Need brisket advice, my rep is at stake!!!!

mjpmap · Sep 7, 2015

I've cooked/smoked everything under the sun, with the exception of a brisket. Minding my own business, cooking dinner tonight when a neighbor called in a panic. He put a brisket in his electric smoker (told him not to bother with that thing), and the heating element quit. He's a teacher going back for the first day tomorrow and asked if I (retired) could rescue his brisket. I, of course assured him that I had it covered. He brought me what appeared to be a flat, and said that he had put his own rub on it, but there was no visible evidence of that. I stuck a probe in and found an internal of 88. Immediately stuck it in the fridge, to deal with tomorrow. I'll do a real rub (SPOG) in the morning. So, now I really need some advice. I'll be cooking on a Primo. What's the best running temp, what am I lookin for internal, and probe feel. Do briskets typically hit a stall, and for an approximate 4 lb piece of meat, how many hours roughly. Thanks God for the Brethern!!!!!! P.S. Forgot that I have an espresso rub that I mixed myself, so will probably use that.

aawa · Sep 7, 2015

How long was it in the electric smoker?

I would be leery serving it to people if it stayed in the food safe danger zone too long. Getting people sick isn't my idea of saving the day.

Jason TQ · Sep 7, 2015

aawa said:
How long was it in the electric smoker?

I would be leery serving it to people if it stayed in the food safe danger zone too long. Getting people sick isn't my idea of saving the day.

Oy :doh:. Yeah this doesn't sound good. Granted you will actually get the majority to say still cook it, but if you don't know how long it was in the danger zone it would get pitched. And doubly so because it never got to a cooked food safe temp.

For him to start the cook, the electric pit died, then to call you and discuss, then get it to you and you put it in the fridge where to get the temp back down below 40 I'm just guessing that was more than 4hrs.

Sorry to say, but I would throw it in the trash.

mjpmap · Sep 7, 2015

he never got the chamber temp above 115

Diesel Dave · Sep 7, 2015

I agree with Ren and Jason, it's never a good idea to wonder if it's safe. Toss it

Jason TQ · Sep 7, 2015

mjpmap said:
he never got the chamber temp above 115

That isn't the issue unfortunately. The question is how long was the brisket between 40 and 140? If more than 4hrs than food safety says to pitch it in the trash. If you got it at 88 the time to get that big hunk of meat to 40 on top of the time all the first parts happen I doubt it was less than 4hrs.

Again, others may say we are being overly sensitive, but it never even got to a cooked safe temp and then left out for over 4hrs. Put it in the trash or roll the dice. Totally up to you. This is America :grin:.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal...food-handling/danger-zone-40-f-140-f/CT_Index

aawa · Sep 7, 2015

mjpmap said:
he never got the chamber temp above 115

If the chamber temp never got above 115 and it was a 80 degrees internal temperature, I am almost 100% positive that the meat was in the danger zone for much longer than 4 hours. I would personally toss it, if he plans on serving it to people. As much as it sucks, getting people sick is even worse.

I lost a prime standing rib roast before. Was rearranging my freezer, when I took the roast out and put it on top of my fridge. I noticed in the morning, that it was up there. That was a $80 mistake, but I was tossing it instead of risking gettig someone sick.

Bludawg · Sep 7, 2015

BluDawgs Brisket

K.I S.S. some of the best brisket you will ever eat! Total cook time including the rest 8 hrs or less. I promise it will be as moist as mornin dew on the lilly, tender as a mothers love, pure beefy smoky goodness.

1 packer 12-15 lb
Trim off the hard fat on each side of the flat thin the fat cap to 1/4"

Mix your Rub
1 part kosher salt 4 parts Med grind Black peppa by volume( this is a true 50/50 BY weight)
apply a coat of rub you need to be able to see the meat through the rub clearly.

Pre heat the pit to 300 deg
place brisket on the pit Fat Cap Down and point to the firebox unless it is a RF cooker then point to away from FB h

Maintain pit between 275-325 if cookin on a stick burner
cook Brisket 4 hrs
remove from pit wrap in a single layer of Butcher paper Return to pit Fat cap up.
after 1 hr probe the thicket part of the Flat only! If it isn't *probe tender it should be within 1 hr.
once it is probe tender remove from the pit keep it wrapped in the paper you cooked it in and allow it to rest on your counter until the Internal temp reaches 150 this will take about two hrs.
Don't ever slice more than you can eat big pieces retain moisture and won't dry up on you like slices will.
*PROBE TENDER> This is the feel that is mimicked by cutting room temperature butter with a hot knife, there should be no drag

wayne77 · Sep 7, 2015

I'd pitch it and wouldn't think twice. Way undercooked and then tossed in the fridge is a bad combo.

mjpmap · Sep 7, 2015

Thanks all. I just sent it back for him to throw out. Turns out it was in the box for eight hours with a max of 115. I love a challenge, but this isnt it.

mjpmap · Sep 7, 2015

bludawg, thanks for the recipe. I'll save that for my own run at it

Ron_L · Sep 7, 2015

Good decision!

LMAJ · Sep 7, 2015

mjpmap said:
Turns out it was in the box for eight hours with a max of 115.

Goes to prove even with an electric you need to watch your pit. Good on you for trying to help a neighbor, better on you for making sure he doesn't get really sick.

Need brisket advice, my rep is at stake!!!!

mjpmap

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