Brisket

[bcoop]

You are starting with a "cheap" cut of meat to begin with, buying one from Wal-Mart or from Albertsons isn't going to make much of a difference. Also a little known fact, most cows are "right handed", meaning they use their right leg mostly to stand up. If you can figure out which cut is from the cow's left side it won't be as tough.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this ideology. It just doesn't make sense to me. I'd think if they were right dominant, left would be less tough, due to more fat/marbling throughout. Interesting, either way. I've never heard that before.


Edit: I'm a dumbass. I read that wrong several times, and even went so far as to post. Lulz

[bcoop]

do ya'll just cook it on the grate, on a flat pan, or wrap it in foil? I did mine unwrapped one time and wasn't as good as when I wrap it..

I usually leave a 2 or 3 inch gap at the top for part of the time (maybe 4-6 hours) then close it for the remainder of the time... and I do go buy the 1.5 hour/lbs method

I tried finishing one up in the oven and it just didn't taste as good to me BUT.. I was rushing it too so I might not have cooked it long enough that time

I like a nice bark, that you can't achieve leaving the thing wrapped the whole time. Some don't like bark, some trim their bark, but that shit is for the birds. Bark=goodness IMO. I usually cook on grate (no pan, no water pan) unwrapped the entire time. I've wrapped for the last few hours of te cook, I've finished in the oven, etc. Sometimes the oven is necessary, sometimes wrapping is necessary, and it's ok to use. I just prefer the smoke to get deep in the meat, create a nice crust, etc. So I usually leave it unwrapped on the grate for the whole process.

[momo]

I usually cook on grate (no pan, no water pan) unwrapped the entire time.

exact same here.

I've wrapped for the last few hours of te cook, I've finished in the oven, etc. Sometimes the oven is necessary, sometimes wrapping is necessary, and it's ok to use.

again, same here. sometimes you have to change strategy based on how it's going.

the oven shouldn't be a detriment to the process at all and i prefer to finish overnight in there now due to convenience. start around 7pm on the smoker, move to oven around 2am. go to bed, wake up to a house that smells like brisket and ready for quick breakfast taco but more importantly brisket for noon football.

[momo]

ok, long winded explanation time:

basically you need to break down the brisket cooking process into 2 major processes that are occurring if you want to understand what you are doing, b/c you aren't trying to cook the meat.

#1. smoking. this is the easy part. what most people wont accept is in all honesty the meat is really going to take on about as much smoke as it can absorb in about the first 4-6 hours. anything beyond that is process #2. this step is mostly about flavor though, unless of course you don't stay in the temp zone, then you impeded on:

#2. fat emulsification. if the last step was about flavor this is about the moistness of the meat. this is why 250 degrees is important. for the majority of the brisket smoking process you are simply trying to break down connective tissue and fat while using it to keep the muscle fibers moist. the reason you don't trim the fat cap and put it cap up, is b/c it melts and will drip through the meat. you need as much of it as possible. any extras can simply be removed when carving.


the reason most people prefer wrapped vs unwrapped or drip pan is b/c of dryness. most people that have attempted to smoke for 15+ hours have also experienced a dry brisket or two in their time. no right or wrong way to do it. just do it.

[BERNIE MOSFET]

Good thread, I will be attempting my first one friday. I am great with hams, ribs, and pork loin, but briskets always scared me before the electric smoker and digital temp guages. LOL

Nothing to be scared of. You *almost* can't overcook a brisket. The hardest part is getting past 10-15 hours of smelling it, seeing it, and everyone wondering when it will be ready. Keeping the temp steady is really the only thing to worry about.

do ya'll just cook it on the grate, on a flat pan, or wrap it in foil? I did mine unwrapped one time and wasn't as good as when I wrap it..

I usually leave a 2 or 3 inch gap at the top for part of the time (maybe 4-6 hours) then close it for the remainder of the time... and I do go buy the 1.5 hour/lbs method

I tried finishing one up in the oven and it just didn't taste as good to me BUT.. I was rushing it too so I might not have cooked it long enough that time

The ones I've done in an offset smoker have been unwrapped, on the grate at the far end. I've put foil between the firebox and the brisket(s) to keep some of the direct heat down. I haven't done enough on an offset to really have it down though, and it's always been year or two apart when I do, so I forget some of the details.




