All Things Brisket

[DDD Dad 14,251]

Working on Christmas dinner. And a buzz.

What time’s dinner?

[NateHitch 1,282]

Needs more pepper

[BradInATX 9,208]

What time’s dinner?

Shooting for the Saints game at 3:30 but you know how brisket be. Maybe noon, maybe dinner.

[Al_4_ISU 12,409]

Offered without comment 
 

I just came here to post this.

No CR, but this picture should be his next opponent’s campaign slogan.

[freyguy 4,245]

Picked up a cheap 14lb prime brisket from HEB the other day.  Started it at 8pm last night so that it could be ready by lunchtime today.  However, it ended up finishing out at 4am (wha?).  I had kept the kamado joe between roughly 240 & 270, so I don't know what may have happened.  My guess is the overall fat was lower since it didn't have much of a stall according to my meater probe traces.  Ended up triple wrapping in foil and popped it in the oven at 170F till lunchtime.  Oh man, might have been my best yet.

 

[Etexhorn13 3,036]

19 hours ago, freyguy said:

Picked up a cheap 14lb prime brisket from HEB the other day.  Started it at 8pm last night so that it could be ready by lunchtime today.  However, it ended up finishing out at 4am (wha?).  I had kept the kamado joe between roughly 240 & 270, so I don't know what may have happened.  My guess is the overall fat was lower since it didn't have much of a stall according to my meater probe traces.  Ended up triple wrapping in foil and popped it in the oven at 170F till lunchtime.  Oh man, might have been my best yet.

 

That’s a pretty nice smoke ring for a Kamado 

[AustinMT 952]

20 hours ago, freyguy said:

Picked up a cheap 14lb prime brisket from HEB the other day.  Started it at 8pm last night so that it could be ready by lunchtime today.  However, it ended up finishing out at 4am (wha?).  I had kept the kamado joe between roughly 240 & 270, so I don't know what may have happened.  My guess is the overall fat was lower since it didn't have much of a stall according to my meater probe traces.  Ended up triple wrapping in foil and popped it in the oven at 170F till lunchtime.  Oh man, might have been my best yet.

 

Brisket looks good.  Kraft mac and cheese not so much.  If you’re going to spend that much time on a brisket, use some of teh waiting time to make a proper mac and cheese.

[freyguy 4,245]

2 hours ago, AustinMT said:

Brisket looks good.  Kraft mac and cheese not so much.  If you’re going to spend that much time on a brisket, use some of teh waiting time to make a proper mac and cheese.

That was the MIL's contribution to the Xmas Day+1 meal....

[freyguy 4,245]

3 hours ago, Etexhorn13 said:

That’s a pretty nice smoke ring for a Kamado 

Yeah, I threw in a couple of mesquite chunks.

[AustinMT 952]

22 minutes ago, freyguy said:

That was the MIL's contribution to the Xmas Day+1 meal....

Does she not like you or something ?

[freyguy 4,245]

The drawbacks of having a hot wife is that the universe usually counter balances it out somewhere else.  Let me just say that the instant mac & cheese is the only thing in kitchen that the MIL doesn't screw up...

[UTexasFight 9,380]

Since we’re talking “all” things brisket, finished my first pastrami yesterday.

very pleased for a first attempt 

 

[smuggs 9,342]

Ran longer than I planned so I only had time to rest 45 minutes. Came out tasty:

 

[NateHitch 1,282]

Not sure if posted yet but I came across this today. This is one of my favorite YouTube accounts, he has some great videos but words can't describe what he just inflicted upon a brisket here and he and his family can't hide the fact that it obviously turned out tougher than leather judging by their reactions while trying to consume it

[Anastasis 23,395]

Take the wife, leave the brisket. 

[Cajun 11,675]

Holy shit that was difficult to watch.  

That closeup of the sliced finished product looked like boiled meat from an English prison.

[Cajun 11,675]

On 12/26/2020 at 4:39 PM, freyguy said:

 

 

Fuck, that's pretty.

[hornian 5,205]

On 1/4/2021 at 1:38 PM, UTexasFight said:

Since we’re talking “all” things brisket, finished my first pastrami yesterday.

very pleased for a first attempt 

 

Nice smoke ring. 

Edited January 11, 2021 by hornian

[Al_4_ISU 12,409]

Trying our first true cold weather smoke on Saturday, and likely doing a brisket.  It's looking like a high of 20 or so.  Anyone have experience doing it in those conditions?  Using a pellet grill.

[utee94 15,745]

1 hour ago, Al_4_ISU said:

Trying our first true cold weather smoke on Saturday, and likely doing a brisket.  It's looking like a high of 20 or so.  Anyone have experience doing it in those conditions?  Using a pellet grill.

