Hot & Fast Brisket - Almost No Fat Layer (Help Needed)

[93_confirmed]

I'm cooking my first brisket tomorrow using the Hot & Fast Method. I have a 5lb (pre-trimmed) flat that has a very thin fat layer with some parts of that side having no fat at all . Are there any special precautions I need to take since there's not enough fat to shield the meat from the high temps? I plan on using a snake in my Kettle and placing the meat over an empty water pan.

[landarc]

I would put some water in the pan. No fat and just a little meat in a kettle, the added moisture will help.

I would also consider wrapping the meat once the color looks close to where you want it. And add some moisture to the foil, it will help.

[Boshizzle]

Here is some BBQ heresy. I say it's heresy because no one believes it, but, it's true.

There was a week, a single week, when Aaron Franklin couldn't get the high quality beef brisket that he preferred. He had to settle for a lower quality, leaner brisket. He claims that, and I paraphrase, it was the worst week of his professional career.

His solution? He rotated the meat more often to even out the cooking process and wrapped in butcher paper earlier than he would have if he had the high quality briskets that he preferred.

The moral? Stay flexible. Learn where the hot spots are in your smoker. Stop going by time and temperature and go by what makes sense for the quality of meat you are working with. Leaner and lower quality meat can benefit from an earlier wrap than higher quality meats. It's all about PRESERVING what's in the meat while you cook it rather than trying to ADD something to the meat that isn't there naturally.

I know, it's hard and it take patience, practice, and time to learn. But, it's the only way to be able to cook what's available at any given time.

Do you need a fat cap on a brisket to protect it? Nope, you don't. Just adjust your cooking style for the situation.

[Demosthenes9]

Just how hot is the "hot" part of your "hot and fast" ?

[93_confirmed]

Originally Posted by Demosthenes9

Just how hot is the "hot" part of your "hot and fast" ?

I'm loosely following the High Heat article from Virtual Weber Bullet even though I'm using a Weber Performer. It suggests 325-375, which I know I can reach and maintain easily. Basically cook the brisket for 2 1/2 hours, wrap in foil and finish for about 2 1/2 until probe tender. I was going to do a 2-2-1 snake setup.

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/brisket4.html

[landarc]

Wow, that is hot, I would run my kettle closer to 325°F than 375°F.

[loco_engr]

I am never afraid to to ask a dumb question and show my
ignorance but what is the snake method?
Thanks

[ColdFyre]

Originally Posted by loco_engr

I am never afraid to to ask a dumb question and show my
ignorance but what is the snake method?
Thanks

Check out this thread: http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/sh...d.php?t=160758

[93_confirmed]

Originally Posted by loco_engr

I am never afraid to to ask a dumb question and show my
ignorance but what is the snake method?
Thanks

The idea is to create a long chain of unlit coals that burn slowly and allow you to cook for an extended time without having to constantly add new coals. It's one of the preferred methods for low and slow smoking.

[Enrico Brandizzi]

Originally Posted by loco_engr

I am never afraid to to ask a dumb question and show my
ignorance but what is the snake method?
Thanks

[/url]

[1buckie]

Originally Posted by landarc

Wow, that is hot, I would run my kettle closer to 325°F than 375°F.

I use these charcoal setups all the time.......I also get the whole H & F thing, why diddle around for hours when you really don't have to, but running a small flat, without much fat protection @ that high of heat is kinda pushin' things, IMHO.......

375 is where I would run a Cowboy steak or something like that........

The way I think about this is I'm not controlling the burn so much with the vents (available air) as it is with available fuel....
There's only a small area of fuel set up to burn & while you do have to pay attention to the vents, it's not as important as getting a good setup on the coal / wood at the start......
6 or 7 or 8 coals produces roughly 235 ~ 240°, if the vents are mostly open & it's left to settle in, depending a little on your particular ambient conditions,
so if that 6~8 coals are all that's burning along the line at a time, there's where your temp is.....

If you want a higher heat, bump up the coal stack & open up the bottom vents more.......

A lot of times, I run vents all open (top always all open) & control the temp by how much charcoal is set up in the 1st place.................

6 butts, 5 kettles, incl. an 18", run all nite, approx. average 240 degrees, sleepin' thru most of it.............



Works just fine for brisket, too.......



I've kinda settled on 260 ~275f as a good medium heat for a lot of smoke cooking, as it moves things along well enough without force feeding the meat more heat than it really needs to take.............

Oh, and pork, burn counter-clockwise, beef clock-wise.......

The burns should alternate between counter-clockwise and clockwise so as to not rip a hole in the space~ time continuum....

[aawa]

bump the temperature down to 300-325. This will give you a little more room for error. Also add a water pan in the center of the ring of fire. The moisture in the environment will help keep the outside meat from scorching. And since there is very little fat, I would wrap in foil or butcher paper during the cook.

Basically just do what landarc said!

[93_confirmed]

In the event that I do end up with dry brisket, what are my options to at least make it somewhat decent? Sauce it to death? Rest it in broth? Etc.?

[Demosthenes9]

Originally Posted by 93_confirmed

In the event that I do end up with dry brisket, what are my options to at least make it somewhat decent? Sauce it to death? Rest it in broth? Etc.?

Well, I found out in another thread that you can overcook the hell out of a piece of meat, then put it in a crockpot and cook it even more and all is saved.

[93_confirmed]

I finished the cook and the brisket looks and tastes great. I ended up cooking it at ~300 for 3 hours at which point it hit 170 and I dropped it in a foil pan and covered it. Threw it back on for another hour and kept probing until butter soft at 208. Rested for 2 hours and sliced.

I'm really pleasantly surprised with how well the hot and fast method worked - especially for a flat with no fat cap. I still want to try the low and slow but it's good to know that this works whenever there's a time crunch.