Brisket and Burnt Ends

What I do and works pretty well. Keep the point and flat together until flat probes tender...separate and let flat rest in a cooler for a few hours....initially I rub the whole brisket with S&P...but add more of a rib rub to the point after separation and let go another 60-90 minutes. Cube the point and slice the flat.

I cooked 21 briskets - one each time I got paid - before I finally arrived at the results I liked. Then I watched Hodedo put on a brisket trimming clinic at the midwest gathering one year, and that changed my life.
What he did (and what I do now) is to remove as much of the fat cap and interstitial fat between the flat and the point as I can. There's plenty of fat (marbling) in between the meat fibers. Any fat left on the surface is simply blocking your seasonings and your smoke.

I use Choice briskets all the time. They turn out great.

You should try using injection after trimming. It makes A LOT of difference. I also use Plowboys Yardbird rub, generously applied, and I let the trimmed brisket sit all night in a two-gallon baggie in the fridge, soaking (marinating) in those seasonings for at least eight hours.

Your temps for wrapping and done look about right, so that's good.

When you wrap, add some vegetable stock so that it kinda winds up parsteaming in the foil (or butcher paper works ok too) while it climbs to final temperature.

Resting is great because it allows the meat to reabsorb any juices that were driven out.

Retain the au jus and 'treat' each slice with it when you serve it. Not only does it help keep the brisket moist, it also makes a fantastic gravy for mashed potatoes.

True burnt ends have nothing to do with cubing up the point. True burnt ends are made from finely chopping the darkest, driest bits from the edges of the brisket. Those cubes are simply fashionable. With a really great brisket, you won't worry about those cubes.

Do you keep a journal or log of your cooks? Writing everything down helps a lot. You can refer back to your notes so that you don't make the same mistakes again.



Good luck and HAVE FUN!