Brisket.......the easiest meat to cook ;)

[chromestacks]

Since competition season is in full swing, it seems there have been a lot of brisket questions. a lot of good answers have been posted too. Well, I spent a lot of time over the winter practicing my cook. I feel that it is pretty dialed in. The family and neighbors rave over it. When the smoke goes up neighbors stop by and want to know when the brisket is going to be ready.

With all of that being said, I can see the improved results on the score sheets. Last year it was mostly 6's across the board. The practice runs have moved us up to a few 7's and mostly 8's average score 165. I often wonder if the sauce is helping or hurting me. Personally I really like the meat before sauce. The last comp, our scores were 878, 877, 988, 888, 888, 787. I am really thinking of not saucing at the next comp and possibly going with an Au jus. Anyone have luck with out sauce? 4 comps in the season, is it too soon to make a change? the results have been on average with the above scores. Your thoughts are greatly appreciated.

 

[PekingPorker]

We did no sauce for our first few competitions and always placed in the bottom third. Last weekend was the first time we sauced, and got 12th. It was a big move up for us and I was happy. I used a slightly spicier sauce with a little kick. Not the same sweet sauce I do on the other meats. I also just put a very fine layer of sauce on the top of the slices and exposed parts of the slices in the box.

We always use the Au Jus when slicing brisket. Each slice sits in warm au jus until it's ready to go in the box.

 

[Sawdustguy]

We never sauce and have a number of brisket calls. Beef is supposed to be savory so we simply use our drippings mixed with a few ingrediants. I suppose you could use some sort of sauce but I would use something beefy and not something sweet.

 

[bignburlyman]

I never used to see sauce on brisket at all until the last few years. Around here these days it is about 60/40 sauce/no sauce. I like brisket to be brisket, not covered with sauce.

 

[Jason TQ]

You can sauce or not sauce. Teams score well with either. And while taste and tenderness can always be improved the most glaring thing to me is the single 9 in appearance. Don't lose sight of that.

 

[sigpi906]

the most glaring thing to me is the single 9 in appearance. Don't lose sight of that.

Great call on that. Worth keeping in my mind that even on an "off" day of flavor or texture, I can still do more to control my appearance scores and get the most points out of each judge.

I like your perspective fnbish

 

[Uomograsso]

From a judges perspective no sauce is better. In talking with other judges they really dislike heavily sauced meat in any category. To me brisket should be savory, with no sauce at all. BUT, if it does have sauce I will judge it as presented and will see if the sauce compliments the flavor of the brisket. If it does, higher scores. If it does not, then you will get lower scores.

 

[INmitch]

No sauce. Never have never will.

 

[ShencoSmoke]

For those of you that don't sauce, I am assuming that you don't turn in Burnt Ends? I sauce my ends, not my flats.

 

[chromestacks]

You can sauce or not sauce. Teams score well with either. And while taste and tenderness can always be improved the most glaring thing to me is the single 9 in appearance. Don't lose sight of that.

Well I know why I got the single 9. I sliced my finger while putting pork togather. The appearance on both boxes went to the toilet due to trying to control bleeding at box making time. 2nd string had to fill in. I learned trying to describe how to present and actually presenting are 2 different things! Fot that comp in general I was not worried about appearance in those 2 catagories, just trying not to get DQ!

 

[Dex]

You can sauce or not sauce. Teams score well with either. And while taste and tenderness can always be improved the most glaring thing to me is the single 9 in appearance. Don't lose sight of that.

I agree with this. Appearance is the easiest thing to improve on.

 

[Icekub]

You can sauce or not sauce. Teams score well with either. And while taste and tenderness can always be improved the most glaring thing to me is the single 9 in appearance. Don't lose sight of that.

The appearance is the one thing that cooks have the most control over. Taste and tenderness there is always some degree of crapshoot. Get mostly 9's every comp, then start nailing taste and tenderness.

 

[rtboswell]

For those of you that don't sauce, I am assuming that you don't turn in Burnt Ends? I sauce my ends, not my flats.

You don't have to sauce burnt ends- I know a great brisket cook who uses his only his au jus and they are fantastic. Personally I starting leaving the point at home for burgers and my brisket scores went up.