First Brisket


 
R

Robert Maze

New member
Well I cooked my first brisket yesterday using my WSM. This was my second cook since I got it, and I was pleasantly surprised. Since this was my first time, I was a bit on the nervous side. I did realize a few things I should have done different.

1. I took the brisket out of the fridge sooner than I needed to. It warmed up and the smoke ring was not quite as deep as I wanted. I won't take it out quite so early and hopefully the smoke ring will be a bit deeper.

2. This brisket was a trimmed flat from Costco. There was a layer of fat on the bottom (top?) and I cooked it with that side up. When I trimmed the fat off, it took quite a bit of bark with it. The bottom did not create a very thick bark, so I lost some flavor. Next time I will cook it fat side down and see if that helps.

3. A 4lb brisket does not provide enough meat for 3 adults and 2 11 year old boys. Next time I will get a larger one.

Things I did right that I will want to repeat.

1. I used a marinade and rub that I got out of Smoke & Spice and the flavor was terrific. It had a bit of a kick to it, but I enjoy spicey foods.

2. I basted it a couple of times with apple juice during the cook and it came out very tender and juicy.

3. I had never sliced a brisket and after a couple of tiny test slices, I found the direction of the grain.

Everyone was impressed with the flavor and tenderness of the meat, but disappointed there wasn't more. Any recommendations on making the next one better would be appreciated. Here is a link to some pics I took of the brisket before, during, and after the cook.

Pics

Robert
 
Robert the brisket looks good nice job for the first time.
I would try a small 9-10lb packer brisket next time then you will have burt ends and lots of left overs.
Also you can score the meat next time so you dont have to try and find the grain of the meat. How much wood did you use? Try some oak next time I love it with Brisket.
 
I agree with Rick - try and find a packer cut brisket. The flats I see at my Costco are too trimmed for bbq.

As for slicing, before you rub and cook the brisket, cut off a tiny corner against the grain. That way, when it's done and looks like a black rock, you can just continue cutting along the path of the first small cut you made. It's also a nice little treat for my dog, so she gets very excited when I prep briskets now!
 
I used 3 fist sized chunks of hickory and a couple of small pieces together that would be equal to another fist size piece. For only 6 hours, I figured that would be plenty. Plus the smoke stayed pretty constant throughout.

I think for the briskets from now on I'll just go to my butcher. I didn't see any other briskets at Costco that were significantly larger than the one I bought.

I'll make sure to do that small cut before it is cooked next time. That makes a lot of sense.

Thanks for the comments.

Robert
 
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