Smoke # 3


 
A

Amy G. (Momo)

TVWBB Member
Hey, I'm still pretty new here, only on smoke #3. I'll be starting tomorrow early, first day of school for the kids and I can wander in and out of the house as I please.
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Here's the plan:
Brisket (my first time, unsure exactly what I'm doing with this)
boneless turkey (Butterball 3 lbs, already netted up)
1 rack pork spareribs

Wood: oak, maybe a touch of mesquite

My brisket pieces are small, two trimmed flats about 2 to 3 pounds each. Still researching a decent way to cook them, I know I'm "supposed to" buy the full pieces, but this is what I have. I have about 14 hours available from starting the chimney until food on the table, so wish me luck deciding on a reasonable method!

Hoping to smoke again later this month: pork butt plus beef ribs and pork baby backs.

I'll post more once I decide on a brisket method. I may do the two pieces differently and see what works best.
 
Those aren't flats, unfortunately, they're pieces of flats, and trimmed, unfortunately, to boot.

I would suggest smoking to an internal no higher than 155, then foiling and cooking till tender. If quite trimmed, as these little pieces tend to be, adding a little liquid to the foil (say, a few tablespoons low-salt chicken stock plus a couple teaspoons unsalted butter) would not be unwelcome. Normally I would not suggest the addition but you're not dealing with normal brisket.
 
Yeah, I read that they're not full flats. One of the suggestions I read online for these tiny pieces was to put a layer of bacon on top in place of the missing fat. I can't imagine many scenarios where adding bacon would make it worse, so I may try that on one or both. I was planning to inject with beef broth, possibly mop or otherwise baste during cooking. Still not sure, though.
 
Oh, yeah. Forgot the obvious thank you for your help!

And any rough idea of cook time? I've read with the small ones about 60 to 75 minutes per pound minimum.
 
Putting bacon on will prevent any bark from developing. The bacon fat will drip off, not go into the meat. The barrier it creates can slow evaporative loss but not the drip loss. Foil does both.

Mopping will not 'add moisture' to the meat nor will it 'keep it moist' as one often reads on the Net and in baadly fact-checked books. If water-based it will slow cooking, if fat-based it will speed it.

You can inject if you wish. I don't ever bother but some like to. This guarantees nothing, however. Keeping the meat moist means not overcooking.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">And any rough idea of cook time? I've read with the small ones about 60 to 75 minutes per pound minimum. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Be caerful what you read.

It utterly depends on cooktemps, meat temp at outset, whether you foil or not (I strongly suggest it, with the liquid/fat addition), and so forth.

The operative issue is to cook till tender. That means you'll have to get in there and feel the meat. When it's tender it's done. Neither a clock nor a thermometer will tell you that.

One mistake new brisket cook make is to dash out and grab whatever they can find, often amall, thin, over-trimmed pieces, then treat them as if they are nice thick large flats or packers, since that's what is mostly written about. They often fail then get discouraged. They're not the same thing.

No matter how these come out, even if terrific, do your best to find more appropriate flats or, better, packers.
 
I knew there was a reason I've avoided brisket so far. Sigh. We lived in TX for a few years, so I can appreciate it when it's done right. Crossing my fingers that I can come up with a reasonable method by morning. Thanks again for your help.
 
Smoke's been on for hours now, just a quick status update.

Brisket pieces were put in foil with a bit of broth at 150F, currently at 185.

Ribs and turkey are also on the smoker, hoping at least a few things are edible in about 2.5 hours.

Green beans in the slow cooker, will start the mac and cheese in about an hour. Maybe some cornbread, too.
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If I caught this earlier I would have suggested forgoing the smoker altogether for the brisklets and doing them in an oven braise. Then you can focus on the turkey and ribs (still an odd combo I must say).
Mesquite is a question mark for me, especially with poultry. Take note of the flavour and remember it for later.
Otherwise, you have quite a buffet going.

Enjoy !

JDH
 
I ended up just using oak, no mesquite today.

I'm afraid to open the thing up too much to check the texture! I lose so much heat when the lid comes off.

I usually make a variety of meats at once since my kids are picky. That way everyone will have something to eat! One won't eat pork BBQ or ribs, and has been begging me to smoke brisket since I bought the WSM.

I've been cooking for 30 something years now and this is like having to start learning all over! Oh, well, I needed a change of scenery, right?
 
Right.

Just lift the lid straight up, remove the brisket quickly with tongs then quickly replace the lid. Check the meat. Return if necessary. You will not know if done unless you check it.
 
So it's over, we've eaten and cleared the table. Everything came out fine. One of the tiny brisket pieces sliced up beautifully, the other shattered. The turkey was wonderful, the ribs were good but a bit salty.

Thanks for all the suggestions.
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