Re: cooking brisket

[Joan]

We have a 5 lb. brisket and DH wants to know if you can cook it without getting it well done and tough? It seems most people cook whole briskets, can I cook smaller pieces and get the same results?

 

[JKalchik]

No reason at all that you shouldn't be able to cook it nicely.

What do you have exactly? A flat (lean) might be a little touchier to smoke than the point (fattier part.) If you're smoking the flat, I'd probably just leave the fat cap on completely, and maybe wrap at the stall, but still cook it up to 195-205 when it probes tender. The point.... trim the fat cap and smoke it like you would a full packer.

 

[Joe Anshien]

I have never seen a brisket done to medium and get tender. To get it tender you will have probably have to cook it well done. I have smoked some cuts that did not get tender enough, so I put them on a rack in the pressure cooker with a little water and depending on cut and size I have gone from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours and they are nice and tender when they come out...plus lots of au jus.

 

[Joe Anshien]

We have a 5 lb. brisket and DH wants to know if you can cook it without getting it well done and tough? It seems most people cook whole briskets, can I cook smaller pieces and get the same results?

I just found this and thought of you.

 

[Joan]

DH is napping now, when he wakes up, we will watch it. THANK YOU!!!!!!

 

[Joan]

Ooopps, thanks for the reminder Joe, forgot!!!!

 

[Joan]

DH said THANKS!!!!

 

[Darryl - swazies]

I watch restaurants use the braising method a ton for lots of big cuts.....
Might be an option worth looking into....but you are still going to have to cook it to that magic number before it will be tender.