High Heat Brisket on OTS

[JHunter]

Did my second high heat brisket. This one came out like the first, but it could have used more seasoning. The meat was tasty and tender, but I keep thinking there should be more juice in the meat. However all of the pictures of brisket that I have seen look like mine. I think next time I am going to add some liquid to the foiling portion.

Also interested in thoughts about how my brisket sliced. I started with an 8lb flat, and the tip and the top edge were grainy, and crumbled when I cut it. So I cut it off so that I could have a nice section to slice. Thoughts as to why it was grainy crumbly?

Any rate here was my technique.

Cook at 350 for 2 hours (temps varied from 300 to 400 but always got back to 350).

At 2 hours check the temp, it was 170 (I was hoping for 160).

Foil, and cook for two hours until 190. Then check for tenderness.

Total cook time about 4 hours.

Some pics...

Seasoned with the big three...

On the grill ready to smoke

Two hours later at 174 degrees.

Foiled

Two hours later after reaching 209, foiled and toweled and left to sit for three hours until the guests arrived.

Finished product notice the ends, and the top. Much more crumbly than the rest of the brisket.

And the payoff... It was a bit off, but STILL tasted great!!!...

 

[George Curtis]

at that finished temp you will find the the thinner ends well ciiked and at the shredding point. suggest checking for softness near the 185 point and go from there. on my briskets i use the ends in spaghetti and such. soooo gooood.

 

[K Kruger]

And I'd suggest not temping at all after foiling as the numbers don't mean much and aren't helpful. Tip and top edge crumbling means overcooked. That could have happened during cooking or due to the long rest (the former is more likely).

You get less liquid, if any, from pieces of briskets - which are what flats are, though 8 lbs is a nicer one; whole briskets (packers) are much more productive juice-wise.

Looks good nevertheless.

 

[JHunter]

Kevin,

So if I cooked to 160-170 and then foiled and wrapped it I am done cooking over heat?

One thing I noticed is that after the foiling/and putting it back on the grill the bark firmed up really nicely.

But I could have checked the tenderness more often during the cook after the foiling.

When I did the final wrap I was doing that to keep it warm, until company arrived.

Thanks for the input guys.

 

[Dave Russell]

I'd suggest starting with a whole brisket, cooking it in a pan the whole time, foiling at 160. You might also try keeping the temp closer to 300, since the brisket is so close to the fire. The pan will certainly help deflect the heat, though.

 

[K Kruger]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">So if I cooked to 160-170 and then foiled and wrapped it I am done cooking over heat? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
No, you're done cooking by temp, i.e., you're done temping the brisket. Go by feel after that. Check for done sooner than later; if not perfectly tender reseal the foil and go a bit longer; check again.

I don't recommend wrapping HH briskets immediately when tender and holding. There is a good chance of overcooking during the rest. Since they are easy to time I suggest cooking closer to serving time and simply tenting with foil for 20-30 min to rest. If you must hold, tent (only) for 10-15 min or so, so the heat can dissipate some, then wrap and hold.

 

[JHunter]

This is great Kevin. You have saved me at least 3 more brisket cooks with this information. One last question, how soon and how often do you check for tenderness after you foil at 160? Every 15 minutes, every 30 minutes?

Thanks again...

 

[K Kruger]

Well, I don't temp at 160. I don't temp period. I foil after a period of time. But I do packers, not flats. I think temping flats to determine when to foil is a good idea.

Dave brings up a good point re: the proximity of meat to heat. I'd suggest checking for tender the first time about 60-75 minutes after you foil. (After a few of these cooks you'll get a better sense of when you should check the first time.) Then judge by feel. If the resistance you feel when checking is fair to moderate check in 30 after that; if you feel a bit more than slight resistance check in 15.

 

[JHunter]

Did another HH brisket today, this one was my first full packer, and it was a lot more moist than the flats from costco, it was also a lot less expensive per pound (only $1.98).

A lot more going on in this cook. For one I had to trim the fat, for another, I had NO idea what to do with the point, so I left it on. It was done before the rest of the brisket, was actually the best part.

When I pulled the brisket I knew it wasn't ready/right, but everyone was hungry, and the meat was to temp. This one was juicy, but needed more seasoning, and probably another 30 minutes to get really tender. As it was it was still tasty, and I got compliments, and some even went for seconds.

One other thing, this brisket was a lot more filling. In other words, I was satisfied with less eating.

 

[JHunter]

Observation:

I know when a brisket is done. When I tested the point with the probe, it felt tender/perfect; when I tested the rest of the meat it was harder to push the probe through. But as I said everyone was in a hurry so I pulled it.

We ate the point today, and it was perfect, tender, juicy, flavorful. If the entire brisket tasted like that I would have had a winner. So a few more questions.

1. When do you seperate the point?
2. I hear of people making burnt ends, but I am of the thought that I take that point off first, and eat it; unless burnt ends are really that good, are they?

j

 

[K Kruger]

I don't bother testing the point. I test the flat only. (And, I don't temp, as noted above.) When the center of the flat is probe tender I remove the brisket.

Me, I rarely separate the point because I rarely make burnt ends. Many people are all about burnt end. They're okay but really not my thing. Worth doing if you have not done them because you might well like them very much.

I serve the flat and save the point for other things (most often). Or I serve both.

You can separate the point almost any time. But I'd suggest at least the first time to separate it when the flat is tender. Rest the flat and put the point back in to render some more. Chunk the point, toss with a little sauce (I can't abide burnt ends swimming in sauce but others prefer that) in a foil pan then return to the cooker and allow the sauce to seize and caramelize; serve.