All Things Brisket

[DalTxHornFan 3130]

19 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

He claims salt and pepper only in the book, but he takes a very accommodating view on seasoned salt, garlic, onion, paprika and chili powders as options in the rub. 

I really like garlic powder in my rub for everything other than brisket.

[dcbc 14641]

I've settled on a pepper heavy s&p blend with a bit of cayenne pepper added.  I've tried various binders, including the mustard pickle juice thing.  I don't think any of them make any sort of flavor difference.  I think the mustard/pj thing is used simply because it's convenient and cheap.  Mustard alone is too thick in my experience and they have plenty of pickle juice around to cut it.  I think olive oil works well, but I imagine that that is too expensive to use in bulk.  Woosty/water or acv/water work, but the thicker stuff works a bit better for me.

[DalTxHornFan 3130]

4 minutes ago, dcbc said:

I've settled on a pepper heavy s&p blend with a bit of cayenne pepper added.  I've tried various binders, including the mustard pickle juice thing.  I don't think any of them make any sort of flavor difference.  I think the mustard/pj thing is used simply because it's convenient and cheap.  Mustard alone is too thick in my experience and they have plenty of pickle juice around to cut it.  I think olive oil works well, but I imagine that that is too expensive to use in bulk.  Woosty/water or acv/water work, but the thicker stuff works a bit better for me.

Ditto on pepper-heavy.  I'm using #32 grind these days.  A little salt goes a long ways.

[Anastasis 23699]

16 minutes ago, DalTxHornFan said:

Ditto on pepper-heavy.

I use 1:1 by weight which is something like 6:1 by volume. 

[ztejas 44114]

Garlic powder is an affront to mankind in my book but y'all do you. I'm a seasoning whore when it comes to cooking anything and I don't touch that shit. 

Although I'll say - I'm intrigued at it being part of a rub. Maybe I'll broaden my horizons. 

Edited August 26, 2021 by ztejas

[Both Tacos 1827]

Garlic powder is an affront to mankind in my book but y'all do you. I'm a seasoning whore when it comes to cooking anything and I don't touch that shit. 
Although I'll say - I'm intrigued at it being part of a rub. Maybe I'll broaden my horizons. 

What is it about garlic powder that is off putting to you?
Typically, I'll go with just the S&P route but every now and then I'll go with the SPOG salt, pepper, onion, garlic rub. When I do, I use worcestershire as the binder and go heavy on the onion powder first.

[ztejas 44114]

5 minutes ago, Both Tacos said:

What is it about garlic powder that is off putting to you?
Typically, I'll go with just the S&P route but every now and then I'll go with the SPOG salt, pepper, onion, garlic rub. When I do, I use worcestershire as the binder and go heavy on the onion powder first.

I'm mainly thinking about on the stove type cooking. Hence my edit. I don't have a lot of experience smoking anything. If I'm making a sauce or sautéing anything or making a one pot type meal then garlic powder never enters the picture. If you want garlic in the dish then chop or mince some garlic then incorporate it. But you can't really do that if you're just slapping some meat on the smoker so I get it. I'm open minded about garlic or onion powder in that context. 

That said - I'd still be hesitant to use it in any rub or marinade. Maybe just not my cup of tea stylistically. 

Edited August 26, 2021 by ztejas

[dcbc 14641]

Garlic powder is an affront to mankind in my book but y'all do you. I'm a seasoning whore when it comes to cooking anything and I don't touch that shit. 
Although I'll say - I'm intrigued at it being part of a rub. Maybe I'll broaden my horizons. 

I'm not averse to it, but if I use it, I go very light with it. On brisket, I usually skip it.

[Baboontyme 2874]

9 hours ago, dcbc said:

I've settled on a pepper heavy s&p blend with a bit of cayenne pepper added.  I've tried various binders, including the mustard pickle juice thing.  I don't think any of them make any sort of flavor difference.  I think the mustard/pj thing is used simply because it's convenient and cheap.  Mustard alone is too thick in my experience and they have plenty of pickle juice around to cut it.  I think olive oil works well, but I imagine that that is too expensive to use in bulk.  Woosty/water or acv/water work, but the thicker stuff works a bit better for me.

Curious - have you read that binders are supposed to make a difference flavor-wise? I have always read, and operated under the assumption that they are strictly a binder that will burn off but keep your rub in place. That's been consistent with my experience. In fact I buy all kinds of stupid sauces to experiment with in other areas of cooking because I know that if I don't like them, they just turn into rub binder. 

