Best way to do Brisket?

[BobBrisket]

Let me stir the nest up a little bit more............Make sure you put it fat cap down because fat cap up is just totally wrong!!!:twistedI acutually do both from time to time.)

Seriously though, you have a WSM. It will do ALL the work for you short of applying the rub. The only thing I can see that may turn you or the wife off to brisket............is the time. Be prepared for a 10,15, or even 20+ hour smoke. My friends and family love my brisket but they have come to learn that they must wait till it's done, cause I ain't rushing it for no one.

And Pissy Tex is just being pissy cause he knows Wyatt is the brisket master in the house:wink:

 

[Divemaster]

While cooking for NASCAR I used to do about 2,500 pounds of brisket a year... Trust me when I say that there is no great mystery about them...

Salt & Pepper, get the WSM up to temp (I like 250*), Fat cap up or down? Don't worry about it, you'll figure that out later... I like cherry or hickory wood... Start it early in the morning if you are looking for dinner because it can take a little as 9 hours or as long as 14 depending on the size, quality and temperment of the meat. I start checking the tenderness once it hits about 195 internal... When a temp probe goes in 'Like Butta' it's ready for a rest of at least an hour. If it's done early, wrap it in foil and put it in a cooler. It'll hold there for hours...

I know it's shocking but Ron_L is right... It's only a brisket... Each cow has two of them... You have any idea of how many cows meet their maker every day?

I almost forgot the three most important things... Make sure you have beer, cigars, and fun!!!! Remember that's what this is all about!

 

[barbefunkoramaque]

Forget the oven baked with foil, just boil the damn thing

LMAO - I know your mad at me Sled but I am just "sayin" brutha! And I don't say this because I lack experience.

God I have seen some people make some bad brisket in my day. And the main reason was they didn't know what they were shooting for. I am suggesting a template for the palate so that he will forever know that once he starts that smoking process and rub process, he has an idea in his mind of a texture to shoot for. AND TO MAKE IT CLEAR I get the same result without foil. I am just saying START from this point then excel into taste smoke etc.

It saves a ****e-load of money too. I also suggest experimenting with rubs in the oven first THEN seeing what affects smoke has. If you do it the other way you don't know if it was your wood, your technique, your fire, or your spice and you may end up adjusting a spice when it was something else entirely.

Of course this does take the fun out of it.

 

[Bigmista]

Lots of Brisket threads in the Roadmap stickyh at the top of the forum list.

Here's one from DrBBQ:

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9719&highlight=brisket

 

[Solidkick]

Brisket cooking threads on this forum date back all the way to Oct 2003....surely you can find something you can use......some of the best brisket cooks in the country have shared tidbits of information here.......

 

[Smokin Mike]

I put my brisket method into a Word doc for one of my daughter's friends. It is in this post.

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=45240

Lots of ways to cook one, however.

say ron will you repost it please, only thing comes up when you click on the link is a post about posting links

TIA

 

[Bigmista]

Here is the thread from my first brisket. You will see how helpful the brethren can be...

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9995&highlight=brisket

 

[Camille Eonich]

I mean, use the search feature. It will give you reading material for days.

The search function doesn't work if you aren't a subscriber.

 

[hydramax]

Thanks guys, didn't mean to stir up a hornet's nest over a chunk of meat. Think i will cook it this weekend and will definitely put some pron up. Just hope this 1/2 a cow will fit on one of my smokers LOL.

 

[Bigmista]

Just friendly banter. Feel free to post or PM one of us if you need help.

 

[Divemaster]

LMAO - I know your mad at me Sled but I am just "sayin" brutha! And I don't say this because I lack experience.

God I have seen some people make some bad brisket in my day. And the main reason was they didn't know what they were shooting for. I am suggesting a template for the palate so that he will forever know that once he starts that smoking process and rub process, he has an idea in his mind of a texture to shoot for. AND TO MAKE IT CLEAR I get the same result without foil. I am just saying START from this point then excel into taste smoke etc.

It saves a ****e-load of money too. I also suggest experimenting with rubs in the oven first THEN seeing what affects smoke has. If you do it the other way you don't know if it was your wood, your technique, your fire, or your spice and you may end up adjusting a spice when it was something else entirely.

