Pitmaster T
Babbling Farker
Pitmaster T's Video Quickies - Basics of Brisket (For the Official Nubee)
The point of this video is not to cause contention or even a debate on what the basics are. The purpose of this video is to address the 10 or so weekly posts we get from some poor guy thats been lurking 'round here and elsewhere on how to cook a brisket. The guy that writes after he has cherry picked no less than 127 different techniques and tricks and tips thinking that the combination of these will yield the best Brisket ever.
The basics are
1. Use full packers only (quality matter little when you start - master a few select cuts and then go beyond that. There is no sense in burning up some CAB)
2. Trim of Hard Fat (Just the Hard Fat) remember this is a novice... no need at this time to go chopping out his "built in fudge factor."
3. Throw it in the smoker with the Fat Down - Again there is a big debate here but we are addressing the novice... most smokers have a heat base from the bottom or side... at least place the fat to the heat source for protection.
4. Cook at around 270-325 ---- I know that will cause a stir and I am not saying its the best house temp - I am just saying in my opinion - due to ease - its the best place for a novice to start. The problem with lower temps is this. It takes a true master to make sure the temp is 225. At 212 the brisket does nothing but dry up in MOST smokers. This is beyond the skills of the novice. The margins for error is very very slim. At 250, the odds of you dipping below 212 are less. At 275 they are less, at 300 they are just about non-existant but you have new worries. The JUICIEST briskets occur when they cook from room temp to "the feel" within the most efficient time possible without burning. I would not even try to deal with the smoke ring the first time because that is such a minor adjustment.
5. Pull it when the "feel" is right. This means Internal Temps is really a poor choice to determine to a novice when its done.
The Video
YouTube - Pitmaster T's Quickies - Basics of Brisket (Official Nubee)
The point of this video is not to cause contention or even a debate on what the basics are. The purpose of this video is to address the 10 or so weekly posts we get from some poor guy thats been lurking 'round here and elsewhere on how to cook a brisket. The guy that writes after he has cherry picked no less than 127 different techniques and tricks and tips thinking that the combination of these will yield the best Brisket ever.
The basics are
1. Use full packers only (quality matter little when you start - master a few select cuts and then go beyond that. There is no sense in burning up some CAB)
2. Trim of Hard Fat (Just the Hard Fat) remember this is a novice... no need at this time to go chopping out his "built in fudge factor."
3. Throw it in the smoker with the Fat Down - Again there is a big debate here but we are addressing the novice... most smokers have a heat base from the bottom or side... at least place the fat to the heat source for protection.
4. Cook at around 270-325 ---- I know that will cause a stir and I am not saying its the best house temp - I am just saying in my opinion - due to ease - its the best place for a novice to start. The problem with lower temps is this. It takes a true master to make sure the temp is 225. At 212 the brisket does nothing but dry up in MOST smokers. This is beyond the skills of the novice. The margins for error is very very slim. At 250, the odds of you dipping below 212 are less. At 275 they are less, at 300 they are just about non-existant but you have new worries. The JUICIEST briskets occur when they cook from room temp to "the feel" within the most efficient time possible without burning. I would not even try to deal with the smoke ring the first time because that is such a minor adjustment.
5. Pull it when the "feel" is right. This means Internal Temps is really a poor choice to determine to a novice when its done.
The Video
YouTube - Pitmaster T's Quickies - Basics of Brisket (Official Nubee)
