brisket confusion

[Mike from Iowa]

I'll be doing my first ever brisket this weekend and I'm a bit confussed. I have a 5lb brisket piece from the walley world and I'm wondering how to smoke it. Do I smoke it untill its 160 degrees or untill it hits 190. High heat or low heat? any help is good.

 

[Monty House]

I'm guessing you have a flat vs. a whole packer. If true, the method of foiling at approx. 165 and cooking until 190+ and "probe tender" works for me.

 

[Paul H]

MIke, you cook it til it's tender, not necessarily the same as an exact time. Time is a guide to getting it cooked. When you can stick a fork into the meat and it offers a little bit of resistance it's good eats time

 

[Mike from Iowa]

Thanks for your replies. I plan on seasoning it with some Harleys texas style bbq seasoning at let it sit overnight before putting it on the smoker. We want this for an evening meal so if I start it 8am would I be fine or should I start earlier maybe later. And also high heat or low and slow?

 

[fred nevill]

Howdy from BV county Mike. I have used the Walmart flats many times while practicing for comps. They are ok with fat on them but in my opinion not enough for high heat. I prefer to do mine at 250* and wrap "around"165* internal. I am not exact with this because I usually am going more for time than temp on both my flats and my packers. Another suggestion I would make is to inject the WM flats with something especially beef broth. I say this only because while they are ok pieces of meat, they are not the highest quality(best we can get in storm Lake though) and with the trimmed fat, these flats have a tendency to dry up some.

There are a few members from the Storm Lake area on here, though with comps going on some of us are hit and miss I myself will be in Emmetsburg today and tomorrow, get to know us and any time you have questions I bet a couple of us have tried stuff at least once.

 

[Chris in Louisiana]

You have what Meathead calls a HOF, for Hunk O' Flat. I'd do it low temp, wrap at 150 to 160, and go to around 190. Test the meat with a fork or probe to see when it is tender. Let it rest quite a while. Be sure to slice across the grain or you slices will be tough.

The best directions, with pics on slicing and all is at http://www.amazingribs.com/recipes/beef/texas_brisket.html

 

[Mike from Iowa]

Howdy from BV county Mike. I have used the Walmart flats many times while practicing for comps. They are ok with fat on them but in my opinion not enough for high heat. I prefer to do mine at 250* and wrap "around"165* internal. I am not exact with this because I usually am going more for time than temp on both my flats and my packers. Another suggestion I would make is to inject the WM flats with something especially beef broth. I say this only because while they are ok pieces of meat, they are not the highest quality(best we can get in storm Lake though) and with the trimmed fat, these flats have a tendency to dry up some.

There are a few members from the Storm Lake area on here, though with comps going on some of us are hit and miss I myself will be in Emmetsburg today and tomorrow, get to know us and any time you have questions I bet a couple of us have tried stuff at least once.

sorry for the slow reply here. I prepared the brisket as you suggested by injecting with beef broth and using harleys seasoning salt . Slow cooked to 165 and then foil to 190, let it rest for an hour in a cooler. It turned out delicous, in fact I think I will be hard pressed to make one that tasty again.