Choice Brisket problem

[Bob Hunter]

Normaly I buy my Bridket from Smart and Final, and over the years I have been forced to buy Select cuts. I have que'd these cuts low and slow 225°-250° and have been very successful, with everyone very pleased with outcome.

For smokeday I found a pair of Choice Brisket mixed in with the Selects at my local Smart and Final, and figured great! I followed my normal routine prepping and smoking them. I pulled them at an internal temp of 190° and they seemed to be fine with the fork test. However once they cooled and I began to slice the flat / pull the point, I found that the meat was mushy, and had to pull all of it, and the point meat was horribly greasey and just plain yuck.

I guess my question is; Do I have to monitor a Choice cut earlier? Do I need to do something different with Choice cuts? I just don't know what went wrong with this cook.

Very frustrated!

 

[Steve Whiting]

Good question Bob. I have never thought that they would cook differently but maybe the Choice, being a "better" cut might have more marbled fat and therefore reach doneness sooner? anyone with experience want to chime in?

 

[George Curtis]

i just did a smart and final brisket. i didn't pay attention to what it was. it came out great for me. i cooked it at high heat averaging about 350f and pulled it at 198 int temp. it did seem a bit greasier than normal but it sure was soft and good.

 

[CullenJ]

Choice is all my meat market carries, so it's all I've ever cooked. I always cook the briskets to 200 internal, with my WSM at 225-240 temps, and the flat is just a shade overdone (the way my wife likes). If I pulled at 190, I'm sure they'd be closer to the "ideal" doneness.

However, I do find the point to always be unpalatably fatty (except the burn ends). Last time I put it back on the cooker for a bit and rendered out a little more of that fat and it was much better.

I doubt it was the grade and would chock it up to that particular brisky.