[Cajun 11771]

I had LA BBQ once and it was way too salty for me.  That pickle juice spritz is what I suspet to have been the problem.

And I'm a salt freak too.

[dcbc 14641]

Curious - have you read that binders are supposed to make a difference flavor-wise? I have always read, and operated under the assumption that they are strictly a binder that will burn off but keep your rub in place. That's been consistent with my experience. In fact I buy all kinds of stupid sauces to experiment with in other areas of cooking because I know that if I don't like them, they just turn into rub binder. 

Well, there a pretty good concentration of salt and vinegar in a mustard/pickle juice binder. So I half expected it to be a bit saltier. But in the end, it wasn't. However, I've found that mustard alone, at least in brisket, doesn't firm up quite as well as the rest I mentioned. So I think cutting it with something is important.

[pearlandhorn 3343]

I've never used a binder for brisket.  I really only use mustard for pork (shoulders and ribs).  I don't taste the mustard at all.  I don't use a binder for beef ribs either. 

Edited August 27, 2021 by pearlandhorn

[ROFL BOX 6654]

Team olive oil binder for most things.  Direct fire I might also go grapeseed.

[dcbc 14641]

Doing a brisket and some ribs for Labor Day. Going to vacuum seal and reheat in a big sous vide before serving. Should I do the hold thing before vacuum sealing or will the reheating process. Also, am I good refrigerating or should I freeze. Choice from WalMart. Had some good marbling in the point for the price.

 

Edited August 28, 2021 by dcbc

[pearlandhorn 3343]

Choice with that marbling? Good looking brisket there.

[Sam Lin 3587]

Gold thing?

[Both Tacos 1827]

Butter finger dust....

[utee94 16065]

I don't use any binders on brisket or beef ribs.

I use mustard on pork ribs and I actually can taste just a hint of it in the finished product, and that's a good thing.  Mustard and mustard seed are common ingredients in rubs/marinades for game.  Leg of lamb with crushed mustard seed is fantastic.

[dcbc 14641]

11 hours ago, Sam Lin said:

Gold thing?

Sorry.  Too many cervezas.  Should have read "hold thing" as in should I hold it in a cooler for a few hours.

I'm going to freeze it since I'm not serving until next Sunday.

Edited August 28, 2021 by dcbc

[dcbc 14641]

1 hour ago, utee94 said:

I don't use any binders on brisket or beef ribs.

I use mustard on pork ribs and I actually can taste just a hint of it in the finished product, and that's a good thing.  Mustard and mustard seed are common ingredients in rubs/marinades for game.  Leg of lamb with crushed mustard seed is fantastic.

I went no binder on the brisket this time.  Bark looked good when I wrapped it.  I gave it several spritzes of diluted ACV during the first several hours of the cook.

Edited August 28, 2021 by dcbc

[VirginiaLonghorn 4878]

On 8/25/2021 at 5:48 PM, ztejas said:

Strong move but I'd just eat that shit coldish. 

Absolutely!  Hard to beat a sliced cold brisket sammich on FRESH white bread with mayo … 🤤

[Fat Bastard 649]

15# SRF Wagyu brisket. Went the Guga method and trimmed just about all the fat cap off the point and left 1/4” over flat. On the GMG at 11pm last night. Woke up at 0700 today and meat was wrapped immediately at 180F. Hopefully in the cooler by 1-2 for a 6P dinner












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[pearlandhorn 3343]

Address?

[Fat Bastard 649]

Best part about the wagyu briskets IMO is that the flat is tender as hell. Had found some meaty looking beef ribs (not dino) at Costco. Reminded me of the beef ribs I used to enjoy of my youth before these brontosaurus ribs became all the rage


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[406W30th 1111]

So, I've smoked a good 50+ briskets and I've always been pleased with the results, but after watching the Aaron Franklin MasterClass on brisket I realized what a fucking n00b I am. He spends like 3 minutes talking about how he applies the s&p. The trimming chapter is 34 minutes. Jfc, that dude is a goddamn artist.

I'd never trimmed a brisket prior to this cook and I erred on the side of less trimming, mostly out of fear of losing too much meat. I'll probably trim more next time around.  

