Reefs.org Forums

[Salty Dog]

**** this piece of meat already........I'm sick of it.

Low and slow......hot and fast.......inject, mop, fat side up or down, trim, foil, rest, 190, 200, plateau, WSM, BGE, flat, point, packer, burnt ends, bark.

Doesn't matter what I do it ends up a pile of stir fried ****.

The flavor is there and honestly the point is OK and burnt ends are salvageable but the flat is a freaking nightmare as far as tenderness goes. Dry, dry, dry.......I even injected the last one with 2 sticks of butter and while it was my best ever it still sucked monkey nads.

It's impossible that the meat is underdone because the juices ain't coming back.....but overdone brisket is supposed to crumble and mine is closer to a leather strap then it is to crumbling.

I have tried hot and fast and admittedly I didn't check it until almost 2 hrs and it was a hunk of charcoal by then with meat temp at 190 already. I did low and slow and foiled at 150-60 and pulled it off at 190 venting a little heat then resting her for a couple hours in a cooler.........all ways produce the same unedible ****.

The butter sticks one I also injected with lots of beef broth and juice. I mopped it every hour with hot beef broth mixed with my rub and foiled it at 150 and brought it up to 192 before I let it rest for almost an hour.

Barely ranked above dog food.......flavor would have been great on a moist juicy slice of beef but instead it was on a shoe sole.


What am I doing wrong?? I put my probe in the flat so my temps shouldn't be off by much.

[wings]

Crock-pot it. Add a cup of water, and let it go on "low" for about 8 hours or so. Add potatoes, and carrots. You can even do a little season salt.

[minime]

Brisket is notoriously difficult to get right... I have yet to get one just the way I want it. I am surprised though that you are having trouble with dryness if you are using the BGE.

I've only tried it once since I got the egg. It wasn't quite as fall-apart tender as I would like it but it was getting close.

I'll try another one soon and report back.

[Bierboy]

Crock-pot it. Add a cup of water, and let it go on "low" for about 8 hours or so. Add potatoes, and carrots. You can even do a little season salt.

Heathen.


Salty, brisket needs to have a decent fat cap, rubbed (that's what gives you that really nice black color), cooked between 225 - 250, smoked with a flavorful wood (this is where mesquite comes in, although I personally like hickory), and then wrapped in foil AFTER it comes off the smoker. Traditional TX brisket is rubbed with just salt and pepper. It does not need to be injected or mopped - a good fat cap will take care of all of the basting that you need. Meat quality matters. But the best quality brisket that you can find until you perfect the technique. A consistent temp is extrememly important. Ups and downs in temps just does not work well with the meat.

Here is what I am using at home now. Can't use it for competitions, but I get the juiciest and tastiest brisket out of it. http://www.webstaurantstore.com/suffixi ... QAodr2pWEg

For more info check here.

http://www.barbecuebible.com/board/

[budhaboy]

question -are you buying your brisket pre-cut?
Personally I buy a brisket, PRIME grade, precut, on average two weeks Before the day Iplan to smoke it - its still in the cryovac packaging that the butcher receives it in, and I try to find the oldest package I can - I prefer my brisket to be wet aged 30-45 days(the cryovac packaging should have the date it was packed printed on the label) . The older the better. remove from the packaging, place in an aluminum pan and fill it with Applejuice(enough to cover completely), and a 1/2 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar, let soak for a few hours(I average about 2 or so) pull out, lightly pat dry(just its not dripping all over the counters and pissing off the wife).
Put on your favorite rub(I make my own, I posted it in the BBQ thread, IIRC) wrap in plastic and leave it in the fridge overnite.

I run my smoker at 225, fat cap up, until about 150 degrees(somewhere in the ball park of an hour per pound)

pull the meat, tightly double wrap in foil, put back in the smoker till the meat reaches 200(dont let it get past 205), pull the meat, while still in foil, place a couple towels in the bottom of a cooler(to insulate the plastic) lay an aluminum pan in(to hold any juices that leak out) and set the foil wrapped meat in, close lid and let sit 2-3 hours.
Dont cut the meat until you are ready to serve - cut across the grain, fat cap up.

