My 1st brisket coulda been better...

cameraman · Oct 5, 2009

coulda been worse

Started the fire at 1 am

and the smoke looked good.

Put the meat on at 2 am. The temp was 225.

Checked on it about 4 am and it was showing promise. Turned the fat cap up and added some briquets (Kingsford competition with mesquite chunks).

Came back at about 5:45 am and the fire was holding at about 240. I rotated the meat added fuel and headed back to bed.

This went on until about 3:30. (At one point mid morning the fire dropped to 180 and I stoked it back up.) At 3:30 the probe went in like butter and even though the temperature was only 185 I remembered my master's voice who said it's about the probe, not the temperature. So off it came. The point was separated and put back on for two hours. I sliced a piece off the end of the flat and it was heaven. It was then wrapped and put in a chest that had been filled with hot water and emptied. There were towels all around.

At 5:30 I pulled the point, cut it up, mixed it up with some souce, put it in a pan, covered it and put it back on the fire.

At 6:30 I pulled the burnt ends off the fire, and cut up the flat.

The burnt ends were delicious. The ends of the flat were delicious. The center could only be described as dense. Everybody enjoyed their meal and for a first outing, I'm not disappointed. After all, brisket is a journey, not a destination. Thanks to all who offered advice.

Ron_L · Oct 5, 2009

Dense? Maybe it wasn't quite done? Did you probe a few spots? Looks good!

BBQ Grail · Oct 5, 2009

"Everybody enjoyed their meal"

You can't ask for anything more than that. Great job for a first time.

Meat Burner · Oct 5, 2009

WOW...excellent cook. Looks great. Nice job.

barbefunkoramaque · Oct 5, 2009

yeah, too bad you had to rip the point off. Some harm should come one day to the person that started that little bit of stupidity. Of course, anyone in here that does that they are the exception... we like to think of ourselves as the brethren... who love everyone who BBQs.... even if they are retarded for separating the point. We can use that word now right? retarded? to describe those that started this stupid trick of separating? No? Okay... nevermind... I apologize and no offense to any who do this.

I gotta work on these damn social skills again.

Uh... can I have some of your retarded Mock Burnt ends? MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM ahhh the taste of retardation. mmmmmm gimmie more please.

cameraman · Oct 5, 2009

Ron_L said:
Dense? Maybe it wasn't quite done? Did you probe a few spots? Looks good!

I probed from the end and I probed from the center, but my probing was all parallel to the grain. Is that a problem? Also, the meat never plateaued. It moved right through the 160's without missing a beat.

Barbefunkoramaque, can you point me to a post that expands on your point point? By way of introduction, I still remember the first time I heard James Brown like it was yesterday, I've seen the Neville Brothers four times and I have personally implored John Cleary to come to Nashville. The funk is near and dear to me.

sandy-beach · Oct 5, 2009

That sure looks good to me. I think brisket is my favorite. Most of the time. Sometimes it's ribs. Or pork butt. Perhaps sausage. I change my mind a lot depending on how good it is that day I guess. But I do know chicken is always my least favorite.

Anyway, your brisket looks yummy.

landarc · Oct 5, 2009

Well, thankfully, you did not peak with your first brisket, where would you have left to go. If everyone ate it and loved it, then your mission was a success. I tend to probe at an angle, as close to the middle as possible. I don't probe the ends as I figure they will be done first no matter what (I could be wrong).

I am one who likes the point sliced along with the flat, get that fatty cut along with the flat on the plate.

barbefunkoramaque · Oct 5, 2009

I suggest NEVER to separate the point because its a hard habit to break. The chit is so good! So good in fact it will make you wanna throw away the flat.

I don't do this as since I don't use foil (not that you shouldn't - I just don't need to) the point protects the flat as it finishes off to probe tender.

cameraman said:
I probed from the end and I probed from the center, but my probing was all parallel to the grain. Is that a problem? Also, the meat never plateaued. It moved right through the 160's without missing a beat.

Barbefunkoramaque, can you point me to a post that expands on your point point? By way of introduction, I still remember the first time I heard James Brown like it was yesterday, I've seen the Neville Brothers four times and I have personally implored John Cleary to come to Nashville. The funk is near and dear to me.

Ron_L · Oct 5, 2009

cameraman said:
I probed from the end and I probed from the center, but my probing was all parallel to the grain. Is that a problem? Also, the meat never plateaued. It moved right through the 160's without missing a beat.

It seems to me that probing with the grain the probe would slide in easier since it can go between the strands of the muscle, so it may give you a false feeling. I haven't really tested this out, but it makes sense.

BobBrisket · Oct 5, 2009

Looks good to me. Looks like the kettle did the job, just needed a bit more time. Could the "denseness" have been from the thick slices? THis only means one thing.............you gotta do another one!:wink:

cameraman · Oct 5, 2009

BobBrisket said:
Looks good to me. Looks like the kettle did the job, just needed a bit more time. Could the "denseness" have been from the thick slices? THis only means one thing.............you gotta do another one!:wink:

I think you're right on both points.

BRBBQ · Oct 5, 2009

My last brisket wasn't so hot, I started getting paranoid when the temp hit 180F, so I foiled it. I think the bark is drying out so I foil! I need to stop using foil. Nice job on your's.

nolaman · Oct 6, 2009

Good look'n briski...my favorite! I cooked My first several weeks ago.Saw no point in seperating the point! It wasn't boint! Why not just cut off boint ends? Burned food taste like charcoal to me! What do you do to make it taste good?
___________
Alan

barbefunkoramaque · Oct 6, 2009

Burned food taste like charcoal to me!

oh Lawd! I mo Need a drink.

Cabntmkr1 · Oct 6, 2009

It all looks good, Cameraman, but I have to ask; "Did you cut the brisket across the grain?" It looks in the photo like you may not have done that.
Also, it helps to do this by "marking" the brisket prior to cooking it so you can tell which way the grain is running when you cut it.
If you accidently cut with the grain, that would result in the meat not being as tender as it should/could have.
Just a thought.
Looks good, bro.:grin:

Phubar · Oct 6, 2009

Looks good to me!

cameraman · Oct 6, 2009

Cabntmkr1 said:
It all looks good, Cameraman, but I have to ask; "Did you cut the brisket across the grain?" It looks in the photo like you may not have done that.

I did mark it and cut across the grain. This may have been my first time smoking a brisket but I've been eating them braised forever.

BBQ Bandit · Oct 6, 2009

Congrats on a successful first brisket.

Smokey Al Gold · Oct 6, 2009

I like separating the point and slicing it seperately since the grain on it runs opposite than the flat. Looks good for your first brisket I like your firebrick mod! Gotta use what you got I always say.

My 1st brisket coulda been better...

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