Foiling brisket question


 
P

Pat McCreight

TVWBB Pro
I have been doing choice packers @ 225, foiling around 165 internal. Results have been good, but not spectacular. When I foil, I'm simply wrapping the whole packer fairly tightly with 2 layers of HD foil. When the packer is done, I will drain off the juices, separate the point, and re-wrap. Then I let the flat rest for 1-3 hours.

I see lots of varying comments about adding liquid at the foiling stage (165) and also prior to the rest. I'm wondering if I should be doing one or the other, or both.

When I unwrap my packers to separate the point, I pour off the juice, usually around 3/4 cup. Should I just return that to the foil pack when I rest? Should I add broth or something to the package when I first foil at 165?

Like I said, I'm happy with my results but feel like I'm missing something compared to what others are doing liquid-wise.

Lastly, does it matter if I rest the flat fat side up or down when I cooler it?
 
There is no need to add anything to the foil when foiling however I would suggest not draining the juices when you rest. Meat can absorb juices as it cools. (I get 2-3 c of juices usually. Some I leave in the foil for the rest, foil opened--since I'm cooking to tender I rest just 20-30 min--the rest I use for finishing sauce, serving sauce, etc.)

One thing to consider trying: Though I prefer to cook briskets at high heat, if you'd rather low/slow cook 25-35? higher than you presently are and see what you think.

I rest fat down. It can matter with established bark texture.
 
Thanks Kevin.

I'm very interested in the high-heat method and am definitely going to give it a shot soon. Currently, I'm trying to refine what I've been doing for competition and that is just too fundamentally different for me right now. Definitely something I will be experimenting with over the fall/winter.

I have been bumping the temps up to 300 or so once I foil, but I may try 250 or so for the unfoiled portion.

I agree with the bark - that is one of the reasons I've done low temp cooks. Putting it in the juice would make that for naught I suppose.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I have been bumping the temps up to 300 or so once I foil, </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Carryover cooking is more substantial the higher the heat during the cook. If you are cooking to tender while in the foil, it is easier for the brisket to begin to (or to actually) overcook after you remove from the cooker, especially if you are soon to wrap and cooler. Briskets cooked to tender do not need substantial resting--they're tender already. They just need time for juices to redistribute.

If you are going to cook at a higher temp to finish then either pull the brisket when shy of tender and let carryover cooking take it there, or cook to tender then rest, foil opened completely, a piece of Saran or foil lightly laid atop, to allow heat to dissipate and some cooling to occur, 20 min or so, then wrap for holding. (In neither case would I remove the point.)
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">(In neither case would I remove the point.) </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I do this to make burnt ends, which I enjoy. Does doing this sacrifice the quality of the flat in your opinion?
 
Kevin, I don't disagree with your last post, but could you clarify for me; if I high temp a brisket, and pull it when it feels done and essentially tender enough to serve, I'm usually going to leave it in the foil for at least an hour to hopefully get some of the juices to reabsorb. My question comes in this form... If the brisket temps at about 185 lets say, and it has some carry over while resting, in foil, is the overcooking due to the higher temp climb post cook, or is it a factor of being held there for too long?

The reason I ask, is it seems to me that the longer holding time at those higher temps, tightly wrapped in foil would just result in really moist tender brisket(after being allowed to cool and reabsorb some of the juices)


I'm tempted to make a short trip into the city today and pick up some high grade brisket from a high end supplier I found online. They have five or six high end organic, small farm, and maybe a few prime grade sources for beef. We have Neiman Ranch not too far away, and they carry their line as well. The guy quoted me prices of $3.80 lb for CAB's, and a few others.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">My question comes in this form... If the brisket temps at about 185 lets say, and it has some carry over while resting, in foil, is the overcooking due to the higher temp climb post cook, or is it a factor of being held there for too long? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
First, it is likely that your brisket will be higher than 185. If the brisket overcooks post cook it is likely to be a combination of both the post cook rise and the length of time it's held. Whether this will occur depends largely on near-end cooktemps, whether the brisket stayed wrapped or was immediately rewrapped after done was realized, and, especially, whether the brisket was removed just prior to or at the beginning of its done window, in the middle, or near the end.

If the brisket is removed when it is tender further cooking is not required. Re-wrapping a hot brisket that is already tender sets it up for further cooking. This may work out okay if the brisket is at the beginning of the done window or it may not. The only thing required is that the meat rests long enough so that juices redistribute and this does not start till some cooling has occurred--and the only time requirement is 20-30 min. It is also possible for the meat to reabsorb some foil juices during resting as well.

There comes a point after tender is reached where continued cooking threatens the finish; the meat simply loses its ability to hang onto gelatinized renderings and trapped moisture. If you've ever made or had overbraised pot roast that is a good example. The meat no longer holds renderings and moisture and even though it is swimming in liquids and renderings it reads as dry.

There is really no way to know if or when this will occur. That's why I suggest resting 20-30, unwrapped, then serving. Or, if holding is necessary, resting long enough, tented (20 suggested but 7-10 would probably be fine), then wrapping and sticking in a toweled cooler.

I do not know, Pat, how many would agree with Scottie and me, but I do think leaving the point on makes a difference. If you keep the cooker going you can remove the point when you slice the brisket and finish it then. Or, you can stash the point in the fridge or freezer then, on your next brisket cook, you can finish the point from the previous cook while the current brisket is cooking, or immediately thereafter, stashing the current cook's point after the rest. Or you can simply pull the point from the fridge or freezer on a future date when you feel like burnt ends and finish it then, alone.
 
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