David Munson
TVWBB Super Fan
Every time I am in the store I pass by the meat counter just to see. Tuesdays at Walmart and Thursdays at Kroger are good days for some reason. Last Tuesday paid off with a find of a very pretty 14.6 pound packer brisket discounted to $1.17/lb. I am not sure how describe what made this brisket good looking. Not so much fat, large size. Big point. Thick meaty flat at the other end. Flexible. The shape was good, proportion of flat to point (big point, defined flat). To me, a large brisket is one that don’t fit on the smoker.
There is something about brisket. I believe brisket is more difficult to cook than pork. If you overcook pork it gets more tender. If you overcook brisket it gets dry. Widely varying cook times. While books say to expect to cook these things at 1 to 1.5 hours per pound (untrimmed weight) I typically fully cook them at 1 hour per pound. I have had briskets that took longer but usually 1 hour per pound for brisket. It is probably my smoker.
I trimmed 1-2 pounds or so fat off the brisket. I took the cap down to nothing to 1/16th of an inch and removed the huge chunk between point and flat. There was not really a lot of fat on this brisket. I had expected about 2-1/2 pounds but believe I took off less than 2 pounds. I took it kind of lean this time but the brisket seemed to have good marbling.
For the rub I mixed salt, pepper, cheap seasoned salt mix with a few more teaspoons or so of cumin, red pepper and a little habenaro pepper powder. To apply rubs I use a two bowl technique to keep things clean (apply from one bowl and refill from the bowl I mixed the seasoning in. Never touch the mixing bowl). I finished with adding 3/4 cup or so brown sugar on top of the first rub. All my left over spice (in the clean bowl) goes back in the seasoned salt shaker.
I put the flat up brisket on last night just before 8:00 p.m. In order to fit it on the smoker I lifted the center up so the ends would not touch the smoker. Took it off at 11:00 this morning. I had woke at 4 am and added coals and more wood but otherwise have mostly ignored it. Now a days I check smoker temp by touching the side of the smoker lid. I can tell if it is too hot or too cool but don’t worry too much about exact temp.
I tried to pull a small section of bark off the flat this morning at 8:00 a.m. Not ready. The whole thing Jiggled. Will not pull apart easy. A couple sticks more wood. At 10:30 I “flicked” the flat and my finger passed through the brisket like a knife through butter. I got my thermometers, inserted both in deep sideways in the brisket. Both read around 197. Pulled a half hour later when the family got home from church and foiled.
This is one tasty brisket. Good 3/8" smoke ring. Beefy like only brisket can be, smokey, spicy on the bark. Tender. Chewy bark.
There is something about brisket. I believe brisket is more difficult to cook than pork. If you overcook pork it gets more tender. If you overcook brisket it gets dry. Widely varying cook times. While books say to expect to cook these things at 1 to 1.5 hours per pound (untrimmed weight) I typically fully cook them at 1 hour per pound. I have had briskets that took longer but usually 1 hour per pound for brisket. It is probably my smoker.
I trimmed 1-2 pounds or so fat off the brisket. I took the cap down to nothing to 1/16th of an inch and removed the huge chunk between point and flat. There was not really a lot of fat on this brisket. I had expected about 2-1/2 pounds but believe I took off less than 2 pounds. I took it kind of lean this time but the brisket seemed to have good marbling.
For the rub I mixed salt, pepper, cheap seasoned salt mix with a few more teaspoons or so of cumin, red pepper and a little habenaro pepper powder. To apply rubs I use a two bowl technique to keep things clean (apply from one bowl and refill from the bowl I mixed the seasoning in. Never touch the mixing bowl). I finished with adding 3/4 cup or so brown sugar on top of the first rub. All my left over spice (in the clean bowl) goes back in the seasoned salt shaker.
I put the flat up brisket on last night just before 8:00 p.m. In order to fit it on the smoker I lifted the center up so the ends would not touch the smoker. Took it off at 11:00 this morning. I had woke at 4 am and added coals and more wood but otherwise have mostly ignored it. Now a days I check smoker temp by touching the side of the smoker lid. I can tell if it is too hot or too cool but don’t worry too much about exact temp.
I tried to pull a small section of bark off the flat this morning at 8:00 a.m. Not ready. The whole thing Jiggled. Will not pull apart easy. A couple sticks more wood. At 10:30 I “flicked” the flat and my finger passed through the brisket like a knife through butter. I got my thermometers, inserted both in deep sideways in the brisket. Both read around 197. Pulled a half hour later when the family got home from church and foiled.
This is one tasty brisket. Good 3/8" smoke ring. Beefy like only brisket can be, smokey, spicy on the bark. Tender. Chewy bark.
