First Brisket - mostly a success! (pics too)


 

Neil

New member
Friday night 12lb (after some trimming) packer put on the smoker @ 10:30. Used ye olde minion method and kept temps in the 230-255 range. Did basic rub of salt, fresh ground black pepper,garlic powder, paprika, and turbinado sugar for food measure.

Pulled her off the smoker when she hit 183 degrees internally - which was at 5:30 pm the next day! Jeez that was a long cook. Definitely fork tender. I let it sit for 45 mins in foil on my kitchen counter.

Smoke flavor was perfect and it was yummy as heck. My only issues were with my poor slicing skills and my inability to tell the flat from the point before slicing it apart. Any particular knife you guys recommend? My local favorite brisket place uses a long knife that looks similar to a icing spreader.

Also, the bark was very, very tender. I thought it (the bark) would have some bite to it.

In the end, I thought it was a great success. I only wished I had cooked two and had a foodsaver for the 2nd.

See here for pics.

Pictures!
 
Neil, nice pics of the cook. Brisket looks great.
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As far as slicing I love this knife for slicing meat thin and even. Link to a great slicing knife.
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Very nice Neil. I think yours turned out better than mine. My 10 pounder took 16 hours but I cooked it until the thickest portion of the flat was at 190. The thinner sections were almost 200.

What did you serve it with? Did you add BBQ sauce or horseradish on the side?

How much was your Brisket per pound? I paid $1.99 per pound for a non-Choice cut. Great job.
 
I second the knife posting on the previous post. Excellent choice for a brisky knife. Seems a little long for a 12 lb brisky though. May want to double check temp at grate level? Did you wrap at 165 or cook it straight to 185? At 260 or so I cook a 12 lb right at 50 min a lb or so. I pull at 195.
 
I also cooked my first brisket last weekend. I used lump, started at 9pm. I think my fire ran hot during the night because mine was done at 9am(and I mean well done). I think I am going to do 2 flats from now on, the point is too fatty for my tastes.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">the point is too fatty for my tastes. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
But that makes the point perfect for other stuff--chili, taquitos, stews--as all of these require the point to be cooked further (more rendering of fat). Just a thought.

Looked great Neil.
 
Jeff: I served it with Hill Country sauce (a local bbq place here in nyc). Also made some mashed potatoes at the request of family members. The brisket was a choice cut and I paid $2.49/lb from Fairway.

Gary: I wonder if I took too many peeks at the brisket to see its progression. It was definitely a long cook. I cooked it straight through to 185 and then wrapped it (loosely) to let the juices settle.
 
Neil,
Brisket looks great, love that smoke ring. Curious as to how many chuncks/kind, of wood you might have used for a long cook like that ?
I seam to have a problem deciding how much wood to use to get the right amount of smoke. I'm no expert by any means, but those pictures look very very good to me. Thanks John
 
I know its difficult not to peek...everytime you do you are increasing the time, and throwing a curve ball at the temp. When I only have brisket on, I lift the lid once...that is to wrap at 165. No need to mop, this and that, let that steam, juices do its magic.
 
Chad, you will find the end product much better cooking the whole packer. The point aids the flat through the cook. I always cut that BIG vein of fat between the flat and point. It goes down like 90% of the meat. You can make burnt ends w/ the flat or chop if its cooked right. Makes excellent stuff.
 
John F
I used (if I remember correctly)4 chunks of cherry and 2 chunks of hickory. Smoke flavor was just right.

Bryan & Gary
That is the same knife that google led me to after I did an exhaustive search. It does look perfect. Maybe a bday gift to myself in March.

Anyone have a recipe for the Alabama white sauce w/ horseradish? I've seen it mentioned a few times... and well... my interest is piqued!
 
Wow, internal of 183. It came out ok like that?

I took mine to 205 internal this past weekend and it was perfect. Previously lower internal temps have left me with tough meat.
 
Thanks for the recipes, Rita.

Lucius, 183 is dead on. Mind you it was in the smoker for a LONG time. If it were in for a shorter period I would have pulled it out when it hit 190ish.
 

 

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