Brisket for hunt camp

[booboo]

I want to smoke a brisket for this years hunt camp in two weeks. I want to smoke it at home and bring it for sandwiches or ??? I have only smoked one brisket since I got my smoker and it turned out OK, it tasted great but I only cooked it to 190 and wished it were a lot more tender. Any advice on meat selection, pellets, temp, technique, internal temp, injection, mop, rub, etc. Take into consideration we may be eating it cold if we can't find a good way to reheat it. Price on this one is not really an issue, just need to impress.

 

[TentHunter]

Sliced brisket is great, but for sandwiches I really prefer pulled beef from the brisket point. I just think it has more flavor.

I like to smoke it for 3+ hours until it has a nice color, then I foil it with some braising liquid: 1/2 cup each: beer, brown sugar & cider vinegar. Sometimes I also like adding a layer of sliced onion on top. The liquid & onion really impart nice flavors that compliment the beef but in the end it still tastes like beef should taste.

I raise the pit temp to around 275-300° and braise it in the foil until it reaches around 190°-195° then I start checking for tenderness with a thermometer probe. If it doesn't slide in like soft butter, it doesn't coming off!

When it's finally tender, if needed, I put it back on the grill to finish the bark for 15 - 30 minutes. If I'm making burnt ends from the point I separate it and let the flat rest minimum 30 minutes.

If I'm pulling the point, then I let the whole thing rest under foil for 30 minutes minimum.

 

[booboo]

Thanks for the advice, I did this with a chuck roast this week and it turned out good (would have been great if I had good pellets). I have a nice brisket that I rubbed today; it is going in the smoker first thing tomorrow. I want a strong smoke flavor, what do you think Pecan or Hickory?

I have only used BBQ Delight pellets in the past but I ran out last week. I stopped by the local BBQ place and got the only pellets they sell (Treager). I smoked the chuck roast mentioned above and a chicken with them. All I can say is what a huge difference. I got almost no smoke flavor out of them. Thanks to Big Papa I got 40 Lbs of Hickory and 40 Lbs of Pecan in UPS today. All I can say is $40 for 40 Lbs, free shipping, and I got them fast. No reason to go anywhere else.

 

[TentHunter]

Hickory and pecan have the same flavor (Pecan is a species of Hickory), but hickory is stronger.

If you like the hickory flavor and want it even stronger, try Black Walnut!