Brisket guidance for a rookie

[Jim McKelvey]

Hello all –

I cooked a brisket flat over the weekend – my first brisket. It came out “ok” – but based on all that I hear, read, etc, “OK” means there is a lot of room for improvement. Here are the particulars:

4lb choice brisket, pretty even thickness across the entire piece of meat. Very small (a little bigger than a baseball card )fat cap left untrimmed.

Seasoned with brisket rub from Weber Smoke (off the top of my head, ancho chile, salt, pepper, cumin, all spice, brown sugar) 12 hours prior to loading on the WSM, wrapped in plastic and placed in fridge overnight.

Smoked with KB, 1 piece hickory, 2 pieces apple, 225-240 and foiled with Stubb’s beef marinade after 3 ½ hours, internal 155. Raised temp to 300 and pulled at 192 – good tenderness (but not like a pork butt).

Tented for 15 mins and foiled for an hour while rest of dinner was being pulled together

The meat was juicy upon slicing, medium tenderness and a thin, but defined smoke ring. Quickly dried out once sliced. Flavor was average – but seems liked Stubb’s overwhelmed. It wasn’t bad – but I am not exactly itching for my next brisket cook.

I’m assuming I can do better…any suggestions on what I might different next time?

Jim

 

[Jeff R]

Sounds like you did everything right for a small flat. It is my experience that brisket dries quickly after slicing. I dip the each sliced piece in the foil drippings just before plateing.

Did you test for tenderness prior to pulling. I ask because 192 is usually a little low before being tender. Especially taking that reading from a foiled piece. My last was around 199-200 and I think it could have gone a tad more after slicing

Just remember to use temp as a gauge and a probe to determine when done

 

[Jim McKelvey]

Thanks for your thoughts Jeff - I was really nervous about overcooking!

I was thinking about also trying a more basic rub - Wife and I are very fond of basic K salt, pepper, cumin and adobo on beef. Maybe add some rosemary, sort of going for a prime rib like crust. Anyone try something like this on brisket?

 

[Daniel Nova]

That was my experience too when I did my first brisket last weekend, it was a small flat too. I just saved the drippings and poured some over after slicing and life was good.

 

[Bob Sample]

If it "bled" a lot when you cut it it needed to rest a little longer. Use the flavours you personally like on whatever you cook; on beef I like pepper, salt, garlic and a bit of heat. From your description of doneness I suspect it needed to cook a little longer go by probe tender and not by temperature when determining if it is done.

Dry and tough = underdone
tender and juicy= heaven
tender(crumbly when sliced) and dry= overcooked, as long as it rested long enough before slicing.

 

[Scott B (nj)]

Flats are pretty dry by nature, but it also sounds like you didnt rest for long enough.