Splitting a brisket cook over two days?

[ChadVKealey]

I've got a 12 pound brisket (split into flat and point) on my pseudo-WSM (Weber 18" kettle with a Cajun Bandit stacker) today for tomorrow's dinner. Given the weather here in eastern PA (high of 17 with 20-30 MPH winds), I was planning to smoke them to about 170, then finish in the oven. I've done this before for serving the same day, but never for later.

So, which would be a better approach:

• cook it to completion today, then chill and reheat tomorrow?
• pull it at "wrapping temp" (170-ish), then chill and cook to completion tomorrow?

https://flic.kr/p/2o7CVoV

https://flic.kr/p/2o7CUZ3

 

[Brett-EDH]

pull it at "wrapping temp" (170-ish), then chill and cook to completion tomorrow?

My vote. The brisket will still hold a lot of moisture in it and render well in the oven for you to hit 202° or so.

 

[Timothy F. Lewis]

I bow to Brett’s expertise!

 

[ChadVKealey]

My vote. The brisket will still hold a lot of moisture in it and render well in the oven for you to hit 202° or so.

Thanks, that's the way I was leaning.

 

[Brett-EDH]

Thanks, that's the way I was leaning.

A little bit of beef stock in the wrap before you heat the next day will help too.

 

[ChadVKealey]

A little bit of beef stock in the wrap before you heat the next day will help too.

I save excess drippings from briskets past in the freezer. Usually, I'll take a cup or two of that, mix with a little Worcestershire and brown sugar and use it as a finishing sauce of sorts, but it should make a good braising liquid, too.

 

[ZachMendel]

How did this turn out? Seems like a really great way to schedule a long cook

 

[ChadVKealey]

How did this turn out? Seems like a really great way to schedule a long cook

Actually, quite well. The weather on Christmas day ended up being cold but calm, so I fired up the pseudo-WSM to 275 and finished the flat in a hotel pan with a bit of drippings from my freezer stash. I had it on a small wire rack so it wasn't stewing and it only took a couple hours to get it from fridge temp to 210. I vacuum sealed and froze the point for making some mid-winter burnt ends later.