Big Poppa
Administrator
Most cooks hit home runs smoking all cuts of meat and then hit the wall with brisket. I did....I stopped cooking them. I decided this offseason that I would become a good brisket cook. Here is what I have learned:
1. Brisket is hippie meat. What? I believe that it is full of karma. If you don't embrace it the brisket will be dry.....really funny but sort of true. It sort of has a mind of it's own!
2. I trim the top of the brisket of the silver stuff and the fat gobs....i trim most of the fat between the point and flat and separate it about 1/3 of the way. I do not trim the bottom at all.
3. I season liberally. Good to do several hours before and then rub in in even more when you put it on the cooker.
4. I cook at 275
5. I cook fat side down the whole cook. (let the arguments begin)
6. I foil at color (usually around 145 it but I dont have a probe in it until foil) and very early in the cook compared to most back yarders. When it gets to be a deep reddish brown with a little black...it goes into the foil....I have my secrets for what liquid I put in the foil but it is at most a half cup. I also I usually put a light re coating of Little Louies with black pepper at foil.
7. I make sure that there is no air in the foil.....steamed meat isn't good...you are braising.
8. When I hit around 198 I.T. I probe with a thermapen but most of the time I dont look at the display. I want to feel the resistance to the entering probe. I probe in the point, mid flat, and tip of the point. This will tell me how close I am. Most cooks wait until there is no resistance..like butter before pulling it from the cooker but I want to pull it just before that. I will always pull when it hits 203 mid flat. Always.
9. I vent it for about 3-5 minutes...I separate the fat from the foil juices and discard the fat and pour about 1/2-3/4 cup of foil juices and re tighten the foil and let rest at room temp. After about a half hour I put some towels on top. I avoid cambros and coolers with brisket at all costs.
10 I will lightly sauce the flat and return it to the cooker for about 5 minutes to set.
That's as much as I can tell without getting in trouble with the team!
1. Brisket is hippie meat. What? I believe that it is full of karma. If you don't embrace it the brisket will be dry.....really funny but sort of true. It sort of has a mind of it's own!
2. I trim the top of the brisket of the silver stuff and the fat gobs....i trim most of the fat between the point and flat and separate it about 1/3 of the way. I do not trim the bottom at all.
3. I season liberally. Good to do several hours before and then rub in in even more when you put it on the cooker.
4. I cook at 275
5. I cook fat side down the whole cook. (let the arguments begin)
6. I foil at color (usually around 145 it but I dont have a probe in it until foil) and very early in the cook compared to most back yarders. When it gets to be a deep reddish brown with a little black...it goes into the foil....I have my secrets for what liquid I put in the foil but it is at most a half cup. I also I usually put a light re coating of Little Louies with black pepper at foil.
7. I make sure that there is no air in the foil.....steamed meat isn't good...you are braising.
8. When I hit around 198 I.T. I probe with a thermapen but most of the time I dont look at the display. I want to feel the resistance to the entering probe. I probe in the point, mid flat, and tip of the point. This will tell me how close I am. Most cooks wait until there is no resistance..like butter before pulling it from the cooker but I want to pull it just before that. I will always pull when it hits 203 mid flat. Always.
9. I vent it for about 3-5 minutes...I separate the fat from the foil juices and discard the fat and pour about 1/2-3/4 cup of foil juices and re tighten the foil and let rest at room temp. After about a half hour I put some towels on top. I avoid cambros and coolers with brisket at all costs.
10 I will lightly sauce the flat and return it to the cooker for about 5 minutes to set.
That's as much as I can tell without getting in trouble with the team!