Broken Brisket (What did I do wrong)?

[twisterbret]

Yesterday was some of the worst que I've made to date.
I normally cook up untrimmed brisket flats from Costco. Around here it's almost impossible to get a full packer. A super Walmart opened near us and I was able to pick one up. It was a 15 pound monster. When I opened it, the meat seemed very tender and not to firm. It has this grain to it. I never noticed that before maybe it's a packer thing?
Anyway, trimmed it up but left the fat cap. Seasoned etc etc.
Placed it on the Backwoods Party at 230. When it reached 165, I wrapped in it foil and took to 200. Coolered it for 4 hours. Took out out and strained and drain the juce and that's when things went bad. Picking it up the darn thing almost torn in half. I couldn't get slices our of the flat, it was just shredding. Did I over cool the darn thing? Do you only foil flats and not packers? Was this piece of meat treated in some type of tenderizer? I did injected it with Beef stock and left it in the fridge it over night. I've never had a problem doing that before. You can see some of the graining in the photo



On top of the shredding brisket (was not dry by the way) My ABT's were just on fire! No matter what end, they were HOT!
I bought 2 sets of peppers from 2 diff places. I belive the peppers I bought from store B was not hot. I took a hot one ...cleaned all out and made sure, I left nothing in them. Has anyone ran into Hot batches no matter how well they are cleaned? I'm so careful because the family doesn't like them hot. I clean the knife off often when spreading he cream cheese. Sometimes you that light green pulp on the knife I wipe it clean.
Maybe they are too ripe?

Thanks for listening!

[Boshizzle]

Sounds like the brisket was over cooked. Sitting in foil for 4 hours could have been the problem. Cut back to two hours.

As far jalapenos go, some are hot and some are mild. You never know what you are going to get. I went looking for some hot ones at the local farmer's market. The guy I bought them from walked up to me when I was looking them over and said "Be careful with those. They are very hot." Since that is what I was looking for, I bought what I needed, took them home, made ABTs and jalapeno/garlic sauce. They were almost as mild a bell peppers even with the seeds. Very disappointing.

Then again, I have bought them, cleaned the seeds and membranes out and they were like eating sticks of fire.

[expatpig]

You didn't mention how long it took to get to 165 and 200. that could be a factor, as far as the jalapenos, it's a mystery, I've had extremely hot and very mild from the same batch also.

[MilitantSquatter]

rely on your probe for doneness.

[twisterbret]

It took about 4 hours in foil to go from 165 to 200. I think your onto something. If it was ribs it would be just to much and mushy. When I wrap flats, there in the foil much less time since the cut is much smaller. Anyone wrap these large packers?

Any tricks to figuring what pepper (hot or mild) your getting other then to taste them?

[MilitantSquatter]

Originally Posted by twisterbret

It took about 4 hours in foil to go from 165 to 200. I think your onto something. If it was ribs it would be just to much and mushy. When I wrap flats, there in the foil much less time since the cut is much smaller. Anyone wrap these large packers?

While I don't foil any longer, it's not the foil... it's a much bigger cut so it's understandable that it took a lot longer than ribs would if you used foil on those too.

200 degrees + 4 hours was your most likely culprit

[ON THE FARM]

if you can find jalapeños with lite brown streeks on them, they are the hot ones!!!!

[Strike BBQ]

Did you seperate the flat from the point prior to foiling? It could be the point shredding, as it will do, and the flat overcooked. Or a combo of the two.
Sounds like somebody will be making a pit pot of brisket Chili!

[twisterbret]

Anyone want to share a Brisket Chili recipe? :)

[Bob S]

Originally Posted by MilitantSquatter

rely on your probe for doneness.

This is the key. The finish temp is not important. Use your probe to feel for tenderness and pull it at the right time and you'll have a great brisket.

[bbqbull]

PM sent!

[MilitantSquatter]

Originally Posted by twisterbret

Anyone want to share a Brisket Chili recipe? :)

or chop it up, put it on some white bread with pickle slices...

[Boshizzle]

Originally Posted by MilitantSquatter

or chop it up, put it on some white bread with pickle slices...

[BBQchef33]

200 degrees is a cooked, or overcooked brisket.... briskets can be done anywhere from 185 degrees to 205 degrees. but a 200 degree brisket, wrappped and cooler for 4 hours WILL be an overcooked brisket.


I would NEVER cooler a 200 degree brisket. Chances are that thing climbed to 210-215 degrees while it sat for 4 hours, overcooked, dried out and thats what you had.

If for some reason I ever had to cook to 200, i will tent and let it rest until temps started to drop, then (maybe) foil to hold.

for me, Temp is ONLY a guide as to when to start checking for doneness. I start checking with the probe at about 180-185 and judge from there, taking into account my projected hold time. If I need to hold for 4 hours, I would be taking a brisket out that still had some firmness/resistance to the probe test knowing its got 4 hours to finish under its own thermal load. That finishing/resting time is important to develop tenderness without drying out. i prefer to have them finish on their own heat load than under a heat source unless we will be eating it right away.

[Sean "Puffy" Coals]

I agree with the brethren. Should have pulled it at 185*, not coolered for so long. At 200*, it's already DONE done. Temp probably rose another 20* in the cooler, way over cooking it.

It's an art to say the least. Still figuring it out myself. So far, what I can tell is if it's a bigger brisket, more than say 12 lbs, I would pull it at a lower temp and rest it a little longer- giving a much more even cook. The outside won't be over dry and the center will be sufficiently cooked.

For less than 12 lbs, pull at a little higher temp and give a shorter rest. This should minimize the chances of over-cooking.

I also monitor both temp AND feel, since my "feel" is easily influenced by "beer" and other things... Another reason I don't put bottle openers on my rigs.