4lb brisket flat.... questions?


 
T

TimO

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I smoked a 4lb brisket flat on Sunday. I used Old Bay Seasoning and did the high temp method. The flavor turned out great but my only question is how to get a good crust or bark on the outside? I'm not sure if I'm using to much seasoning or if I need to change my process. I foiled at 160 and pulled it at 195. Any ideas? Thanks
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Getting good bark with the "HH and foiled at 160" method is hard as it is, but that's really another discussion.

Your main issue is that you are putting on the rub right before you put the meat on the pit, and the picture shows that clearly.

If I'm gonna rub the meat right before cooking, I'm gonna let the meat sit out a little so the rub will start soaking in easier. Some folks start with a light sprinkling of salt (kosher, pref.) on first, and this draws moisture to the surface to absorb the rub. You want the meat to have a wet look to it before putting on the cooker, not like you just poured the seasoning on. This takes a little time, especially if you're not gonna let the meat lose it's chill before putting on the pit. (Rub the meat hours in advance if you're concerned about the smoke ring.)
 
Great advice, I will give that a try next time. I'm always putting on extra seasoning right before it goes on which probably another part of my problem.
 
Originally posted by TimO:
Will the brisket dry out if I do it at regular temps? Should I still foil at 160?
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Briskets, like other meats, will dry out if overcooked. Don't get locked into 160 for foiling small flats. Foil when the meat has good color. Small flats can benefit from foiling in the 150's.JMO. Larger flats may give you better smoked brisket, say 7-8 lbs. Again, JMO, but I'm not sold on letting the brisket sit out while the smoker comes up to a temp. I season right before loading the meat, and get a nice bark. After the foiling period, I put the brisket back on unfoiled to firm up that bark. Loading the meat cold gets me a nicer smoke ring, which I like, than I used to get when I let the meat sit out. It's all about what you as an individual like.
 
Dave/G is right, foil when you like the color. Also when doing HH or low n slow with foil take out of the foil right before tender (temps are false in foil) and put back on the pit till tender, this will reform your bark!
 
Tim, see the difference in your pic and Glen's when the flats first went on the pit? Glen's wanting a good smoke ring, so I wouldn't have advised leaving his out any more, but you get the idea.

For one thing, I wouldn't go near as thick with rub on a flat as I would with a low-n-slow whole brisket. I don't know the hows and whys, but you want the meat to look like the rub has acted as a marinade before it goes on the pit. I don't necessarily need bark on ribs or brisket flats, but I don't want to end up with a mushy layer of seasoning on the meat when it's all over, either. (Yes, I admit it. I like the texture of low-n-slow whole packer brisket better, and only do HH flats when they're at a super low price at Kroger.)
 
Tim, see the difference in your pic and Glen's when the flats first went on the pit? Glen's wanting a good smoke ring, so I wouldn't have advised leaving his out any more, but you get the idea.
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Not sure what you mean.

When doing: shoulders, briskets, ribs, etc... I put them on cold for flavor. The longer the meat stays in the smoke at come up temp the more flavor from smoke wood is absorbed until the outside of the meat reaches 140 degrees. A direct result is a smoke ring but not what I'm after alone, although it looks good. As I said I like a little bark on the flat, but if too much it seems bitter/ tough.
 
Originally posted by Dave Russell:
Your main issue is that you are putting on the rub right before you put the meat on the pit, and the picture shows that clearly.

If I'm gonna rub the meat right before cooking, I'm gonna let the meat sit out a little so the rub will start soaking in easier. Some folks start with a light sprinkling of salt (kosher, pref.) on first, and this draws moisture to the surface to absorb the rub. You want the meat to have a wet look to it before putting on the cooker, not like you just poured the seasoning on. This takes a little time, especially if you're not gonna let the meat lose it's chill before putting on the pit. (Rub the meat hours in advance if you're concerned about the smoke ring.)
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A few years back, I met a caterer/bbq competitor who told me not to rub the meat the day/night before. He said an old pitmaster had given him the tip of letting the meat lose it's chill before rubbing the seasoning on, and that you didn't need to do it hours in advance. You just let the meat lose it's chill and you don't need to slather with mustard or anything else before rubbing.

Obviously, here in TN, pork shoulder is king, and we're not worried about a smoke ring. If you want the thickest smoke ring though, rub hours in advance, then refrigerate til cooking. Of course, you can use a thin slather of mustard or something to get the rub to take to the meat better/quicker if it's cold. When the meat's really cold, it does take more charcoal and time to get the cooker up to temp, though, especially if you fill it up as I always seem to do.

My main point though was that the proper way to use a rub isn't to simply pour it on the meat on it's way from the fridge to the cooker. It looked on my monitor that Tim could've just poured a can of Old Bay on the flat right before he put the wsm lid on. I will say that there's MUCH worse mistakes, though. I bet Tim's never made a rack of ribs practically inedible with a garlic mop and bad smoke!
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(My wife will never let me forget that!)
 
You might have to hunt for one, but try a whole one next time. They're much better bbq candidates. I get mine at a Sam's club, but local markets can get them for you as well.
 
My main point though was that the proper way to use a rub isn't to simply pour it on the meat on it's way from the fridge to the cooker.
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Why not? I see no reason not to do exactly that - which is why I do pretty much exactly that. I salt first, as you know, wait a few minutes, then apply saltless rub over the salt - then immediately into the cooker it goes. I do not want the meat to 'lose its chill'

No need to rub 'hours in advance' to get a good smokering. I rub nothing in advance - including shoulders, on which I get great rings.

TimO, I would suggest using something less homogeneously fine - something with a little texture - and/or simply add some sugar to your rub.

Bark with texture, on a brisket cooked >350, with foiling:

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Originally posted by K Kruger:
My main point though was that the proper way to use a rub isn't to simply pour it on the meat on it's way from the fridge to the cooker.
Click to expand...
Why not? I see no reason not to do exactly that - which is why I do pretty much exactly that. I salt first, as you know, wait a few minutes, then apply saltless rub over the salt - then immediately into the cooker it goes. I do not want the meat to 'lose its chill' "
"No need to rub 'hours in advance' to get a good smokering. I rub nothing in advance - including shoulders, on which I get great rings. [/QUOTE]

I never knew that having the rub take to the meat before putting it on the pit had anything to do with the smoke ring. Harry Soo calls it letting the rub "sweat into the meat", and suggests sticking it back into the fridge for an hour to do so. I just read and was taught that was the way to do it years ago, and it seems that the times I was in too big of a hurry that I didn't get as good bark. Isn't this why some folks use mustard first, anyway? To help the rub take to the meat quicker?

Regardless, if you see no need in waiting, why wait a few minutes to rub after salting? The salt quickly draws moisture to the surface to help the rub take, right?
 
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