Brisket Question

[barbefunkoramaque]

I am trying to get opinions on this from everywhere. I came across a discovery and want to see if anyone thinks its unorthodox at all... if anyone is doing this.

I make my briskets the way I have for 20 years or so but last week I made one exception.

Heres what I usually do...

Start with an Untrimmed and rubbed with Popdaddys Butt Glitter Sprinkle (Paprika, onion powder, granulated garlic, cumin blah blah blah) right?

I let it sit in a special aging box in a separate fridge for maybe 6 to 8 hours then pull it out and I sprinkle with Popdaddy's Smokin Stuff (which is close to Montreal Steak Seasoning but home made and has red pepper flakes in it) Hand Pressed into the pasty caked rub from the night before. This is real choke a horse kind of robust seasoning. Large large minced onion, garlic koshur salt and cracked pepper that tips my hat off to west Kerrville, Texas.

I smoke at grate 275 fat side down with no mop, no turn, and depending on anything from my mood to how well I sense the stall is going to go I may let the grate temp go to 255 -260.

At 4 hours I might flip, reseason. Rarely though. At 170 - 175 (taken in the fat wall between the two sections)I re-season with the large grained "Smokin Stuff" and pop in a steam pan and cover in foil and place back into the smoker. Usually I can fit three in each pan.
I then wait out the stall and cook to an Internal of about 204 or so or when my first Brisket hits 200 I wait 30 minutes before I yank it.

Now here is where I did something DIFFERENT!!!!

Right when I was going to wrap them and pop them in the Cambro for at least a 3 hour tour...

The two sections on one of the 5 Briskets I had split on me so I don't know why But I reached for the "Smoking Stuff Seasoning," seasoned the layer of fat between them and wrapped in Butcher paper and double foil like I usually do an threw it in the cooler. I then went ahead and grabbed a knife and cut a pocket in between all of them almost separating them (its easy at this stage) and threw in some seasoning again. The last one I had an accordian style meat injector and just injected the smokin stuff spices along with simple water to allow flow (thats all I had) and made five holes in the fat to hold the spices. I wrapped each like usual and after 3 hours and the party starting as I needed a brisket I would pull it out, open the paper and foil and let it rebarked for 10 minutes. By now the smoker is at my usual Chicken smoking temp of 360.

throughout the party five hours later I sliced as normal.


Now Yall may say its stupid as I scrape that fat away before I slice BUT it was the tastiest I ever had made. And the injector (which has a mouth big enough to inject a half a clove of garlic if I wanted, was as good as the ones I split manually(plus it was not as hot to my hands)

Obviously that extra seasoning and all the moisture including the flood of juices when you split the segments, all went into the wrap and as it rested it drew that flavor, liquid and salt in. It was heaven. Juicy as all get out and tender as usual.

Anyone out there do anything like this. If not... forget I mentioned it.

Pitmaster "T"

[barbefunkoramaque]

shoot just realized I double posted... you can answer here then and ignore the other one

[eagle697]

Never tried it, but may have to in the future. Thanks for the idea.

[BobF]

Sounds very interesting. Can't say I have ever tried it.
Someone more expert than I may have comment.

[SmokeWatcher]

Great.....now I'm hungry.

[txschutte]

PICS, Man!!!Pics!!!

[JamesTX]

I used to inject an oil/spice mix into the fat layer before cooking. That deposit of spice definately added some flavor, but I was getting to much salt so I cut it out.

[barbefunkoramaque]

Originally Posted by JamesTX

I used to inject an oil/spice mix into the fat layer before cooking. That deposit of spice definately added some flavor, but I was getting to much salt so I cut it out.

yes I Hate injections in Brisket. Its just uncalled for... maybe pork, which I don't do either due to its density, but not Brisket, especially with my 2 part rub.

But I love what the extra seasonings at that crucial time do. It reminds me of a certain BBQ place that would stack close to 20 to 30 or so cooked briskets in the corner of a block pit for several hours. You cannot simulate what resting does for a brisket.

[snoqualmiesmoker]

Never have done it that way. Rub stays on a for a day, into smoker fat side down. Pulled at temp wrapped in foil with some beef broth and put in a cooler.

[tjus77]

there is a place in Houston somewhere that does something similar to that. also they sell a stuffed brisket. they split the brisket before cooking and stuff it with your choice, tie it back together then smoke it. tastes pretty good, but I don't remember who they are... some upscale catering gig

[sfbbqguy]

Since we're on Brisket...and there's a response from Tomball and an Aggie.
I got my brisket recipe from a full fledged Aggie in Magnolia Texas and he explicitly does his fat side up and they always turned out great.
I'm probly opening a can or worms that's been discussed but I'd like to hear the pros and cons of fat side up and fat side down.

[paydabill]

Never tried it - but if it work - it is hard to argue with success.

[Smokin Mike]

Originally Posted by sfbbqguy

Since we're on Brisket...and there's a response from Tomball and an Aggie.
I got my brisket recipe from a full fledged Aggie in Magnolia Texas and he explicitly does his fat side up and they always turned out great.
I'm probly opening a can or worms that's been discussed but I'd like to hear the pros and cons of fat side up and fat side down.

some people say that the fat melts into the brisket, and giving it flavor, and moister, so fat cap up

some people say that the fat protects the meat from the heat, that the brisket might to greasy for the fat cap up,,,,so fat cap down

I noticed a difference on my WSM, it seemed that the fat cap down helped , so I never changed, I suppose that it really doesn't make a difference on my FEC-100,,

[sfbbqguy]

Mine have always turned out good FSU but will experiment FSD. I can see how cap down might be real good on UDS with all that loving goodness dripping down onto the coals then steaming back up to the meat.
I like the thought of the fat protecting the meat too. My last one on the Weber got a little more cooked on the coal side using Minion.

[BBQ Grail]

Originally Posted by txschutte

PICS, Man!!!Pics!!!

Yup, easier to visualize with pics.

You're just going to have to do it again, but this time take some pictures.