No experience at that outside temp, and no experience with pellet grills, but on my stick burner I've done them in the 40s and it definitely takes more effort, because it's harder to maintain the pit at temp.

[Al_4_ISU 12,409]

16 minutes ago, utee94 said:

No experience at that outside temp, and no experience with pellet grills, but on my stick burner I've done them in the 40s and it definitely takes more effort, because it's harder to maintain the pit at temp.

We did a pork butt in the high 30's a few weeks back, and it didn't take that much longer, it just burned a lot more wood.  The brisket we have on hand is a much larger piece of meat, and I think brisket is just more finnicky in general.

[utee94 15,745]

Just now, Al_4_ISU said:

We did a pork butt in the high 30's a few weeks back, and it didn't take that much longer, it just burned a lot more wood.  The brisket we have on hand is a much larger piece of meat, and I think brisket is just more finnicky in general.

Yeah it won't take any longer if you maintain the temp, but it will use more wood and require more effort/tending.  My stick-burner dials into 250 very easily in normal Austin temps (60s-90s), with almost no effort.  Just add a split every 45 minute or so.  At colder temps, I have to work harder, that's about it.

 

[Al_4_ISU 12,409]

Air temp is 34. Let’s see how this goes.

[ROFL BOX 6,647]

GoodLuck/We'reCountingOnYou.jpg

[kevwun 15,649]

Creekstone had a buy 2 natural prime briskets for the price of 1.  I couldn't resist.  Think I'm going to save them for an after rona party.

[NateHitch 1,282]

Air temp is 34. Let’s see how this goes.

That's a big cut of meat, it can take a good amount of seasoning. Hit up the sides next time, slather that shit all over. That's my only critique, I've never smoked anything when it was that cold outside so looking forward to hearing how it goes

[Al_4_ISU 12,409]

Wrapping at 175. Bark’s coming along reasonably well. Cooked faster than we expected so backing down to 225 for the remainder

[CycleTex87 2,954]

What time do we eat?

[Paco 1,932]

Looks like a luke duke special

[Anastasis 23,395]

Where's the kosher salt and coarse pepper?

 

In all seriousness, I would not wrap that.  I would hit it again with some coarse if you have it and let it ride out unwrapped to finish. 

[luke duke 6,390]

Looks like a luke duke special

YoU WERE SUPPOSED TO HELP Me!!!!

[ERhine 1,894]

Wrapping at 175. Bark’s coming along reasonably well. Cooked faster than we expected so backing down to 225 for the remainder

What bark?

[Al_4_ISU 12,409]

What bark?

A little bit was forming on the top. It’s nowhere where I want it.

Starting at 250 to overcompensate for the cold was dumb. Got up waaay too quick. Resting it until after noon, but there’s no way it will be good as the ones I did this summer.

On the positive side I learned something about cold weather smoking.

[ERhine 1,894]

So why are you wrapping it if you’re not happy with the bark?

[NateHitch 1,282]

Like Anastasis said, kosher salt and course pepper is your friend. A 3-1 or 4-1 pepper to salt ratio applied liberally all over will give you the best bark you've ever had

[Al_4_ISU 12,409]

I thought I had to, I guess. It’s only my third brisket, and I wrapped the others at 160, and they turned out great. I had assumed it helped retain moisture, but after some actual research it looks like the point is getting it past the stalling internal temp.

I never claimed to be Aaron Franklin here.

[NateHitch 1,282]

I thought I had to, I guess. It’s only my third brisket, and I wrapped the others at 160, and they turned out great. I had assumed it helped retain moisture, but after some actual research it looks like the point is getting it past the stalling internal temp.

I never claimed to be Aaron Franklin here.

Hey man, my first few briskets were barely edible, it's a finicky cut that takes quite a bit of practice but you learn with each one. It's not like a pork shoulder that you can overcook and it'll still be fine. We might talk shit but we've all been there, live and learn

[Al_4_ISU 12,409]

Hey man, my first few briskets were barely edible, it's a finicky cut that takes quite a bit of practice but you learn with each one. It's not like a pork shoulder that you can overcook and it'll still be fine. We might talk shit but we've all been there, live and learn

The unfuckupability of pork butt has inflated my confidence for sure.

Getting lucky on my first couple brisket attempts didn’t help either

[NateHitch 1,282]

And if it doesn't turn out well you can always chop it up and make enchiladas or mix in some bbq sauce and do chopped beef sandwiches

[AustinMT 952]

3 hours ago, NateHitch said:

3 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

I thought I had to, I guess. It’s only my third brisket, and I wrapped the others at 160, and they turned out great. I had assumed it helped retain moisture, but after some actual research it looks like the point is getting it past the stalling internal temp.

I never claimed to be Aaron Franklin here.

