Brisket Recipes / Tips

[Bludawg]

Looks like a pre- trimmed packer.

[okie smoker]

So, if it's just a flat, would it only be roughly an inch thick the whole piece?

[okie smoker]

Also, my piece is about 7#...would a full packer be that low?

[gaspipe1]

I am not a pro, but I try not to let a thread that contains the word "brisket" in it pass me by. And I agree with Bludawg that it's a trimmed PACKER. Meaning most of the fat has been removed. So it's not only the flat but both the flat and point.

What do you guys think about that fat that is just southwest of the label in the 2nd pic? I think that this packer is trimmed to where it needs to be if not pretty dam close to it. I read once you get experience you want there to be from 1/8 to 1/4 inch of fat. But for a novice you want 1/4 to 1/2 inch of fat. Guess the more fat the more of a buffer for inexperience.

Also another thing I read was that you want the flat to be something like an 1.5" or more. If it's less don't worry too much about it since you already bought the cow

Looking fwd to reading how it comes out.

[plethoraofpinatas]

I started cooking better briskets and enjoyed cooking them more when I simplified my process. No brining, no complex rub recipe, no sauce, no nonsense. For me it was a return to the purity of barbecue. A few things I have learned from this forum that have helped me cook very good brisket:

1. A brisket is done when it probes tender, not at a specific temperature. I have had briskets of identical weight and shape cooked next to each other finish at 205 and 215. Both were tender and juicy. The second was still noticeably tougher at 205. I still prove with a thermometer because I like to track the temps, but could confidently use a chopstick or skewer.

2. Sometimes less is more. After spending lots of cash on any bottle of brisket or beef rubs that I could find, I decided that I simply like the taste and color of a brisket seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. YMMV. No big deal.

3. The posts listed under the Road Map section are more informative than any Food Network recipe. FN recipes are written and tested in professional kitchens on professional equipment. Road Map posts on how to cook turkey in a UDS or baby backs on WSM are made by cooks like you for cooks like you.

4. If you choose to wrap, trying wrapping with butcher paper. I did a test side-by-side against foil and for me the butcher paper achieved the same level of steaming but maintained a better bark. Just remember to double wrap! The juices will soak through the paper and it can easily tear when removing from the smoker.

5. While we're talking techniques, try cooking hotter than you probably have been. I started out cooking at 220-230 and struggled to maintain temps and maintain focus for 6-14 hours depending on meat. I gradually bumped it up to 275 and found my ribs really improved. My brisket got really good when I started cooking at 325 and I didn't have to start dinner at 4am.

Good luck!

[okie smoker]

I haven't found the answer yet, but haven't browsed all the links. But, I thought I would ask on here. When I cook this I will be cooking it on a typical side firebox style "barrel" smoker, with split logs. Do I need to do anything to make the environment more moist? Pan with water under the brisket or anything along those lines?

[gaspipe1]

Originally Posted by okie smoker

I haven't found the answer yet, but haven't browsed all the links. But, I thought I would ask on here. When I cook this I will be cooking it on a typical side firebox style "barrel" smoker, with split logs. Do I need to do anything to make the environment more moist? Pan with water under the brisket or anything along those lines?

I have an UDS so I do not know from experience but I saw a video on youtube called BBQ with Franklin. He add a pot of water in the smoking chamber. He placed that pot on the same shelf as his brisket. The pot was right near the fire box, so in between the brisket and the firebox. His reasoning is b/c it was a small pit and the fire would dry out the moisture.

Hope this helps

[Bludawg]

Originally Posted by gaspipe1

I have an UDS so I do not know from experience but I saw a video on youtube called BBQ with Franklin. He add a pot of water in the smoking chamber. He placed that pot on the same shelf as his brisket. The pot was right near the fire box, so in between the brisket and the firebox. His reasoning is b/c it was a small pit and the fire would dry out the moisture.

Hope this helps

No it is used as a heat sink to keep the temp constant because the pit is a poorly designed pit from Academy Sports built by Old Country( Sponsor of the video series.) It has no baffle at the opening from the fire box. A UDS and Off Set are as different as Cows & Goats. Don't over think the process.

[okie smoker]

So, I did the cook and it turned out really good. I did kosher salt, cracked pepper, a little garlic powder and a little montreal steak seasoning. I was at about 9.5 hours and we got a little antsy to have dinner before it was too late in the evening. I went ahead and wrapped it for the Texas Crutch and finished it in about 1.5 more hours. It turned out well...juicy and flavorful. I'm sure that without the crutch, the bark would be better. I'll do that some time.



Pics

[plethoraofpinatas]

Looks good Okie! A few suggestions... Try leaving it unwrapped a bit longer to solidify the bark, wrap in butcher paper instead of foil, and slice against the grain. The slices of flat meat look like they're sliced with the grain (stringy). If you slice against they will bite through easier. Keep it up!!!

[okie smoker]

What is the reason for butcher paper instead of foil? How exactly do you wrap it and get it to stay in place?

[Bludawg]

Butcher paper is porous it retains moisture but allow the smoke in and the steam out. You get a tender moist flavorful brisket with great bark instead of a steamed hunk of delii brisket with some smoke on it and mushy bark. The butcher paper gives some of the benefits of foil and most of the benefits of cooking with out it WIn WIn.
I guess you never been to a real butcher and watched them wrap your meat, so this is how I do it YMMV

Pull off about 3 1/2 ft of paper lay the brisket on the paper at a bias across at the corner make sure you place it far enough in so that the corner can be folded all the way over the fat cap. Bring the sides into the ends of the brisket and roll the brisket in the paper. Repeat the roll working the sides of the paper to the center ass you go. If everything goes to plan it will be fat cap down and you will have a stubby tri-angle of a tail on top of the flat. Place it on the pit Fat cap up the weight will keep it closed.

The first time you do one leave the brisket in the cryo and practice once or twice to get a feel for it. much easier to learn with a cold one.

[okie smoker]

OK, next question...where do you usually buy butcher paper.

By the way, talked to our meat store a little this morning about rib roast and I was talking to the guy that typically feeds their cattle. He said they shoot for it being on the high end of choice and into the prime category, so most all they have is good stuff. Alsom they said they dry age everything. We talked about briskets a bit and he said a guy from TX that is typically in competitions buys all his brisket from them. He always has more tender briskets than his competitors. ;-)

[BB-Kuhn]

I've never brined one, but I usually keep mine VERY moist by two moves:

1- inject with plain ol beef broth - wont make it taste like anything other than good old beef. You'll never know its there other than a juicy bite!

2 - place in poll pan with foil wrapped over the top once bark has set (160-ish deg).

That'll pretty much guarantee a moist brisket. Good luck!

[Bludawg]

I get mine from the place that carves my steers into steaks. He charges me 10 bucs for a roll but he makes it back on the other end. I have some ocean front property in Wy with a 30 room mansion a Swimming pool filled with Glenflidich and neked French Maids I'll sell it to ya for 1500.00.