More brisket questions


 
R

R Waters

New member
Well I made brisket 2 days ago and am currently loving the left over with the addition of some salt and a little honey for sweetness. Anyway i have 3 questions

1. How can I get more rub to stick the brisket? I loved the outside of the brisket but it need a bit more rub to make it perfect.

2. I want to add more sweet to the rub for the brisket but don't want the sugar to burn. How much sugar can I add until burning becomes a problem? This question was rough not sure if i got the exact meaning of the question that i wanted. Any info on sugar amounts on brisket would be helpful.

3. I would also like to know how to add salt to the middle of the meat without changing the flavor of the meat to much and keeping the salt flavor even throughout? I was thinking that a brine would change the flavor to much and i have little knowledge of injecting but i figured it would not be very even.
 
To get more rub to stick to the brisket I suggest cheap yellow mustard. Slather the meat with it before adding the rub. Then you can get as much as you want to stick and the mustard makes a really nice bark.

With the sugar I dont think the amount matters as much as the temps you cook it at. I have a printout of an answer to an old post. I believe the answer is from Mr. Minion so I know its correct. It reads, "If a recipe calls for brown sugar you can use raw sugar or turbinado as it is well known. Turbinado has a higher point that it will turn black or burn than brown or white sugar. Brown sugar will turn dark based on temp and the amount of smoke applied. Normally it takes a heat spike above 275 to get sugar to taste burnt."

As far as salt in the middle without injecting I cant help. Although injecting isnt exactly a science and you should give it a try. Over time and through alot of cooks you will stumble upon techniques that will give the desired results. Personally I say try an injection.

Hope this helps
 
1. Just apply more. When I make rubs I do not use salt. I salt the meat first, separately, then wait several minutes for the salt to draw moisture to the surface. Next, I apply rub over the salt. If I want to add more I wait again for the moisture to draw and apply more. This way I do not need to worry about applying a salted rub too heavily and ending up with a too-salty finish.

If using a store-bought rub you can apply it and wait for the salt to draw moisture then apply more. Care needs to be taken so that you don't end up with a salty finish but this will depend on the salt ratio in the rub and how much you apply.

Important: Use quality ingredients. They can make a big difference and allow you to get more flavor out of less product. Minimize paprika.

2. If you are cooking low and slow you need not be concerned about sugar quantity in terms of burning; it won't at those temps. Sugar burns in the mid-300s (so you'll want to avoid temp spikes) and caramelizes lower, in the low 300s. Sugar is able to caramelize to some degree at the lower temps because the moisture is eventually forced out. Increasing your sugar quantity incrementally is best, imo, because too much sugar is deadening to the tastebuds and you'll lose the nuance of all the various flavor compounds you create from smoking, by cooking your rub and by caramelizing the exterior of your brisket. Just add a bit more each cook till you hit the level you like but cut back if the other flavors (rub, caramelized meat, smoke) seem to dull. You can always serve a sweet sauce.

3. You can salt the meat separately several hours ahead of time and put it in a Ziploc and stick it in the fridge. Rotate/flip periodically. Then use a salt-free rub. Or, you can salt and rub ahead of time, do the same thing with the Ziploc, then add a bit more salt-free rub before smoking. Or, you can brine (the meat will likely discolor but it will be fine). Or, you can inject. It is easy to do and if you are methodical it will not be uneven.

I do what I described in the first paragraph and I do it while the coal for a Minion are lighting, not before. If the salt you put on at the outset--before applying the rub--is adequate then imo it is quite sufficient. One usually slices brisket and then eats a portion of the slice which includes the previously salted edged (as well as the parts the salt has penetrated) and additional salting is not required--nor is injecting, brining or salting hours ahead of time. But you'll have to see what you like best.
 
"I want to add more sweet..."
One of the keys to the best results is a long rest in foil. On a recent cook I did not have any apple juice to add to the foil for the rest. I did have some apple jelly. It gave a nice hint of sweetness to balance the heat of the rub. That is one way to get sweet with out the burn.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. Looks like it time to grab some more brisket to play around with.....as soon as i finish off the leftovers that is.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by K Kruger:
3. You can salt the meat separately several hours ahead of time and put it in a Ziploc and stick it in the fridge. Rotate/flip periodically. Then use a salt-free rub. Or, you can salt and rub ahead of time, do the same thing with the Ziploc, then add a bit more salt-free rub before smoking. Or, you can brine (the meat will likely discolor but it will be fine). Or, you can inject. It is easy to do and if you are methodical it will not be uneven.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE> What you are describing sounds kind of like a dry brine, ala judy rogers. I've never thought of doing this with beef (mostly because I'm not sure it needs it, as you also suggest) but I didn't really think you could do it well with beef. Does it start to cure it in a sort of corning kind of way?
 
Precisely, on both fronts; it's a dry brine and yes, corning starts because on thick cuts you have to go long enough so that the water drawn out has a chance to return. It's not something I'd ordinarily recommend because unless you're familiar with the process it can be tricky to gauge timing on a cut like brisket. Better would be to make a marinade-brine if the intention is to up the salt level of the interior. I sometimes do this when my goal leans heavily toward an unconventional finish or I'm being 'experimental'.
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kinda off topic what is the preffered method of slicing. Knife or electric knife either way is there a preferred namebrand or style of knife that works best. I did well this time but i think that was because it was a little overdone which made slicing real easy.I have a crappy electric knife that ive been meaning to replace for the longest anyway.
 
I have used both and find the electric knife to be excellent for the job. I bought mine at a tag sale for fifty cents.
 
If you want a slightly sweeter brisket to offset some of the heat from the rub, there is one great way that I use from time to time when I get a little heavy handed with the heat in the rub.
purecane.gif


Take about ½ bottle and warm it slightly. Rub it all over the brisket, then add your rub. Return the brisket to the fridge until ready to smoke, or just take it to the smoker and get it going.

The Steens will enhance the bark and help a slight crust to form. It won't burn unless you get it over about 350 degrees which is way too hot for brisket anyway.

Works like a champ for pork loin or some thick cut ham chops too.

If you put it on chicken, add just a touch of light soy sauce while warming it.

Then call the law, 'cause when word gets out how good your chicken is people are going to be breaking your door down to get some.
 
To answer your question about more rub on it, if I know that I am doing it for people that like the extra flavor, I sprinkle more rub on it 1/2-3/4 of the way through the smoke. Just make sure you don't spray baste it right after you put more rub on.
 
Looks like i need 2 more brisket. The salt seprately and use a sweater rub on one and the cane syrup sounds very intresting so I'll prolly try that as well. Im having far to much fun experimenting. Now i just need to get a big party planned so people can eat my experiments. I have far to many things I want to try and not enough mouthes to feed.
 
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