BRISKET,, why is it considered to be holygrail??
 

why is the brisket looked upon as being difficult?,, there seems to be so many different ways to cook it with great results,,,

im no expert and being new to this forum I dont have nearly the experience as most,, but my first brisket was done on the fourth and I did have guests over...
the only practice I did was with the smoker itself.. learning the temps and how to regulate...

I just feel that the brisket is fairly simple and that it cooks itself... im having a more difficult time perfecting ribs and chicken

I cant wait to do brisket again.

I will admit though , I did research/read online aswell as ask lots of questions at my favorite bbq joint in the city of compton...

just curious

I think brisket is just more of an "involved" cook, than say butts or a chuck roll. The involvement starts with the selection, then moves through the prep, seasonings, cook, rest, and serving. The more consistantly you repeat a proven technique, the more predictable the end result will be. It's a plus your first one turned out so good.

I agree with you about chicken, it's harder than most folks think. I always thought I cooked above average chicken..... until I judged my first competition. I now put a lot more work into my chicken.

The biggest challenge I have had with cooking briskets is knowing when to pull it from the smoker. There is a small window that occurs between an undercooked, dry, tough brisket and an overcooked, dry brisket.
There is no set temperature that will let you know when to pull it, as all briskets are different. It just takes practice, and trust me I'm still learning.

Prep and serving are a bit more involved than most cuts of meat also. Learning how the grain runs different depending on which side the brisket came from, learning how the point and flat run together. It's not rocket science, it's just harder than most cuts of meat in my opinion. And this opinion is from a backyard cook, I don't compete.

well I enjoyed the late hours of the smoke. and the rest time was used to get other stuff done...

if I can I would like to put the brisket in the fridge before cutting,, and just have all uniformed slices placed in a pan and ready for reheating....

but I have to truly say that it was worth every minute of my time ,,,, I will try to take more pics next time also.. I only took about 3 from my first...

From what I've read, lots of people have had success with their first brisket and then found it difficult to repeat.

That's because every brisket is different. I have cooked two briskets on the same grate, same seasoning, same temp, same size and same trim. At 8 hours, one was 190, the other was 165. It's done when it's done and you have to learn what done feels like.

Which was sort of my point. The OP wonders what the fuss is about since his first one turned out great. It's the second, third...fifteenth...twenty-sixth that become the issue!! :thumb:

I always thought it was easy . I think it one of those Texas myths they didn't want anyone else trying them they need something they good at

It's all about the internal temp of the meat.
Like said above, "It's done when it's done!"

i've only done brisket like three times, but they all turned out delicous and tender with nice bark and smoke rings, etc..... the process was a bit different to get there, but i didn't think it got complicated. i dunno.....

It's not rocket science but it is really easy to over cook or under cook. It's simply not a set and forget like other meat cuts.

High fat content = good flavor.
High fat content = good insulation
Low and slow is the way to go.

ohwell... labor day will be the real test....

You are so wrong. Now try again to snatch the pebble from my hand grasshopper.

I still am learning the ways of the Brisket. I consider it the holy grail because I've had so few good briskets. It's a meat that you can't cook by the numbers, as others have said. You have to have a feel for it and that takes time to learn.