Need Brisket Advice Please


 
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Jim Piesik

TVWBB Fan
After having mixed results with brisket ( the flat is always to dry), I dicided to try it again, seperating the point and cooking it over the flat for some automated basting. Although this did seem to help, the part of the flat furthest away from the point still came out to dry. I used the wet rub recipie and cooked the flat to 195* The point I left in the smoker and cooked it to 205*. The point and the part of the flat that was near the point Turned out great. So a couple questions for all you great Q'ers out their.

Am I cooking the flat to long (I suspect), or not long enough?
Would brining or foiling help?

Thanks in advance for any help.
Jim
 
Mine have tended to be a bit dry, too. I have wondered if it was spending too much time in the WSM.

Last week I did a choice angus packer trim brisket. I left the whole thing together and did no trimming at all. I cooked at the upper range of barbecuing temp, about 240, to get it off the heat sooner. Minion method, pecan wood, sand in the pan. It weighed 7 1/2 lbs and was done to 195 in just under 10 hours-less than 1 1/2 hour per pound. I foiled it and put it in an ice chest for two hours, and it was spectacular. Every bit of it was completely moist and tender. I chopped the point for sandwitches and sliced the flat. The question now is whether I can duplicate it. I don't know if I got an exceptionally good piece of beef, hit on the right method, or both. If I could do it consistently I might start competing. Jim Bob
 
Thanks for responding Jim

Hopefully you will be able to duplicate your succsess.
Ive heard before this is one tough cut of meat. Maybe I will be able to (after 4 attempts over the past 2 years) to cook one of these to my satisfaction. Or at least not have to throw out half or all of the flat when Im done.Im not planning on competing I just want a peice of meat that my family will enjoy eating.

Jim
 
Jim,

While I have only done one brisket with so-so results, I have done two beef chuck rolls with excellent results. This is a huge piece of meat and you cook it much like a pork butt as far as time and temp. Makes great BBQ beef sandwiches and excellent pulled beef. Just my $.02 worth.
 
Something I did by mistake -
I had some hungry family members and figured I could speed up my cooking time by cranking up the WSM's temp. The brisket was at 170 and I cranked the WSM to 275 at the dome. The internal temp came up VERY quickly and I was at 185 (I like to slice my brisket) in no time. It was VERY tender and moist. Now I do it that way all the time. The only difference is now I take the brisket to 190.

Maybe a brisket can spend too much time in a WSM, allowing it to dry out a little.

Oh, and I've only done brisket flats. That's what is most easily available for me.
Gary T
 
Hi Jim,

I've had great luck with my brisket and me thinks' it has to do with foiling. I cook it to 170* internal then wrap it in foil with either some apple juice or beef broth, onion, garlic reduction. I put that back on the bullet for an hour then unwrap it and let it finish to 190*. Hang on to the left over juice in the foil and add some to your chopped point -awesome.
HTH

Dave
 
Thanks Gary and Dave

I tried to keep my temp to around 230*. I did have some short spikes initially but probably cooked it to long the flat took about 11 1/2 hours to reach 195* ( the whole thing weighed 9# to begin with ( probably to long to reach temp)

Dave you gave me a good idea of when to foil (170*) I will give it try the next time I try cooking a brisket
Thanks for the advice,
Jim
 
I like to cook a pork butt on the upper rack over the brisket, and let the butt baste the brisket flat. THEN, after 14 hours or so at 220 - 230, (at 188 for the brisket, 195 for the butt), I'll pull them. Like Jim Bob above, I THEN foil them, and let them rest for at least an hour or two wrapped up in the ice chest. That resting time can make all the difference in the world. I've not had a dry or tough brisket yet. Well, okay, maybe I had one or two dry shoe-leather briskets 20-some-odd years ago when I first started trying to cook briskets, but not recently. /infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

I will occasionally foil spare ribs for an hour or so during the cook (you didn't hear me say that), but not my briskets and butts. I'm not a hardcore dyed-in-the-wool oppositionist to using foil, but I just don't like what foil does to my brisket DURING cooking. Too pot-roasty, to my tastes.

I DO like what Pork fat does to my brisket, on the other hand... MMMMMMmmmmmm.

Also check over at Joe Ames's site at www.theingredientstore.com, and read about his FAB B injection mix for beef - incredible stuff!

Keri C
Smokin on Tulsa Time
 
Thanks Keri

I have cooked brisket before under a but for auto basting. The flat was still two dry. Im just glad I had the but and the point to eat.
I seperated the point this time and cooked it over the flat for the same effect. I also held the flat wrapped in foil in a cooler while the point finished cooking. I think it got plenty of rest-maybe it feel asleep in there ( I dont know)
I think Im just cooking it to long. Im going to try taking off when the flat reaches 185-187 next time and then wrap and hold.
Jim
 
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