clikover
Knows what a fatty is.
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2011
- Location
- Dallas, TX
Ok guys, I feel like I have read every brisket thread on here (twice, at least)...and I still cant figure out what is going wrong. I have had 2 bad brisket cooks in a row.
Today was an 8lb flat. I cooked it at 225 for 9 hours. It reached 190. (I didn't go by time or temp though, I tried to go by probe feel.) The thing that is really confusing me is the way it feels towards the end...I never get a true "butter" feel on the probe. I feel like I'm cooking it past done, because it seems dried out (both times). When I probe it, I feel like the meat is overcooked, not under. I dont know how to put it into words, but based on the feel of the meat on the probe, my gut is that it is overcooked. What doesn't make sense is that it feels this way when the temp is saying 170's-180's. I finally pulled at 190, because I was worried it would just be totally dried out if I left it on longer.
Today it stalled forever around 172, which I thought was high for the stall? According to my thermo, it got to 176, then it fell back to 171/172 for hours, then it finally climbed back to 190. I pulled it and rested it for 30. When I cut it, I immediately knew it was too tough/dry. There were a few pieces, those closest to the fat cap, that were "pretty good" - but those pieces in the middle of the flat were so obviously dry as soon as I cut them. This said, the meat was still fairly dense, it was definitely not crumbly / fall apart. So, was it undercooked? Did I need to take it way past 190? Can it get juicy again? (I dont see how.)
I feel like I know what I'm doing very well on ribs, chicken and butts...brisket is just giving me heck. any thoughts or advice? Thanks again...
Today was an 8lb flat. I cooked it at 225 for 9 hours. It reached 190. (I didn't go by time or temp though, I tried to go by probe feel.) The thing that is really confusing me is the way it feels towards the end...I never get a true "butter" feel on the probe. I feel like I'm cooking it past done, because it seems dried out (both times). When I probe it, I feel like the meat is overcooked, not under. I dont know how to put it into words, but based on the feel of the meat on the probe, my gut is that it is overcooked. What doesn't make sense is that it feels this way when the temp is saying 170's-180's. I finally pulled at 190, because I was worried it would just be totally dried out if I left it on longer.
Today it stalled forever around 172, which I thought was high for the stall? According to my thermo, it got to 176, then it fell back to 171/172 for hours, then it finally climbed back to 190. I pulled it and rested it for 30. When I cut it, I immediately knew it was too tough/dry. There were a few pieces, those closest to the fat cap, that were "pretty good" - but those pieces in the middle of the flat were so obviously dry as soon as I cut them. This said, the meat was still fairly dense, it was definitely not crumbly / fall apart. So, was it undercooked? Did I need to take it way past 190? Can it get juicy again? (I dont see how.)
I feel like I know what I'm doing very well on ribs, chicken and butts...brisket is just giving me heck. any thoughts or advice? Thanks again...