Anyway, I recently got a pellet smoker (I know, I hate me too but I ain't got time for an offset these days) and the motherfucker starts losing temperature like 4 hours into the cook. Probably spent about 45 minutes going from 255 to 115 and to get the thing going again and up to temperature was a pain in the ass.

Gonna wrap in butcher paper and probably use the ol' Texas Crutch because at least that's reliable. Though it's not as much fun drinking beers in the kitchen as it is outside.

These are for a Labor Day/40th bday/Rosh Hashanah party on Monday and I'm planning on just keeping them in the fridge after they've dropped to room temperature, reheating on the smoker while wrapped. Sound like the right course of action? Don't think I want to freeze them for just a couple of days, right?

 

[NoName 17103]

7 minutes ago, 406W30th said:

So, I've smoked a good 50+ briskets and I've always been pleased with the results, but after watching the Aaron Franklin MasterClass on brisket I realized what a fucking n00b I am. He spends like 3 minutes talking about how he applies the s&p. The trimming chapter is 34 minutes. Jfc, that dude is a goddamn artist.

I'd never trimmed a brisket prior to this cook and I erred on the side of less trimming, mostly out of fear of losing too much meat. I'll probably trim more next time around. 

I am a huge fan of the trimming that LeRoy & Lewis does on their briskets (ton of videos on it on their patreon) but here is how Bradley Robinson (Chuds BBQ, formerly of L&L and was with Evan LeRoy at Freedmens) does it which almost exactly mirrors what L&L does

 

[DalTxHornFan 3130]

51 minutes ago, 406W30th said:

 

Anyway, I recently got a pellet smoker (I know, I hate me too but I ain't got time for an offset these days) and the motherfucker starts losing temperature like 4 hours into the cook. Probably spent about 45 minutes going from 255 to 115 and to get the thing going again and up to temperature was a pain in the ass.

Gonna wrap in butcher paper and probably use the ol' Texas Crutch because at least that's reliable. Though it's not as much fun drinking beers in the kitchen as it is outside.

 

I am a total acolyte of the Franklin Barbecue Manifesto book, including his approach to trimming and S&P (mostly P) rubs.  If you've already put four hours of smoke on your brisket, nobody is gonna know that you finished it inside in an oven.  Do the reheat in a slow oven.  Keep it loosely wrapped so as not to screw up your bark.

Enjoy.  ( And do drink some beer, anyway.)

[morehornsepower 888]

Brisket (1 part salt, 2 parts pepper...225...wrap & rest when probes ready)...done *way* too early, today, so had to wrap & keep warmed for ~5 hours.  Still came out pretty good...

[Big_kat 345]

Took advantage of $1.67 choice brisket at Kroger yesterday. 
 

 

[luke duke 6445]

Get a bigger cutting board and a longer knife.

[morehornsepower 888]

13 hours ago, luke duke said:

 

Get a bigger cutting board and a longer knife.

 

I have no issues with the knife...but the cutting board *is* damn annoying... 

[luke duke 6445]

I have no issues with the knife

Yes you do, you just don’t know it because you’ve never used a longer knife.

[utee94 16065]

https://www.restaurantsupply.com/dexter-russell-13463-sani-safe-12-scalloped-roast-slicer-with-high-carbon-steel-blade-and-white-handle?keyword=&gclid=Cj0KCQjw-NaJBhDsARIsAAja6dP086B-5FkV2AKhtwlTer5Eb21w88EhwtUmLlW3bbQ5iNnW5knJpzUaAr9dEALw_wcB

 

 

[Willfully Horn 8204]

Can’t yet call it bbq, but the smoker/water immersion cooked brisket experiments produce a meat that is sublimely tender without being soft.

[dcbc 14641]

Great success yesterday with the brisket I sealed and froze last weekend.  Tossed it in the sous vide at 145, where it stayed for about 2.5 hours.  Pulled it out of the bag and tossed it on one side of a gas grill for about 10 minutes to firm up the bark.  Very few leftovers.

[Willfully Horn 8204]

I doubt nothing but agreed expectations from bark. 

[dcbc 14641]

16 minutes ago, Willfully Horn said:

I doubt nothing but agreed expectations from bark. 

The bark on the brisket was great.  I left it in the butcher paper when I vacuum sealed it and I think that helped along with the couple of minutes on the grill. 