[_Andy]

I really only like it as Corned beef - flank streak is much better imo and easier to deal with. I braise both but the flank can be dry cooked which I like.

[PaintGuru]

Question: Should brisket "fall apart" like pulled pork if cooked correctly? I made a brisket (well the flat part) and it turned out pretty good, but it didn't fall apart after cooking. It did slice easily though.

Quite honestly though, most of the flavor comes from the rub (to me at least) and smoke, so I'm not quite sure why I should spend 3x on beef vs. a pork shoulder.

[The Escaped Ape]

The only time I've had brisket (at an American style barbecue place here), it was tender, but disappointingly bland.

[_Andy]

Agreed - Flank steak has lot's of flavor imo.

[budhaboy]

Question: Should brisket "fall apart" like pulled pork if cooked correctly? I made a brisket (well the flat part) and it turned out pretty good, but it didn't fall apart after cooking. It did slice easily though.

Quite honestly though, most of the flavor comes from the rub (to me at least) and smoke, so I'm not quite sure why I should spend 3x on beef vs. a pork shoulder.

no, it should slice easily, and be able to pull apart with your fingers easily, but it shouldnt fall apart like pulled pork.

[minime]

Question: Should brisket "fall apart" like pulled pork if cooked correctly? I made a brisket (well the flat part) and it turned out pretty good, but it didn't fall apart after cooking. It did slice easily though.

Not quite like pulled pork. The flat part is usually sliced, the other big chunk falls apart more and is usually where the "chopped" brisket comes from.

[ANEMONEBUFF]

Scrap it and make some skirt steaks.

[budhaboy]

The only time I've had brisket (at an American style barbecue place here), it was tender, but disappointingly bland.

usually this is because who ever smoked the meat trimmed far too much fat off the cap before smoking...that and a slab of meat that is too young(not aged long enough)

[The Escaped Ape]

The only time I've had brisket (at an American style barbecue place here), it was tender, but disappointingly bland.

usually this is because who ever smoked the meat trimmed far too much fat off the cap before smoking...that and a slab of meat that is too young(not aged long enough)

Yeah, I don't have too many reference points to judge it on, but given this is the only place I've seen doing American barbecue, I'm assuming the standard is not on the same level as the US.

[Snailman]

I made brisket on the green egg for memorial day. It was awesome! I bought 2.5lb pieces from whole foods. I rubbed them with a memphis bbq rub. I placed them on a broiling rack in the green egg. I cooked them at 225 until they were done.

[minime]

Damn, now I'm hungry.

[EddyP]

Want me to ask Myron Mixon? I just had a nice talk with him. Hes in the Delta Sky Club here in Atlanta. I **** you not. Nice guy.

On his way to coney island for something about an apple pie.

[PaintGuru]

Agreed - Flank steak has lot's of flavor imo.

Do you "smoke" the flank steak or just grill it? I did smoke some salmon that turned out pretty good, and I'm looking for other things to try.

[_Andy]

I don't really smoke any food - sometimes I add some Pecan chips to the grill for the hell of it. I coat the Flank steak in a good bit of salt, pepper, and maybe a few other spices and put it in a very very hot cast iron pan and sear and then add a bit of water and a lid and braise it for a few minutes. Grilling it is pretty much the same process except no pan or water and I tenderize it before hand. Both ways are very good and very flavorful. Cut it on a bias across the grain and it's perfect.

Cooked to medium.

[Rob_Reef_Keeper]

I have seen and had brisket on my friends ceramic smoker (Primo) same as the BGE. He gets a really good piece of brisket with the fat cap and applies the rub and cooks(smokes) the brisket for ~18-22 hours depending on the meat and when it is done. He is using the BBQ Guru probe/fan so the temps are rock steady for the whole time (I believe you have this as well so it should be set it and forget it).

He has tried the "Turbo" method by wrapping it in foil after it hits a certain temp to speed up the plateau cooking and says it was good but not as good as letting it fly on the smoker all day/night.

His best rubs he says he uses on briskets usually contain coffee.

I am going to try a brisket later this summer after I learn more about the BGE. I am still on ribs, steaks, chicken so far.