Best way to cook a brisket?

[Bob C Cue]

I have a simple question about the best way to cook a brisket:

Salt and pepper or rub; highly trimmed or not; cook whole or flat and point separated; hot and fast or low and slow; fat cap up or down; spritz or not; water pan or no water pan; rotate or leave in place; wrapped or naked; if wrapped, foil or butcher paper; if foil add liquid or not, if liquid what kind; cook to target temp or probe tender; if target temp what is the target; if probe tender where; vent and serve or vent and hold; if hold, cooler cambro or oven; burnt ends or no burnt ends; thin, medium or thicked sliced; pour any juices over meat or serve on the side; sauce or no sauce; best left over ideas; is it ok to freeze remaining brisket; if ok to freeze for how long?

Thanks for any feedback you are willing to share. Just try to keep it to the point as I don't want to introduce too many variables to my cook.

 

[tom b]

I thought there would be a poll, so disapoiting...

 

[Bob C Cue]

I thought there would be a poll, so disapoiting...

Said the actress to the Bishop.

 

[The Wookiee]

Simple question my #%$!!!

 

[Nuco59]

A "simple question" he says. A simple question might be "how long do I boil weenies?"

I'm interested in the answers coming your way.

You might be able to compile them into "The ONLY way to cook brisket"- you'll be famous.

 

[Lahawk1]

The answer is yes to all.

 

[CptKaos]

SPOG, nekkid, whole, hard deckle fat removed, in an offset fatcap towards the heat, hot and fast until done, rest/hold as needed.

 

[Bob C Cue]

SPOG, nekkid, whole, hard deckle fat removed, in an offset fatcap towards the heat, hot and fast until done, rest/hold as needed.

There it is folks. Simple answer to a simple question. He might have missed a few questions, but answered the important ones.

 

[El Ropo]

I'm afraid you are a couple days late for your April Fool's post!

 

[WhitesideJC]

SPOG, nekkid, whole, hard deckle fat removed, in an offset fatcap towards the heat, hot and fast until done, rest/hold as needed.

I've got a potentially dumb question that I've been waiting for the appropriate time to ask. When you talk about fatcap towards the heat - how does this logic work with a reverse flow? My assumption is that the fatcap would go away from the firebox.

Looking forward to keeping an eye on this thread.

 

[4ever3]

One werd...

InstantPot!

I’ve only cooked one brisket since seeing this but it was very promising!


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YytF06_1bxs

 

[sudsandswine]

I've got a potentially dumb question that I've been waiting for the appropriate time to ask. When you talk about fatcap towards the heat - how does this logic work with a reverse flow? My assumption is that the fatcap would go away from the firebox.

Looking forward to keeping an eye on this thread.

Fat cap down and brisket point towards the end opposite the firebox when I cooked on a RF.

 

[halfcocked]

I did the hot and fast method for the first time this past Friday on a 13# packer. Cooked at 275 for 7 hours 'till probe tender. Had to keep it in the cooler until Saturday, so, about 20 hours. Also used the foil boat method on it for the first time. The meat was room temp. after the long rest so I put it in the oven set at 400 for about a half hour before serving. Everyone thought the meat was good and it did pass the pull test but I'm on the fence regarding the hot and fast. I'm sure cooling down during the long rest had some adverse effect so I will need to try again before I finally decide for myself regarding the hot and fast method. BTW, I did it on my son's Traeger (that was a first time also being that I normally cook on the OK Highland at home) and the brisket lacked smoke to my taste even though it had a nice smoke ring.

 

[Gore]

There it is folks. Simple answer to a simple question. He might have missed a few questions, but answered the important ones.

Important ones? Really? Like inject before or after boiling?

 

[morningwoodbbq]

I have a simple question about the best way to cook a brisket:

Salt and pepper or rub; highly trimmed or not; cook whole or flat and point separated; hot and fast or low and slow; fat cap up or down; spritz or not; water pan or no water pan; rotate or leave in place; wrapped or naked; if wrapped, foil or butcher paper; if foil add liquid or not, if liquid what kind; cook to target temp or probe tender; if target temp what is the target; if probe tender where; vent and serve or vent and hold; if hold, cooler cambro or oven; burnt ends or no burnt ends; thin, medium or thicked sliced; pour any juices over meat or serve on the side; sauce or no sauce; best left over ideas; is it ok to freeze remaining brisket; if ok to freeze for how long?

Thanks for any feedback you are willing to share. Just try to keep it to the point as I don't want to introduce too many variables to my cook.

I love my brisket. People love my brisket. So here's my answers.
1. Salt & peper only
2. I leave 1/4" of fat on the bottom. I don't carver out the whole deckel, just some. And I smooth the rest of it out so no dangly bits.
3. I cook it whole
4. Low and slow.....225°
5. Fat cap down so that when I slice, the sexy smoke ring is on the top.
6. I spritz with apple cider vinegar when I put it on, and before I do the "wrap"
7. No water pan, but I have it hovering on a grate in a hotel pan to catch drippings. I put a little beef stock in the pan to keep the drippings loose so they don't burn up.
8. I leave in place
9. When it reaches 170°, I wrap the whole pan. I add more beef stock in the hotel pan at this point.
10. Foil
11. Yes, when at 170°, I put in beef stock. The hovering grate keeps the bottom of the brisket out of the puddle of juice/drippings.
12. I go to 199° before I check for probe tenderness. Each cow is different.
13. I try to time it so I hold it for 4 hours
14. Cambro. I take the disposable aluminum pan out of smoker and put it in solid aluminum pan and into cambro it goes.
15. All depends on how the point looks. Some points are made better for it than others.
16. Thick as a #2 pencil. An electric knife slices wonderfully.
17. Have the puddle of drippings/juice on the side.
18. No sauce
19. Chopped brisket nachos are the bees-knees.
20. Dunno, I never have it last long enough to have to freeze.

 

[CptKaos]

Fat cap down and brisket point towards the end opposite the firebox when I cooked on a RF.

^^^this

 

[Mikhail]

'How many universes are in the multiverse' would be a simpler question. :shocked: