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

J

jaejw1

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

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.
 
Bigmista said:
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.
Click to expand...
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.
 
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.
 
My theory is that brisket used to a difficult piece of meat to cook because the techniques were passed down from generation to generation within the family, all in a small region of the country. If anybody wanted to learn how to cook it they had to go to grandpas house and hope that he would share his secrets. Now with the internet all of those little secrets are exposed for the world to see. Now that mysterious piece of meat isn't so scary once we've seen others cook it with success in all varying degrees of styles.
 
Every Brisket is Different.

No Texas Myth.

No Ancient Whatever Secret.

Prep It. Season It. Smoke It Low & Slow OR HIgh Heat.

Remove Brisket When Done. :thumb:

Great Eats To ALL.

John
 
I recall a post way back this year where there was a u tube video of a couple making the best ribs they had ever eaten. Grandma's secret recipe.:laugh:

They boiled them!:doh: and then smothered them with Sweet Baby Ray's in another pot. Yummy.

Wonder if I could get the same brisket every time if I did it that way.:confused:

I personally don't think brisket is the Holy Grail but I sure do like the way it tastes. Even if I didn't do it that good this time. :becky:
 
I don't see it as the Holy Grail or difficult to cook well. I'll tell you right now that cooking fully jointed half chickens for comps here in Texas and getting them right is what's nerve racking for me. I think ribs are easy too.
 
JiveTurkey said:
My theory is that brisket used to a difficult piece of meat to cook because the techniques were passed down from generation to generation within the family, all in a small region of the country. If anybody wanted to learn how to cook it they had to go to grandpas house and hope that he would share his secrets. Now with the internet all of those little secrets are exposed for the world to see. Now that mysterious piece of meat isn't so scary once we've seen others cook it with success in all varying degrees of styles.
Click to expand...

That's who taught me how to cook brisket..... My grandpa that is. And I'm still learning from the Internet. Good barbecue is a journey, not a destination.
 
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