Hey man, my first few briskets were barely edible, it's a finicky cut that takes quite a bit of practice but you learn with each one. It's not like a pork shoulder that you can overcook and it'll still be fine. We might talk shit but we've all been there, live and learn

I didn’t get my pork shoulders done right until I started cooking them after the point I thought they were done

[BearSchlong 8,077]

I think I've read and re-read Aaron's book about 10 times, it's just so damned interesting.

What's been your experience with Waygu brisket?  I know that kinda defeats the purpose of slow and low cooking shitty cuts, but I am still intrigued.

 

Edited January 16, 2021 by BearSchlong

[RMac5 1,550]

Looks like to much of the fat was trimmed off. That bare meat needs that fat to help insulate it from drying out and gives the s&p something to stick to. The fat, salt and pepper are the bark you are looking for. I think all the pros say trim to a 1/4”

[Anastasis 23,395]

3 hours ago, BearSchlong said:

I think I've read and re-read Aaron's book about 10 times, it's just so damned interesting.

What's been your experience with Waygu brisket?  I know that kinda defeats the purpose of slow and low cooking shitty cuts, but I am still intrigued.

 

I have had some really great prime briskets.  I have had some outstanding choice grade briskets. I have had some prime briskets that were not completely on point.  I have had some choice that were not completely on point.  Honestly, unless the price difference is marginal, I have a hard time justifying up grading brisket.  You can put out some very very good brisket from a cow that has been graded choice. 

[BearSchlong 8,077]

Yeah as long as you get it to 203 its really hard to mess it up. I just seasoned a choice thats going on at midnight that looks awesome.

My stepbro is a dedicated gourmet, he brined pork ribs for 2 weeks until they were basically ham ribs and they were amazing. Even cooked them on the local morning show cooking segment. But he destroyed a waygu brisket in the same cook, literally the worst by his own admission hes ever had. I guess it was overcooked, it was sub par to his and mine typical brisket. I wasn't the cook so I'm not sure if he wrapped, pushed through the stall thoroughly, etc.

I'll probably just try one in the next month or so and pay close attention.

Do you spray/spritz your brisket with water? Or set a water pan in the cooker? I've sprayed pork ribs with apple cider.

I don't use a binder like mustard either, just coarse kosher and fresh ground black pepper. I'll probably wave a few sprinkles of salt lick original on it before going to the smoke.

Here is my bros insta, he cooks a lot of cool shit.

https://instagram.com/yeastpriest?igshid=14p6zqa1rjj7a

Schriracha ham ribs - https://www.instagram.com/p/CFGLMWWhPex/?igshid=eztf3wm6bgv3

Also check out my SIL's site, Tost and Co.

https://instagram.com/tostandco?igshid=17ydjxeea6nmm

Lots of fun stuff.

[mdleast 8,262]

Speaking of all things brisket, let’s appreciate the extra treat that is the burnt ends you do some time down the road after having sealed and saved that end of the point for a later easy and tasty feast.

[Atxracer 797]

Thought this was interesting. I am ok with my brisket but certainly wouldn't put it in Franklin's territory.  This addition seems to make some sense.  What do you aficionados think?  

 

[Lurch 5,921]

Looking forward to trying that out. I’d have to believe that something like that was a fairly common technique on the competition bbq circuit, especially with results like that.

Anyone else surprised by how much paper he used?

[kilroydos 267]

4 hours ago, Lurch said:

Looking forward to trying that out. I’d have to believe that something like that was a fairly common technique on the competition bbq circuit, especially with results like that.

Anyone else surprised by how much paper he used?
 

At one point, the story was that he just re-used butcher paper from previous rests/wraps.  Functionally the same thing, right?

[Lurch 5,921]

Also, his comment at end that Franklin “rests” the brisket for 11+ hours really threw me. Can that be right?

I really need to better understand the hold and rest techniques. I’ve stopped holding at all (with the understanding it’s only purpose is for timing meals) and instead rest on counter, uncovered, for 90 mins or so then eating.

It wasn’t clear here if he held in cooler or rested in paper on counter.

[pearlandhorn 3,269]

Just now, Lurch said:

Also, his comment at end that Franklin “rests” the brisket for 11+ hours really threw me. Can that be right?

I really need to better understand the hold and rest techniques. I’ve stopped holding at all (with the understanding it’s only purpose is for timing meals) and instead rest on counter, uncovered, for 90 mins or so then eating.

It wasn’t clear here if he held in cooler or rested in paper on counter.

I rest briskets and really any beef product that I've smoked (ribs, briskets, loins, etc.) in a cooler for at least 60-90 minutes.  I leave them wrapped in butcher paper.  11 hour rests are kinda foreign to me but when you're doing 150 of them, it makes sense I guess?