I plan on doing my first brisket on the WSM using high heat, but i'm not sure how to cook it. Most of the forum searches talk about 4hrs for a full packer. My flat is 7lbs. Should I plan for a 4 hour cook? Right now my plan is to use a simple rub, use minon method start with no water in the pan to aim for 325-350 degrees, cook to internal temp of 160, foil for one hour and then begin testing for tenderness every 30 min. Does this sound right??? Im looking for a time frame to help plan the dinner. Any and all suggestions welcome.
HH Brisket flat method??
- Thread starter Rich Paq
- Start date
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Yes, it sounds right.
I am assuming, since your flat is 7 lbs, that it is thick(ish) and not horribly trimmed. If that is the case, note the time the flat first goes into the cooker, then, irrespective of what time you foil, check the flat for tender approximately 3.5 hours after the cook started, and plan to check every 20 min or so thereafter, unless, of course the flat was done when you first checked.
I am assuming, since your flat is 7 lbs, that it is thick(ish) and not horribly trimmed. If that is the case, note the time the flat first goes into the cooker, then, irrespective of what time you foil, check the flat for tender approximately 3.5 hours after the cook started, and plan to check every 20 min or so thereafter, unless, of course the flat was done when you first checked.
Chad Anderson
TVWBB Super Fan
I picked up a 6lb flat yesterday and plan on cooking it this weekend too.
Kevin: Tenderness, is this the ability of the temp probe to slide in easily? I'm so used to following temps with butts that this will be new territory. Aside from foiling, it sounds like there really isn't a final temp to go for when it comes to flats or packers, is this correct?
Chad
Kevin: Tenderness, is this the ability of the temp probe to slide in easily? I'm so used to following temps with butts that this will be new territory. Aside from foiling, it sounds like there really isn't a final temp to go for when it comes to flats or packers, is this correct?
Chad
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Yes to both.
Do not temp after foiling. If you are used to monitoring temps it will drive you nuts because it is quite likely the temp will rise very quickly after foiling, a common occurrence when cooking high heat. Temps of 190+ are easy to hit in 10 or 15 min after foiling - but this is immaterial. Remember: Internal temps might correlate with tender but they do not cause tenderness - even on low/slow cooks.
Resting for a long period of time once the brisket hits tender is not something I recommend. Rest on the counter, simply tented, 20-30 min or so.
If you'll nned to hold longer then try to remove the brisket just before tenderness is reached and hold as usual. If this isn't possible, i.e., the brisket reached tender but you still need to hold it, then rest 10-15 min, foil opened to allow for heat to dissipate, then wrap and rest for up to 2 hours.
Do not temp after foiling. If you are used to monitoring temps it will drive you nuts because it is quite likely the temp will rise very quickly after foiling, a common occurrence when cooking high heat. Temps of 190+ are easy to hit in 10 or 15 min after foiling - but this is immaterial. Remember: Internal temps might correlate with tender but they do not cause tenderness - even on low/slow cooks.
Resting for a long period of time once the brisket hits tender is not something I recommend. Rest on the counter, simply tented, 20-30 min or so.
If you'll nned to hold longer then try to remove the brisket just before tenderness is reached and hold as usual. If this isn't possible, i.e., the brisket reached tender but you still need to hold it, then rest 10-15 min, foil opened to allow for heat to dissipate, then wrap and rest for up to 2 hours.
ChristopherCG
TVWBB Fan
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by R. Paquin:
I plan on doing my first brisket on the WSM using high heat, but i'm not sure how to cook it. Most of the forum searches talk about 4hrs for a full packer. My flat is 7lbs. Should I plan for a 4 hour cook? Right now my plan is to use a simple rub, use minon method start with no water in the pan to aim for 325-350 degrees, cook to internal temp of 160, foil for one hour and then begin testing for tenderness every 30 min. Does this sound right??? Im looking for a time frame to help plan the dinner. Any and all suggestions welcome. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Hi. Thickness is really important as is fat cap. I tried a 5.6lb flat last weekend untrimmed, but fairly thin. Doing high heat my temps were at 140 in about 30 minutes and 170 after about 70 minutes. This wasn't really enough time for any bark to form. I went ahead and foiled anyway at about 168. I left it in the foil for about 2 hours. It never really felt fork tender though my probe did go in relatively easily after a while.
Things I did wrong: I left the meat on the counter too long prior to cooking and it came up to room temp. I did not add any liquid to the pan when I foiled.
I traded emails with Ed from the kickassbbq.com web site and he said he would have cooked a thin flat at a lower temp. Mine cooked way too fast at 350 and then I forgot to add beef broth to the pan when I foiled. Mine turned out pretty dry though it was edible and somewhat tender.
I have a hard time getting packers around here. My next attempt with a flat will be at 250. Good luck. Let us know how it goes.
I plan on doing my first brisket on the WSM using high heat, but i'm not sure how to cook it. Most of the forum searches talk about 4hrs for a full packer. My flat is 7lbs. Should I plan for a 4 hour cook? Right now my plan is to use a simple rub, use minon method start with no water in the pan to aim for 325-350 degrees, cook to internal temp of 160, foil for one hour and then begin testing for tenderness every 30 min. Does this sound right??? Im looking for a time frame to help plan the dinner. Any and all suggestions welcome. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Hi. Thickness is really important as is fat cap. I tried a 5.6lb flat last weekend untrimmed, but fairly thin. Doing high heat my temps were at 140 in about 30 minutes and 170 after about 70 minutes. This wasn't really enough time for any bark to form. I went ahead and foiled anyway at about 168. I left it in the foil for about 2 hours. It never really felt fork tender though my probe did go in relatively easily after a while.
Things I did wrong: I left the meat on the counter too long prior to cooking and it came up to room temp. I did not add any liquid to the pan when I foiled.
I traded emails with Ed from the kickassbbq.com web site and he said he would have cooked a thin flat at a lower temp. Mine cooked way too fast at 350 and then I forgot to add beef broth to the pan when I foiled. Mine turned out pretty dry though it was edible and somewhat tender.
I have a hard time getting packers around here. My next attempt with a flat will be at 250. Good luck. Let us know how it goes.