Juicy Brisket ???


 
J

Jason B

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Howdy folks,

I'm doing a big BBQ this Saturday and having a bunch of friends over for a party. The menu is pulled pork and beef brisket. My pork is pretty darn good at this point, but the brisket is still so-so. I had some brisket in Austin that was incredibly juicy and moist and I want to try for the same.

I will definitely foil it, but what else can I do to improve on the moisture content? Should I marinade or inject maybe? If so what would you brisket experts suggest?

Thanks!
 
Luckily, my briskets for the most part have been juicy and tender. I believe the secret is that you have to closely monitor the meat as it closes in on being done. When that fork slides in easily the brisket needs to come out of the WSM right then. There is a small window you are working with.
 
Jason, my first advice is to start off w/ a quality piece of meat. You prob already have your meat but if you dont buy CAB or choice. Are you cooking just the flat or whole packer? You can do everything right w/ a brisket and sometimes it will still come out only ok. No two are alike. Ive cooked several briskets and there is definetly a learning curve on this meat. I found my temps in 250-275 are great. Dont lift the lid dont peak...its cooking in there. I dont mist, spray, mop...just an initial rub. After 4 hours or so if you have the urge take a peak and spray w/ apple juice if youd like. If you have a meat probe in there....there is no need until it hits 165-170. Then you can wrap. Wait until 195-197 pull..wrap w/ another piece of foil and put in a cooler of some sort. LET SIT FOR 1 HOUR MINIMUM. After the sit, tear the aluminumn on top and let it rest for another 20-30 minutes. Yes it takes time...yes its worth it. CUT ACROSS THE GRAIN on the flat as well.
 
I had some brisket in Austin that was incredibly juicy and moist and I want to try for the same.
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Try the high heat method. You can turn out consistently moist brisket that way. Though I find most brisket around Austin too bland for my taste, they are usually tender and moist: many if not most area places (like Kreuz) do not low/slow briskets. (Kreuz cooks at 400+; Mueller's cooks theirs wrapped in butcher paper; Cooper's cooks direct for a few hours then dips them in sauce and finishes them at lower temps wrapped in foil.)

The method that I and many others here use combines elements of these approaches. One can vary elements as well--and still arrive at great results.
 
I agree to the higher temps. I hear people state 225-235. I found it to be too dry and too long. Goes for the butts as well. Some of the best butts Ive done at 350. Whatever your last temp was bump up 50 degrees or so...and keep adapting at each cook. What works for one person, may not work for another. Your butt will most likely take longer, which will give your brisky ample time to rest. Please post us on your method and results.
 
This is intriguing!

So when you cook butts and briskets at this temp what kind of hour/llb ratio are we looking at?

I'd love to try this method this weekend.

I'm cooking 2 butts and a brisket so would be perfect time to try.
 
Well when I cooked butts at 325-350 (usually on the kettle at that temp) came out to an hour a lb...maybe a little bit less. Which is a good 30 minutes less than my regular smoker. Brisket more like 45 minutes a lb. Id say easily a 1/3 of the time off. If you cook hotter like the previous poster stated im sure the whole brisket can be cooked in 4 hours. Id just experiment and see for yourself. The quicker temps WILL NOT dry out your product, I can assure you. Give it a try. Im hooked on cooking butts at this 325-350 range. But when the sun is out...I have a case of beer...i like 265 or so
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I don't really go by hours/lb as the numbers are rarely accurate. Packer briskets take 4-5 hours, usually, but can go a bit longer depending on actual cooktemps and thickness of the brisket.

This post describes a brisket cook of mine. The high heat brisket thread that Craig started a while ago, here, might be useful as well.

Normally, I like to cook butts lower (~275 if cooking during the day; ~240 if doing an overnighter) but I recently did a pair of 5.8-pounders at ~325. They took about 5 hours to get to the point suitable for chopping. I'd have gone an hour, probably two, longer were I wanting pullable pork. See here.
 
Thanks for the great advice.... couple more questions.

If I am doing 2 butts ( the standard cryovac you get at SAMS or Costco) with plans to do a brisket at the same time and do both using this high heat method ..what size brisket should I go for?

Put both butts on top and the brisket on the bottom?

I am home all day Saturday and the guests will arrive around 6pm. I was hoping to do a high heat cook starting in the morning and have them both ready rather than my usual overnight butt cook.
 
If I were you Id stick to a packer at about 9-10 lb range. Youll have plenty time to cook at that range....plus youll have a good couple hours to let it rest in the cooler....which is what you want.
 
I've done anywhere from 10-15 lb packers, with cook times ranging from 4 hours plus, to maybe 5 hours cooking with temps between 325-350.

I do them for tailgates now, as the cook time is pretty predictable.

PS- I have yet to have a dry brisket yet when cooking them at high temps. (this includes the crappy select cuts from wally world).
 
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