***Keeping Warm ***

B

BAR-B-SUE

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Any suggestions or tricks for keeping Q warm... without drying out? Recently made some brisket and wrapped in foil after complete. Brisket was done about 10am and was "perfect".... but by 2pm when it was ready to serve it had dried out considerably in areas... obviously it kept cooking after foiled. So whats the trick? How can you pull a completed brisket, or ribs off the smoker and serve several hours later without drying it out? Obviously BBQ restaurants dont cook to order so they are sitting on product for hours.... help, suggestions?
 
We cook brisket on a cookie sheet, fatcap down. When we foil we pour the drippings over the brisket.
 
Not sure, maybe that situation is what prompted someone to invent BBQ sauce? :p
 
part of the flat became dry enough that no amount of bbq sauce would resurrect. only the yellow lab found it appealing. before foiling and setting up, that same part was juicy and soft. ........ luckily it was a 16lber so plenty to salvage.... but there has to be a method to the madness to keep it "warm" without it cooking itself to death from within.
 
Pull it from the cooker, wrap it in plastic wrap, then foil and stick it in a cooler. If you'll be holding it for a long time consider preheating the cooler with hot water. You can always omit the plastic wrap and stick it in the oven on 200-225 too.
 
I don't inject. I open the foil it to release the steam inside and start cooling I slice at 150# then place the reassembled slices in some seasoned hot water( broth, or Au jus, or maybe a spoon ful of Butchers. Whatever suits your taste , drippings from the cook, and maybe a little salt and pepper. I put all of this in a chafing pan.
Be careful of "coolering too hot" you may have to serve chopped beef sandwiches ;-)
Also dry not tender brisket= under cooked
dry crumbly brisket= overcooked.
 
Let it cool to around 165* before foiling, then put it in a pre-warmed cooler. If you foil right away, it will just keep cooking.
 
We let our briskets cool to 170 and then put them in a cooler or cambro with no problems.
 
I read a thread here, about using a cooler and wrapping the Q in a towel.....tried it, loved it!
 
simple solution...if possible, just time your cooks and the eating better! lol j/k!
 
As mentioned on another thread, I put in a cooler that was warmed with a big pot of boiling water. I leave the big ban in the cooler(it is very steamy) and put my meat in wrapped in foil and towels..
 
Wrapped in foil and in a cooler with towels and it will stay warm for 6 hours or more.
 
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