Two of my racks of ribs, I sealed together.  Things got juicy in the bag during the reheat and the bark really suffered.  It was good nonetheless.  The brisket was excellent, bark and all.

[Willfully Horn 8204]

I hope to be convinced you’re right. The process allows for serving the brisket you want without having spent the last fifteen hours tending a fire.

(Though I do love that task).

[dcbc 14641]

15 minutes ago, Willfully Horn said:

I hope to be convinced you’re right. The process allows for serving the brisket you want without having spent the last fifteen hours tending a fire.

(Though I do love that task).

I've cooked on site for this event 3 times and I miss out on a lot because of how we're set up.  It was perfectly great.  I just had the last of the leftovers and the point was good especially.

[thunderlounge 8318]

On 8/26/2021 at 8:00 AM, dcbc said:

However, I've found that mustard alone, at least in brisket, doesn't firm up quite as well as the rest I mentioned. So I think cutting it with something is important.

Maybe cut it with acv or woosty?

Not that it really matters since no flavor contributions, so water would work too.

Right combination and could use it as a mop/spritz too.

[dcbc 14641]

24 minutes ago, thunderlounge said:

Maybe cut it with acv or woosty?

Not that it really matters since no flavor contributions, so water would work too.

Right combination and could use it as a mop/spritz too.

I may be team no binder at this point on brisket.  Got great results with nothing, but with regular acv/water spritz during the early part of the cook.

[thunderlounge 8318]

I’ll use a binder on ribs/butts. Most everything else I don’t bother.

 

[PassiveAggressiveCoach 118]

Just ordered a 12-13 lbs brisket. It shows up on Monday 16 fucking pounds. Already fairly trimmed too. I'm going to have to cook this damn thing an extra few hours. Anyone ever finished the brisket off in the oven once wrapped? I am trying to speed up the time here without having to wrap in foil. I was thinking foil pan in oven after the paper wrap at 250.  Also, would save a ton of fuel having to finish this beast off.

Edited September 9, 2021 by PassiveAggressiveCoach

[utee94 16065]

Sure you can finish in the oven.  For a brisket that size I'd go 6-7 hours on the smoke, and then the rest you can do in the oven.

Edit: Also, don't be afraid to crank the heat of the pit up to 290-300.  I spent decades doing 225, and it's great because it's fool-proof.  But for the past few years I've switched to almost 300, with zero decrease in quality, and substantial decrease in cooking time.  Good Luck We're All Counting On You.

 

 

Edited September 9, 2021 by utee94

[Jerry Callo 8952]

At least you got the boneless brisket.

[utxmike05 1833]

On 9/9/2021 at 12:34 PM, PassiveAggressiveCoach said:

Just ordered a 12-13 lbs brisket. It shows up on Monday 16 fucking pounds. Already fairly trimmed too. I'm going to have to cook this damn thing an extra few hours. Anyone ever finished the brisket off in the oven once wrapped? I am trying to speed up the time here without having to wrap in foil. I was thinking foil pan in oven after the paper wrap at 250.  Also, would save a ton of fuel having to finish this beast off.

 

Don't be scared of more meat! 

And I have been finishing mine wrapped in the oven lately.  Works great.  Several discussion have been had in here about it.

[Anastasis 23699]

On 9/9/2021 at 1:17 PM, utee94 said:

Sure you can finish in the oven.  For a brisket that size I'd go 6-7 hours on the smoke, and then the rest you can do in the oven.

Edit: Also, don't be afraid to crank the heat of the pit up to 290-300.  I spent decades doing 225, and it's great because it's fool-proof.  But for the past few years I've switched to almost 300, with zero decrease in quality, and substantial decrease in cooking time.  Good Luck We're All Counting On You.

All of this.  My stick burner eats woods like South Austin's mom eats...well, wood.  I have finished the last few in the oven. I get the coloring and bark I want, wrap in paper, leave in the smoke a bit further and then transition to the oven to complete. 

[conVINCEd 21477]

If I’m cooking for lunch or mid-afternoon football watching, I put the brisket on after dinner the night before, drink brown water until I feel like going to bed, wrap, put it in the oven at 205, and leave it in there until I feel like waking up.

[tfoolry 8341]

Brisket sandwich with andouille sausage & mustard bbq sauce.   Glad I’m stocked with shit paper for tomorrow morning. 
 

[utxmike05 1833]

New tool for slicing meats. Highly recommend.