Brisket HELP!!

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Hello everyone,

I've been using my Bullet for a couple years now with varied success. One thing I have not got right is the brisket.

I've followed quite a few recipes with no success.
I've since started to practice on smaller 2-3 lb briskets. Flat cut with descent fat cap.
Still no luck. The meat is still very tough and chewy.
How long should I smoke a 2 lb brisket? I tried 4-5 hrs with 2 lbs and good temps with no luck.
Should I go longer? Wrap in foil? Cook lower (200-225)?
Someone please help!

Thanks!
 
Hi,
I have done the following with great repeatable success. Regardless of size.

Fat side down 220°-225°
Cook to 160°. Double wrap with foil and some beef broth mixed with a little worcestershire sauce. Back on the smoker cook to 190°.

Place in a pre-heated dry cooler for 2 to 4 hours. 4 is best.

Slice and enjoy.

Al
 
We really need detail on what your doing.

Time in cooker doesn't have much to do with anything. It's internal temp. You need to let the meat rest after cooking.

I cook at 225-250º. Cook until meat reaches 190º Wrap in foil and let it REST not cook in oven/cooler for an hour.
 
Mark,

If its tough and chewy, theres good chance that you haven't cooked it to a high enough temperature. It needs to be around 190 or so, but even that doesn't mean it'll be tender, it may need to go higher even. A thermometer inserted into the flat (across the grain was a suggestion made to me once) should glide in and out easily.

Foil as Al has suggested should help maintain moistness.

I have no experience cooking pieces of brisket that small. Seems like they'd be subject to drying a bit.

One final thought, make sure your slicing across the grain of the meat. Sometimes the way the smaller pieces are cut can lead you astray.
 
Mark--

Skip the small brisket flats while you're experimenting. You can make them work (Al's suggestion is a good one) but it is easier, imo, to get your approach down using larger cuts and then scale accordingly from there.

It is very rare that I cook a flat of any size (I much prefer packers) but if you want to work with flats go for larger, not smaller. Get one that has not been trimmed to death and do not cook by time at all--cook by internal temp. Thicker flats are better than thin ones. Cooker temp can be 225-245 at the grate level (I've cooked packers at much higher temps with no trouble.)

If the flat seems like it lacks internal marbling foiling can be a good idea and 160-165 is a good temp for that. If the flat seems to have some good marbling you can foil at 170. A liquid addition is up to you as is foiling in the first place. Foiling can be helpful for small or thin or less-than-well-marbled flats (as can a beef stock addition) but it is not carved in stone.

'Tough and chewy' usually means undercooked. I shoot for the upper 180s to the lower 190s for a finish temp, depending on the cut I'm cooking.

Definitely wrap and rest.

Good luck.
 
Thanks for your tips guys!

So I'm not over cooking it right? I should just keep it going longer? What would happen if you over cook it?

I started off smoking 10-12 lb briskets, but that's a lot of $$ wasted when it never turns out right.

Sorry for all the questions, I'm just tired of these failures and decided it was time to ask the pros!

Thanks again!
 
Regarding Al's post...

I was always told to smoke the brisket fat side up. Is it different because I'm using such small cuts? Or is this true for all briskets?
 
Mark,

No I don't think your overcooking. Overcooking would likely result in the meat falling apart and would also be dry.
 
Mark, like I said before, tell us what you are doing. Otherwise were just guessing what your problems are.
 
There is lots of good advice here. Being "done" is as much about how easy it is to stick the thermometer probe in the meat as the temperature reading. As you've found out it's possible to get Brisket to temp and it still being tough. Tough Brisket is solved by giving the connective tissue time to break down even if the internal temperature has been reached. A full packer cut 10 lbs. plus will stay hot enough to do the job if placed in a small dry cooler and let it sit for a few hours. For a single flat I'd foil it and keep the smoker real low like 200f or cheat and use an oven. It's done cooking when it's tender.

Screwing up a Brisket is using too much smoke.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Mark Gutierrez:
Regarding Al's post...

I was always told to smoke the brisket fat side up. Is it different because I'm using such small cuts? Or is this true for all briskets? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
The fatcap up/down issue is moot however many of us (not all) feel that cap down is the way to go because the cap protects the underside of the cut from direct heat. The fat in fatcaps is not of the type that will melt into the interior of the meat (though a little may baste the sides it is negligible, imo).

Try cap down for the cook but rest cap up and see what you think.
 
Mark
Connective tissue needs time to breakdown, when cooking 10 pound plus briskets time can be used as a guide but when you cook a 2 or 3 pound brisket, time can not be used as a guide at all.

The internal in a finished brisket will be in a range from mid 180s plus (depends on cooking method and grade of the brisket)

If you are going to continue to cook small briskets you need to use internal as a guide but feel is the final test.
Jim
 
Thanks guys, again, for all your help. My confidence is re-kindled and I am going to jump back on.

If I can get a small brisket to turn out ok, then I'm going back to the whole briskets.

Thanks again!

If anyone has anymore tips and/or opinions, please share

Thanks

\m/
 
You might want to consider working with whole briskets first--think about it anyway. Though not 'forgiving' like butt, whole brisket is more forgiving than flats, particularly small flats, because the point has significantly more internal marbling than the flat which helps the flat, especially the part that's closest to it.
 
Mark,

I started cooking briskets in my weber kettle using a raichlen recipe. He suggests putting the brisket in a foil roasting pan, fat cap up.

This protects the bottom of the brisket and simmers the bottom of the meat a bit. I suppose the downside is that the bottom of the meat isn't exposed to smoke but I've had wonderful results in the wsm with this approach.
 
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