole spirit of brisket is to take a otherwise tough undesirable cut of meat and make it delicious. That is the glory of a pitmaster. Using prime cut brisket is fine, but In the end it’s still a brisket and you have to follow good process. Question is, what’s the difference between a tender delicious piece of brisket and a fail. Is it prime vs. select? Or is it process?

It's a good question, but ultimately a piece of meat with more fat will always be king. There's a reason the best joints in Texas are cooking with prime or very high quality choice. At some point, you're just desperately trying to trap some moisture in a lesser cut of meat. At that point it's moisture vs. flavor.

 

[SmokinEdge]

The fat makes for more flavor. That said a low quality brisket if cooked right is juicy and actually more beef forward. Like slow low cooking hocks. But the people want what they want.

 

[DougE]

Ya know, the whole reason we got where we are today with BBQ is from people years ago who couldn't afford, or otherwise sold off the top quality meat from animals they raised and learned how to take what nobody else wanted and turn it into delicious meat. Grade of meat doesn't really dictate a particular outcome for the most part, the cook does.

 

[civilsmoker]

265 for a good nights sleep and brisket for dinner

 

[Smokin Okie]

Listening to Aaron Franklin.

When I found his first book, that was published in 2015, my entire barbecue life got upgraded.

After a couple of attempts at smoking brisket on a Kettle in the 90's, I bought a WSM in 2002. Things got a lot better and I was content with that for around 15 years. But I was ready for changes and Franklin's book came along at the right time and it inspired me to better barbecue.

 

[JLeonard]

I will start out with saying finding this forum has elevated my cooking in general (not just BBQ, but everything) to a new level. Reading the post here and absorbing the wealth of information available has changed everything for me.

Jim

 

[Hijack73]

that optimal flavor and tenderness (which is still firm but tender) means that the rest is long and in something that helps hold heat. I generally buy choice, which means I get something that's either select, choice, or really nice choice. No matter what it looks like, I take it to somewhere between 193 and 196 (most often about 195) and put it wrapped or covered into a 200 degree oven that I immediately turn off. I prefer covered because it will leak a couple of cups worth of fatty jus and that stuff is nirvana.

Rub will always be dalmation. I tried something else last year, and will still use it on pork, but I'm a brisket purist. Salt, pepper, heat, smoke. (same with chuck, but I take chuck to pull tender)

The long rest is where the magic happens. Always firm with just a smidge of bite but tender enough to get a clean bite on a sandwich.

 

[gmc2003]

The biggest thing I've learned about smoking a brisket is:

Don't sweat the small stuff.

Chris

 

[SmokinEdge]

Yup and cook until probe tender. The meat is done when it’s done, no time or temp can predict that.

 

[noboundaries]

An over-thought brisket is a generally underdone (or occasionally overcooked) brisket.

Keep it simple and probe the flat for doneness (not the thicker, more forgiving point) before a wrapped, long 3-5 hour rest in a heated space of 150-170°F max.

 

[Displaced Texan]

I was making great brisket on a cheap Char-Broil offset for about 15 years. Upgraded 3 years ago to a great Bell Fab and quickly fell victim to You Tube. Don't over think. I did. When I went back to no probes, feel, and the art of it, and super long hold times, I went back to great brisket.

 

[Redicans]

I have not done enough to comment but like all the responses. Another Brisket is in my future soon!!

 

[noboundaries]

I was making great brisket on a cheap Char-Broil offset for about 15 years. Upgraded 3 years ago to a great Bell Fab and quickly fell victim to You Tube. Don't over think. I did. When I went back to no probes, feel, and the art of it, and super long hold times, I went back to great brisket.

Yep. Been there. Did the exact same thing. Great comment.

 

[Smokin Okie]

I was making great brisket on a cheap Char-Broil offset for about 15 years. Upgraded 3 years ago to a great Bell Fab and quickly fell victim to You Tube. Don't over think. I did. When I went back to no probes, feel, and the art of it, and super long hold times, I went back to great brisket.

No matter the subject, be it gardening, fishing, auto mechanics, or my wife's quilting ............ YouTube can make you stupid.

It goes from being a great thing that I've learned a lot from and has been really helpful.............. to totally screwing something up. IDK bout anyone else, but I've learned to view it with a great deal of cynicism . That said, I still watch YT videos but I carefully consider the source.

 

[bgaviator]

I have yet to try cooking a whole brisket myself. But I thought it was interesting a conversation I had with my manager at work the other day. He has a stick burner and makes really great bbq. He told me for briskets he trims off no fat at all! I thought that was interesting as it seems proper trimming is always a big part of the brisket process. But then I got to thinking that I’ve also seen this trend lately for people during the wrap phase to add tallow back in. So they’re adding fat back to the meat…
At that moment it kind of made sense to me why my manager may not trim any fat at all. But I know nothing, as like I said, I have yet to cook one myself.

 

[noboundaries]

The only fat I trim is anything that is discolored, and I only remove the discoloration because the fat underneath is usually just fine. The rest stays.

You're paying for it, so smoke it!

 

[thirdeye]

The first thing that bumped the quality of my brisket was moving from a jazzy beef broth injection to a commercial injection with phosphates. It just took a while to find the combination and strength of the products I liked.

Next would be wet aging, I prefer 24 to 30 days, and I buy Prime grade if I can find it.

I've always subscribed to long holding times, but once I duplicated the hot holding times that were becoming popular at Texas BBQ joints, my brisket went up another notch. I use a roaster oven too.

I've always trimmed (especially the wedge of fat that curves around the point, as well as the mohawk area. But now I do more of a radius on the rear of the flat, and I even chamfer any square edges using scissors to eliminate dry edges or cracking. The slices have a round look to them and the ends don't tear when slicing.

I learned how to finish brisket by probing (mainly because meat thermometers were not popular in the '70s.), and probing is still more important than internal temps for me. But I use both.

And figuring out which of your smokers works best for you is important. For me, It's a drum smoker hands down.