Brisket Q
- Thread starter Jay Lopa
- Start date
Dan H.
TVWBB Pro
your on the right track i'de say. Except that w/ each cut there finished at different internal temperatures, i've found they become tender most generally between about 185-195, but sometimes not till 210's! I use to try to rest for like 2 hours but i've found results to be the same after an hour and sometimes in a rush I just hack into it after 30 minutes. Im always trying to figure these things out and one thing i've never read, that i've noticed is that after the 170's range (internal) they begin to look dry and look like they've had enough, but if you hang in there, all at once they'll come back to life and start looking moist again, I'm totally guessing and have no idea but I began thinking that was those fibers inside finally breaking down and releasing moisture somehow. I do know that somehow the moisture you get at the end result (the juicy moist, tender we all hope for) is somehow inside the meat, not really much to do w/ fat or anything. I cant back any of this up, sorry lol. But just a few things i've noticed.
You do cook till tender correct,and not a temperature in paticular? If it makes you feel better sometimes the briskits i've cooked have never really hit that room temp butter stage when you poke em'. I found that out the hard way, (although I dont have this problem often at all). The only thing I watch as far as that goes is that if its past 190 (internal) and it appears "juicy/moist" (but NOT tender) by looking I stick w/ it and let it cook, but lets say im checking every half hour for tender and so the next trip down I see its 194 (internal) and appears to be drying out BUT still NOT tender like room temp butter, im personally going to yank it off and only rest it like 30 minutes completely uncovered. (so it cooks as little as possible from the carry-over heat).
Im no pro at all but ussually they turn out plenty good enough to eat. Generally what will happen is they will hit that tender mark SOMETIME?.?... i've only had a few strange stubborn ones.
When you get that tenderness feel down, then you can pull it off just before what you think is tender as so the carry over can finish it just like you stated, I try to do this often but it can be a tough call for me at least. Then again its close enough for me, you wont hurt it any,
.
* oh ya and they often shake around like jello when there good and done, lol. hope that helps a bit.
You do cook till tender correct,and not a temperature in paticular? If it makes you feel better sometimes the briskits i've cooked have never really hit that room temp butter stage when you poke em'. I found that out the hard way, (although I dont have this problem often at all). The only thing I watch as far as that goes is that if its past 190 (internal) and it appears "juicy/moist" (but NOT tender) by looking I stick w/ it and let it cook, but lets say im checking every half hour for tender and so the next trip down I see its 194 (internal) and appears to be drying out BUT still NOT tender like room temp butter, im personally going to yank it off and only rest it like 30 minutes completely uncovered. (so it cooks as little as possible from the carry-over heat).
Im no pro at all but ussually they turn out plenty good enough to eat. Generally what will happen is they will hit that tender mark SOMETIME?.?... i've only had a few strange stubborn ones.
When you get that tenderness feel down, then you can pull it off just before what you think is tender as so the carry over can finish it just like you stated, I try to do this often but it can be a tough call for me at least. Then again its close enough for me, you wont hurt it any,
* oh ya and they often shake around like jello when there good and done, lol. hope that helps a bit.
Dave Hutson
TVWBB Super Fan
That brisket will be perfectly "safe" to eat at 130 degrees internal. Good luck chewing it though! Do not confuse brisket with prime rib, or chuck roast. Some beef would be rediculously overdone at 195 degrees. NOT BRISKET!!!!! This is the pectoral muscle of a cow that used that muscle to get up off the ground, and to haul itself up hills. This may be one of the toughest two cuts on the animal (other being flank/skirt steak.) Trust the advice here. 195 is NOT overdone on a brisket. Also, do not expect the temp to rise 20 or 30 degrees AFTER you take it off the pit!!!! Woodman
Dave Hutson
TVWBB Super Fan
I wrap when the internal temp is between 160-170 degrees.
Gary Michael
TVWBB Pro
I do not like to wrap brisket, I like a killer bark. Why braise the brisky? I can see if your times are off but..thats about it.
Dan H.
TVWBB Pro
I dont foil ever, lately, i'de say to try it both ways and see what you think. Dave probably cooks a lot more then me cause I seen his ungodly big smokin' rig, lol
. I guess I feel it hurts my precious bark, (this can be fixed i've read by placing it on a gasser, or back on the smoker unfoiled to firm it up a bit, but im worthless lazy,
)
* ^ precisly what gary said, we posted nearly the same time. EVENING GARY! how we doin?! lol.
* ^ precisly what gary said, we posted nearly the same time. EVENING GARY! how we doin?! lol.
