I'm just asking

[RickB]

Having cooked my first brisket last weekend, I am torn between never cooking this piece of meat again and cooking it till I get it right. Cooked a little 8lb packer. Small point which came out fantastic. The flat, while very tender, was as they say,drier than a popcorn fart. So as I pondered what i did wrong I came to some simple conclusions. The point has a nice fat layer, the flat none. Now being a bit of a purist, if I have to put sauce on something to make it taste good its not worth cooking. So how do I get the flat as moist as the point? Simple. Lard it with beef suet. Now i'm not talking comp cooking, but is there anything inherently wrong with this? Thinking about trying it. Any comments?

 

[TentHunter]

So how do I get the flat as moist as the point? Simple. Lard it with beef suet. Now i'm not talking comp cooking, but is there anything inherently wrong with this? Thinking about trying it. Any comments?

Absolutely nothing wrong with doing that at all. In fact it works very well!

Here's a partial re-post of one I did last year:

...We all know that fat keeps meat moist & flavorful, so I thought, "Why not inject it with some of its own fat?"

After trimming some of the fat off I put the chucks into a pan with some water to make a fatty broth. I strained it and seasoned it with a bit of sea salt and some garlic powder, then let it cool to room temp.

After it cooled to room temp I transferred it to a mixing bowl and whisked the fat & broth together to a frosting-like consistency. I pulled the plunger from the injector & filled it with this mix and injected it into the brisket flat. You could see it plump up and some fat oozed out of some areas.

Let me tell you it was a messy process, but it worked better than I could have ever hoped. This was by far the most moist and tender sliced brisket flat I've ever had.

 

[Big Poppa]

look at the hall of fame section to see how andy does it

 

[RickB]

Absolutely nothing wrong with doing that at all. In fact it works very well!

Here's a partial re-post of one I did last year:

...We all know that fat keeps meat moist & flavorful, so I thought, "Why not inject it with some of its own fat?"

After trimming some of the fat off I put the chucks into a pan with some water to make a fatty broth. I strained it and seasoned it with a bit of sea salt and some garlic powder, then let it cool to room temp.

After it cooled to room temp I transferred it to a mixing bowl and whisked the fat & broth together to a frosting-like consistency. I pulled the plunger from the injector & filled it with this mix and injected it into the brisket flat. You could see it plump up and some fat oozed out of some areas.

Let me tell you it was a messy process, but it worked better than I could have ever hoped. This was by far the most moist and tender sliced brisket flat I've ever had.

Looks like you had a great result. But yours was more an injection than a lard. I'm thinking a larding needle with pure fat. Much less work and mess. As we have solid fat with no water it should melt at a higher temp. Last longer into the cook. As I have not done this before Im Just guessing. What do you think?

 

[RickB]

look at the hall of fame section to see how andy does it

Are you talking about HoDeHos brisket? Read that and read yours and pulled mine at 200. Maybe to high. But a 8lb packer is so small this temp may have been to high. Most are 12 to 15. I'm not a quiter. I'll get it right one way or the other!

 

[scooter]

I'll get it right one way or the other!

That's the spirit!!

 

[Big Poppa]

sometimes 205 is the ticket....go by the feel of the probe sliding in1

 

[TentHunter]

Looks like you had a great result. But yours was more an injection than a lard.

No, it was nowhere near an injection. I wish I'd gotten pics of what it looked like.

Basically what I was left with after reducing it was rendered fat and just a little bit of stock, which turned to gelatine after it cooled. I used a whisk to whip the fat & gelatine and ended up with a soft seasoned Beef Lard.

Think really stiff cake frosting made from vegetable shortening and you will have an idea of the consistency. In fact, I couldn't suck it up into the injector which is why I had to remove the plunger and fill the injector tube (that's where it got a bit messy). At any rate, it sure worked well.

I'd thought about Lard, but regular lard is pork fat which I didn't want because I was cooking beef and wanted to retain the beefy flavor. It was well worth the trouble !

As far as the larding needle, I think it's definitely worth a try. I'll be watching for your results!

 

[HoDeDo]

Yes, go by feel not temp.... I have had briskets finish at 190 and 211; you want to put your meat probe in and have it feel like you are pushing a warm blade through soft butter.... that is to say - a little resistance initially, than almost "oozing" into the meat. All that collagen has broken down and gelatinized...moist, tender, and good to go.

