Cook's Illustrated Disinformation ...


 

C. Howlett

TVWBB Super Fan
KCTS Channel 9
5:00 p.m., 8/25/07
America's Test Kitchen (Cook's Illustrated TV)
BRISKET!!!

<span class="ev_code_BLUE">Barbecued Beef Brisket For a Charcoal Grill

The Problem: The main reason it's so hard to cook brisket (which a lot of people know only in its "corned" form, as it's eaten on St. Patrick's Day) is that it starts out as a very tough cut of meat. It's also big, sometimes weighing upward of 13 pounds, which is why most butchers separate it into two cuts: the "point" (which is the fattier of the two pieces) and the "flat" (which because it is leaner is also a little tougher).

The Goal: In researching recipes for barbecued brisket, we found cooks could agree on one thing: slow cooking (for as many as 6 to 12 hours) and low cooking (250 degrees was the norm) for the purpose of tenderizing. That seemed like a lot of time. We wanted to figure out a way to make cooking this potentially delicious cut of meat less daunting and less time-consuming.

The Solution: We weren't able to get the total cooking time below six hours, but we were able to make the job easier on the cook. Essentially, we cheated, cooking the meat over the grill for two hours to let in those all-important smoky flavors, then moving it to the oven, where it would have to cook for three or so more hours but could be left unattended. This may not satisfy barbecue purists, but it did sate our desire for a tender and tasty piece of brisket.

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The Equipment Corner component DID NOT include the WSM in their "best of" charcoal grill review. They selected the Bar B Chef Charcoal Grill at $500.
 
I do NOT defend anyone who puts their brisket in the oven except in case of emergency - BUT some folks here have been cooking brisket High & Fast in the smoker - with luck we'll here from them shortly.

I've only done it low & slow
 
I've done both and gotta say high heat (on the WSM, of course) is what I have come to prefer. Less of a bark but far worth it for all the other positives.

I had to pull 2 large briskets off of the smoker due to heavy run about 2 weeks ago. I wound up finishing them off in the oven, tightly tented with plenty of their own juices in the foil. Can't say they came out that bad....

You also have to realize the ATK looks to put out recipes that do not take as long as their classic counterparts yet still capture the essence of the dish.
 
Holy (heh) Smokes, Chris! <span class="ev_code_RED">9 minutes</span> response time to my query! As always, you and this site rock!
 
Where is the "disinformation" you talk about? It seems more like you just disagree with them
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Ed Jones:
Where is the "disinformation" you talk about? It seems more like you just disagree with them
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YES I disagree with them and I hope they burn in...!

Oops, wrong thread. Sorry!

I take issue with the equipment corner recommendation of a comparatively substandard and expensive product. I can't believe with the prevalence of the WSM, ATK didn't include it in their product comparisons. I can live with the ATK desire to make cooking faster, cheaper and more delicious, but Chris Kimball had a swing and a miss on this one, IMHO. I think very highly of ATK so I took it a bit personally. Mea Culpa.
 
They didn't include the WSM in their charcoal grill review because the WSM is not a charcoal grill. They had the kettle for that, which while it did not win (their main complaint was that the lid would not fit on with a large turkey on the grill), did pretty well.

You'll also notice for all their shows involving grilling they're always using the kettle, not the Bar B Chef.

Plus I think I even remember Chris saying he has a kettle at home for quite some time. Made some remark about getting the Bar B Chef when the kettle rusts out. I'm not holding my breath on that one
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