Gary Michael
TVWBB Pro
Hey Dan, Im glad there are other non-wrappers out there
I have learned A LOT over the past few years of Q-ing. I only cook choice or CAB, I have a great supplier where I can get CAB for a great price. When you start w/ quality meat, there is no need to braise/steam your food...if you want to wrap it in foil, you mind as well use your oven. If you are just starting out, wrapping is a great crutch. I'll admit I use to do it..but w/ more experience, and many more briskys later..I now realize it was a waste of foil.
Dave Hutson
TVWBB Super Fan
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Gary Michael:
Hey Dan, Im glad there are other non-wrappers out there
I have learned A LOT over the past few years of Q-ing. I only cook choice or CAB, I have a great supplier where I can get CAB for a great price. When you start w/ quality meat, there is no need to braise/steam your food...if you want to wrap it in foil, you mind as well use your oven. If you are just starting out, wrapping is a great crutch. I'll admit I use to do it..but w/ more experience, and many more briskys later..I now realize it was a waste of foil. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
With all due respect, wrapping a brisket after 6-8 hours in smoke is nothing like cooking in the oven! Three points(no pun intended): 1)for a beginner, it is VERY helpful to wrap to gain some consistency . Everybody here talks about how "different" each brisket cooks. I always have trouble understanding this because I don't see that as much. I always foil so, I think that is somewhat of an equalizer. 2) The liquid collagen , juice, and fat that holds in the foil is INVALUABLE when serving, holding, reheating brisket. I cannot imagine NOT having this nectar. I will trade bark for liquid EVERY day of the week. I have people raving about the demi glace like liquid in the bottom of the serving pan every time I serve. 3) If you are cooking and holding multiple briskets, and you need to hold them, foil is a necessary thing. Now I will admit, that with butts, I prefer not foiling, because the bark is more important on them IMHO. I am not knocking those who do not foil, but I know alot of people who have cooked literally thousands of briskets who swear by foil! It has NOTHING to do with experience.
Hey Dan, Im glad there are other non-wrappers out there
With all due respect, wrapping a brisket after 6-8 hours in smoke is nothing like cooking in the oven! Three points(no pun intended): 1)for a beginner, it is VERY helpful to wrap to gain some consistency . Everybody here talks about how "different" each brisket cooks. I always have trouble understanding this because I don't see that as much. I always foil so, I think that is somewhat of an equalizer. 2) The liquid collagen , juice, and fat that holds in the foil is INVALUABLE when serving, holding, reheating brisket. I cannot imagine NOT having this nectar. I will trade bark for liquid EVERY day of the week. I have people raving about the demi glace like liquid in the bottom of the serving pan every time I serve. 3) If you are cooking and holding multiple briskets, and you need to hold them, foil is a necessary thing. Now I will admit, that with butts, I prefer not foiling, because the bark is more important on them IMHO. I am not knocking those who do not foil, but I know alot of people who have cooked literally thousands of briskets who swear by foil! It has NOTHING to do with experience.
Al Silverman
TVWBB Pro
I agree with Dave 1000%. Bark does not add much to brisket like it does with pulled pork. It always softens during slicing and serving anyway. And there is nothing that tastes better than the juices (nectar is a great description)that collect in the foil. Especially when mixed with some BBQ sauce.
I have cooked and sold alot of briskets and the one thing that is paramount is consistancy of the cooked product.IMHO You don't want to ever wonder if the meat is going to be tender or tough. It has to be a no-brainer kind of thing. Can't be a "How am I going to cook the meat this time?" Customers want the product to be the same every time they get it. I believe that using foil and cooking until tender, rather than by temp, guarantees consistancy.
Al
I have cooked and sold alot of briskets and the one thing that is paramount is consistancy of the cooked product.IMHO You don't want to ever wonder if the meat is going to be tender or tough. It has to be a no-brainer kind of thing. Can't be a "How am I going to cook the meat this time?" Customers want the product to be the same every time they get it. I believe that using foil and cooking until tender, rather than by temp, guarantees consistancy.
Al
Dave Hutson
TVWBB Super Fan
That is what I do too Al, half sauce, half juice, slice the brisket and lay it out in the liquid.
Dan H.
TVWBB Pro
we should just get together and eat till were so full we blow! I like all the different styles. I did use to foil and like you described you can save a lot more juices/"nectar",
. I just started not foiling till rest, and w/ an hour rest I still have enough, but not as much of course. What i'de really like is to live somehwere where bbq was more of a popular thing/way of life, and then compare to that. Any joint around here is easily beaten compared to my own (which of course makes me feel special, lol.) As I said you cook a load more at a time then me and I admire what your saying, even though your a bass player,
! One of the biggest things i've learned (i should put this in the tvwb knowledge archives in "just conversation" thread) is to try all kinds of things/ways (which could easily take over a year) and do what works best for you, and do it to your liking.
Dave Hutson
TVWBB Super Fan
No problem you "guitard!"