After a few years now, I finally feel comfortable firing up a brisket, confident that I will find the results palatable. Now I find the more I think of it, how easily the taste of one brisket varies so differently from the next. And I'm not speaking of spice, seasoning or smoke, since I have essentially always used a mix of apple and oak for smoke, a very similar spice rub, and only once dabbled in using FAB.
What I am reflecting on tonight, after having some diced up point from my latest cook, is that the unfortunate fact that this brisket, unlike some of the others I have made, really lacks a beefy flavor. I gave up even eating the small bowl I had prepared half way through, because all I could taste was my spice rub and bark, along with a slight smoke. The way I look at it, those things should only serve to underline the flavor of the meat itself. But honestly, in this cook ( mind you this one was a prime grade) there just isn't any flavor to it. I might as well have smoked tofu, or styrofoam.
Does anyone else notice that the pure flavor of their beef is lacking sometimes, or varies from cook to cook, despite same prep and methods?
My thoughts always seemed to assume that the flavor was originating with the meat fibers themselves, with the lip-smacking texture coming by way of the rendered connective tissue. With some good fat rounding out both a bit of flavor and texture, we're supposed to end up with delicious.
What I am reflecting on tonight, after having some diced up point from my latest cook, is that the unfortunate fact that this brisket, unlike some of the others I have made, really lacks a beefy flavor. I gave up even eating the small bowl I had prepared half way through, because all I could taste was my spice rub and bark, along with a slight smoke. The way I look at it, those things should only serve to underline the flavor of the meat itself. But honestly, in this cook ( mind you this one was a prime grade) there just isn't any flavor to it. I might as well have smoked tofu, or styrofoam.
Does anyone else notice that the pure flavor of their beef is lacking sometimes, or varies from cook to cook, despite same prep and methods?
My thoughts always seemed to assume that the flavor was originating with the meat fibers themselves, with the lip-smacking texture coming by way of the rendered connective tissue. With some good fat rounding out both a bit of flavor and texture, we're supposed to end up with delicious.