I learned on big rotisserie pits with thermostats, so the process was easy. It was definitely 225 for at least 12 hours before we even looked at the product, although we monitored temp and smoke. Methods for checking product varied, but was mostly by feel. We actually cooked to finished weights. 71-73% cooked weight from raw is the absolute upper limit of what is edible, as far as smoked brisket goes, and must be sliced extremely thin to avoid chewiness; not fork tender. If you are an accountant running a restaurant trying to protect profit margin and not especially concerned with product quality, this is where you want your brisket cooked. A brisket down to about 67-69% weight from raw should be just about getting to fork tender. 65-66% is probably what I would consider ideal. Anything less really just falls apart.

I don't figure this is really a practical way to try and cook a single brisket, but those numbers should be pretty spot on if anyone wants to try it.

[A+]

are water pans only for people who dont have a real smoker? just wondering. ive smoked a few briskets before and i plan on smoking another real soon and all i do is throw that sumbitch in there at 300 for 6 hours and they have all come out fine....

[momo]

are water pans only for people who dont have a real smoker? just wondering. ive smoked a few briskets before and i plan on smoking another real soon and all i do is throw that sumbitch in there at 300 for 6 hours and they have all come out fine....

no, a water pan helps regulate temp swings and adds additional moisture.


what size brisket? trimmed or untrimmed?
6 hours doesn't seem long enough and 300 seems too hot but hey, if it works, it works.

[A+]

no, a water pan helps regulate temp swings and adds additional moisture.


what size brisket? trimmed or untrimmed?
6 hours doesn't seem long enough and 300 seems too hot but hey, if it works, it works.

well...its been about a month or two but i think it was somewhere between 5-10lbs. wasnt very big. i usually get the cheap ones. i might have to try that water pan thing out though....

[bcoop]

Water pans can be used with any smoker, but are a must for a vertical smoker. It keeps product from drying out, and keeps the heat off the product. It also helps regulate temperature swings like Momo mentioned. I'm a purist, so a water pan is a crutch for those that can't maintain consistent temps. Sometimes the cook's fault, sometimes the smoker's fault, sometimes the weather's fault. That's just my opinion, and doesn't apply to vertical smokers as they are an absolute must with those.

[YALE]

I feel like such a ridiculous hillbilly for the attention to detail I haven't paid my briskets in the past. I don't plan on changing my strategy, but I'm still chuckling over here at myself. I basically just dry rub and let it sit in the fridge overnight, set up a coal fire (I only fire the pit with already burning coals), "sear," the brisket on both sides, place it off direct heat (I pretty much exclusivilely find myself using offset pits), and cook it around 250 with the fat side up until it's done. It's usually a good 12hrs of solid shoveling and I'm usually shitfaced the vast majority of the time. A round of horseshoes is almost mandatory, ending when we're too drunk to score, or someone takes a neighbor's window out. I CAN'T WAIT TO GET BACK!

[2165 Turbo Rail]

ok well.. thanks guys.. all this talk made me decide that since I'm at home today, I'll go ahead and smoke one
I picked one up this morning and got the smoked going so at about 8pm I'll have dinner.

I just picked up a 7 lbs, they only had 3lbs, 11.5, 13.5 and 15 so I started to change my mind and the butcher said he'd cut one up for me so I told him 8lbs.. he came back with 7lbs which is close enough for me

I'm doing the same ole thing and we'll see how it comes out this time.. i'm about 50/50 but the bad 50% has always been the 3-4lbs sizes that don't have much fat at all.

[2165 Turbo Rail]

maybe we should plan a GTG where everyone brings a something THEY smoked. we could have a feast of brisket, ribs, chicken all kinds of stuff

Thoughts?

[bcoop]

I've got something you can smoke, pretty boy! lol



I'd be down. You chumps can't hang with my pork. I'm extremely proficient with some baby backs as well. My brisket is ok, but I've had better. I've only done one turkey, and it was fucking awesome. I think that was just sheer luck though. I had no idea what I was doing. lol.

I'm going to play with smoked fish, and mixed meat entrees over the summer. That's my addiction. I always want to try something new, and rarely find the time.

[momo]

I've smoked up some crawfish that turned out badass. That was a by product of lazy reheating while smoking brisket.

[2165 Turbo Rail]

I have tried ribs one time (pork and beef) and I had a couple bites of each and then tossed them.
I have never smoked a turkey (smoker too small I think) but I do fry several every year for thanksgiving and Christmas.. I LOVE me some cajun fried turkey

my brisket is looking GOOOOOOD right now.. I can't wait for dinner