If you dont want inject prior to starting the cook... I know some folks who inject everything they catch in a pan under the brisket, back into it, when they wrap... Maybe another idea to play with?

Also, it could just be the brisket... take your time, buy your cut, then wet age it, -- but in general, the flat will finish before the point... so if you point was perfect, flat may have been a little over... Just some thoughts from the armchair quarterback

 

[sparky]

If you dont want inject prior to starting the cook... Also, it could just be the brisket... take your time, buy your cut, then wet age it

ok, questions. what was the part about not injecting? my wife doesn't like me playing w/ needles. and 2nd question. the part about "buy your cut, then wet age it". i don't understand these terms. ty.

 

[RickB]

No, it was nowhere near an injection. I wish I'd gotten pics of what it looked like.

Basically what I was left with after reducing it was rendered fat and just a little bit of stock, which turned to gelatine after it cooled. I used a whisk to whip the fat & gelatine and ended up with a soft seasoned Beef Lard.

Think really stiff cake frosting made from vegetable shortening and you will have an idea of the consistency. In fact, I couldn't suck it up into the injector which is why I had to remove the plunger and fill the injector tube (that's where it got a bit messy). At any rate, it sure worked well.

I'd thought about Lard, but regular lard is pork fat which I didn't want because I was cooking beef and wanted to retain the beefy flavor. It was well worth the trouble !

As far as the larding needle, I think it's definitely worth a try. I'll be watching for your results!

You painted alot better picture here. So you skimed the fat, let it cool , whipped to a consistency you could work with and then packed into the syringe from the top and then injected into the meat. Im assuming you injected with the grain? Sounds like winner to me. A liitle work but the results is what counts. Gonna give that a try. Thanks.

 

[NorCal Smoker]

RickB,
Thanks for posting this. I was emarrassed after my first attempt at a brisket:

http://www.pelletsmoking.com/pellet...ntest-come-rookies-11-11-11-a-3025/#post31938

The flavor was great, but as you put it, mine was "drier than a popcorn fart". It was so dry that my wife told me it was by far the worst thing I have cooked on the Mak. It was so bad, that when I called her the next day to tell her what I thought I did wrong (have temp probe in the point rather than the flat) that she had already thrown out all of the leftovers! I will try again and next time I will have a better cut of meat (I used select), I will inject, I will foil at 165°F, and I will put the probe in the flat. I hope for better results!

 

[jimsbarbecue]

Don't give up. When you master the brisket you will be glad. Stay away from the select ones.

 

[HoDeDo]

ok, questions. what was the part about not injecting? my wife doesn't like me playing w/ needles. and 2nd question. the part about "buy your cut, then wet age it". i don't understand these terms. ty.

I was just saying, if you dont want to inject your meat before cooking.... there are some folks capturing all the drippings/juice, and injecting them back into the meat when they wrap.

Wet aging- on primal cuts (like a brisket) you can age them in the cry-o-vac, 33-37 degrees ideally, and the enzymes in the meat will start to break down the proteins and give you "beefier" beef, and increase tenderness. 30-45 days from pack date is normally good. You need at least 14 days to notice any difference at all. Dry aging is when this is done, out of the cryovac, and you get a much more intense flavor, due to the loss of moisture as part of the process. Dry Aging is NOT something you want to try at home. that is a whole other topic.

 

[RickB]

I was just saying, if you dont want to inject your meat before cooking.... there are some folks capturing all the drippings/juice, and injecting them back into the meat when they wrap.

Wet aging- on primal cuts (like a brisket) you can age them in the cry-o-vac, 33-37 degrees ideally, and the enzymes in the meat will start to break down the proteins and give you "beefier" beef, and increase tenderness. 30-45 days from pack date is normally good. You need at least 14 days to notice any difference at all. Dry aging is when this is done, out of the cryovac, and you get a much more intense flavor, due to the loss of moisture as part of the process. Dry Aging is NOT something you want to try at home. that is a whole other topic.

I wet aged mine for 30 days. It was a choice grade cut. Still not what i expected. The thing is most commercial cuts have had the fat cap almost completely removed. Got to find me a good butcher locally. Not an easy task anymore. (sigh).