190 degrees F for an L&S Brisket?


 
M

Mache

TVWBB Fan
I bought Zak Placcio's Eat With Your Hands and want to try his brisket recipe that he serves at his Fatty 'Cue restaurant in Brooklyn, NY. His recipe wants you to smoke the brisket at 190 degrees F. I have always used 225 degrees F as my pit set point for L&S briskets and wanted some comments on this new lower temperature.

The recipe has a basic dry rub with a wet paste on top (coconut milk, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, shallots, and spices all pureed together). He then has you marinate in the refrigerator for several days.

I have a WSM with a HeaterMeter ATC and the brisket that I am using weighs 16.25 pounds. At my usual brisket set point of 225 degrees F, I would assume a time of between one hour and one hour twenty minutes per pound for a total time of between sixteen hours fifteen minutes and twenty-one hours and forty minutes.

I would love some thoughts on this new lower temperature set point of 190 degrees F.

Do you believe it will produce a better product and what do you think the time ranges will be?

Thanks,

-- Mache
 
Interesting concept since the trend seems to be moving towards higher temps.
I think it will depend a lot on the grade of brisket. Theorectically you'll never get the meat higher than 190° which, unless it's a Waygu, will likely still be a little tough. Just my thought.
 
There is nothing in the recipe about Waygu grade meat. I bought a run of the mill USDA Choice packer.

-- Mache
 
I have read somewere in the past about folks cooking in the 190-200F temp range and it being a "Texas secret" or some such. I think it will cook fine at that temp and get perfectly tender. I just think it will take a good bit more time to get there. In that regard, I see no benefit to cooking that low. 225-250 is a perfect temp range for low and slow brisket.
 
I cook brisket in a pit barrel at around 280 where it wants to run. Best brisket i ever eat,less dry and more flaver. hope this helps.
 
It can be done, but you'll be warming it to death.

Back when I first started BBQing, I did a pork butt at 200F. It took 24 hours to get done. At 190F it would have taken even longer.
 
Given that my HeaterMeter was unable to maintain 190F (I have a very old, early 1990s, WSM and the door leaks like crazy - I am thinking about a new Cajun Bandit door with a Nomex gasket) the cook averaged around 200F with some spikes up and down. I am also thinking of putting in a ball check valve to cut down on convection air coming in from the blower. Bottom line for me was that after 21 hours and 4 hours before we were scheduled to eat I was at 150F internal temp at the end of the flat. I double foiled it and put it in the oven at 300F. It came out OK but the flat was a little dry. I have been doing briskets for a while at 225F and have not been foiling. I believe those days are at an end with this 16.25 lb choice packer and for future L&S briskets will be using 225F and foiling at the stall to get more moisture in my finished packers.

Thanks to all for your suggestions,

-- Mache
 
Thanks for posting your results, I was curious as to how it turned out.
Also, I usually add liquid of some kind when I foil. Can't say for sure it helps, but in my mind it does. :confused:
 
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