B
barbefunkoramaque
Guest
Please take no offense, but I think that half of the fun is trying something new and experimenting.
Experimentation is also about isolating events for a controlled outcome. When one event leads to a certain success you then add the next event to see how it changes the outcome.
Now what I am about to say does not mean I think my way is best.
There is no offense taken. You are a gentleman! Like I said I smoke 10-15 a week 100-150 lbs (of course I do ribs, butts and other stuff) in the peak periods between Labor Day and Thanksgiving. I have no idea how much that has been over the last 10 years or so... but I have seen a lot of bad briskets that some people (even in contests - remember I am stuck here now in Connecticut) have thought were good that accentuate TASTE above texture because they did not have a TEMPLATE in their mind. I have seen some of these guys swear up and down (whilst holding their assorted trophies and ribbons from cook offs) that their brisket is best and you sit them down and give them a elgin, tayor, mueller, smitty, kreuz, angelos, railhead, style brisket and they just sit there with their mouth open. I have seen them get mad when someone like Vencil or Smitty tells them... salt pepper and 6-8 hours. They just don't believe them.
So... like I said before I am quite aware of how to smoke but popping one in the oven, esp a flat, and always remembering that texture and how little you fiddled with it will start you off on the right track. As far as the boiling... Until the Health Progressives took over at the turn of the century, most briskets were done trail hands style and actually simmered in a dutch oven before smoking on a ground pit. It took the briskets roughly the same time as ribs. Trailhands and the Germans like it hot and fast. Jetton's real recipe differs from his 1967 book though.
However... on the smoke side two absolute truths mentioned here
1. you can make a stunning brisket with salt and pepper if you do it right 2. AND start checking at 180. Don't pull at 180 but start checking for that butter like feel from the probe. The BRISKET can be done at 185, 190, 205... depends. Before 180.... forget its even there.