Of course this does take the fun out of it.

Please take no offense, but I think that half of the fun is trying something new and experimenting.

 

[Mad Max]

Enjoy your first try at brisket and no worries, there really is no wrong way of doing it. Use the flavors, that you like on beef or steak and relax and experiment a bit. It is all part of the learning curve. Take all the tips from here and plan your cook. Remember baby steps, you couldn't be in a better surrounding. Good luck!

 

[BBQchef33]

honestly.

Plain and simple and my favorite..

heavy dose of Salt pepper garlic and cayenne... cook with oak... When it reaches 180, check for doneness and estimate the time to finish. If u want, foil it with a cup of onion soup or beef broth and finish it. If u like crispy bark, dont foil. Keep checking every 30 minutes with a probe till it goes into the flat with a little bit of resistance. Remove from the pit and put it in a dry cooler for at least 2 hours. Throw some towels in there to take up the dead airspace.


Notice i never mentioned a finish temperature. Its irrelevant. Its finished when the probe goes into the flat with slight resistance.. (that could be 180-190-even 200) but why cook to 195 when it was done at 182? IMO, thats a mistake alot of folks make.. they cook to a temp, and never realized they got a brisket that cooked faster than normal.


... and then rest it for a few hours.







THATS my favorite brisket.

 

[kitch]

Throw some towels in there to take up the dead airspace.

I would suggest crumpled newspaper instead.


have fun.....I would suggest be prepared for how long it takes to cook one...
I'm still not sure as to what time of day I should start to get some sleeping in...


my other advice is simple take note of your grain before you cook it...maybe trim a corner to get the right angle.

oh...one more thing...if it has spices in the package...you might want to boil it...

 

[Divemaster]

I guess what we are all saying is that there are a lot of ways to do a brisket.

Some use Salt and Pepper, others use a huge number of spices, still others use something in between. Some start checking for done at 180, others higher, and I'm sure that still other start checking earlier.

Based on the responses to this thread you can see that it's a process we've all started and gone down slightly different paths.

Please know that we are here to help if you have any questions, but I think we all agree on one thing, it won't get cooked until you put it on the smoker. That's when your real problems are going to start...

You'll want to check it often but remember "If your looking, you ain't cooking".

Once it is done, you are more than likely not going to be satisfied with it... Why? Because we are our own worst critics. Your wife may rave about it but you are going to know that there is a little tweak that you want to make so it's just that much better next time.

Please post pictures. We all know the looks that we got/get from our family when we start taking pictures of food... They'll laugh at you but it's OK, deep down you know that we all cook vicariously through each other.

I guess most of all, have fun with it... It's only a piece of meat so don't worry about it. If you have questions, please feel free to PM me.

 

[frognot]

Here is the thread from my first brisket. You will see how helpful the brethren can be...

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9995&highlight=brisket

From his first brisket to a video telling ya how to do it. Here's BigMista!

http://blip.tv/file/502634

Lotsa good how-to info from start to finish.

 

[Mokin Bandit]

The first one is scary but it will be fine. Brisket seems a lot easier on a WSM since holding a consistent temp is easy.

LULZ at the oven...... But experience does seem to count for a lot. My keep getting better the more I do.

 

[Bigmista]

From his first brisket to a video telling ya how to do it. Here's BigMista!

http://blip.tv/file/502634

Lotsa good how-to info from start to finish.

I've come a long way with the help of the brethren.

 

[barbefunkoramaque]

Thanks guys, didn't mean to stir up a hornet's nest over a chunk of meat. Think i will cook it this weekend and will definitely put some pron up. Just hope this 1/2 a cow will fit on one of my smokers LOL.

Dont worry bout it... in 17 more hours another person will be asking the same question.

 

[blues_n_cues]

i just had to weigh in.
225-250 for however long it takes to get to 190
salt & pepper over mesquite/pecan fat side up w/ a drip pan
wrap & rest for a few hours
unwrap for an hour(to firm up)
slice across the grain & serve w/ the juices for a dipping sauce
over butcher paper w/ a slice of texas toast,pickle,&sliced onion-pintos on the side.
(thats a texas brisket)

millions of skit' lovers can't be wrong