Brisket Blasphemy

[LdyLnghrn]

First of all, I want to say that I have the utmost respect for Brisketexan, NCAAFBALLROX, and everyone else on here that cooks brisket the proper way with smokers, wood fires, etc..... However, I am limited in that I don't have any of that. What I DO have is a gas grill, and a hunger for brisket. So, I decided to give it a shot and attempt to cook a brisket on the gas grill, using smoke pellets and a good rub. Here's a photo of the end product, and I have to say that it actually ended up tasting almost as good as it looked. I'm going to make a few modifications to my cooking method the next time, and hopefully I'll be able to nail it.

 

[hornian]

Mine are darker

:

Your's looks like it turned out well too.

 

[Sucklebuster]

LDY, go for it!

 

[austintexas]

Hey, in discussions of how to do it right, I would never recommend that way. But if you gotta have a brisket and that's all you got, I won't judge. Nice work.

 

[Brisketexan]

You do what you gotta do -- looks like you improvised pretty well. Tell us more about how you did it (timing, when it was wrapped, how you placed the smoke, etc.).

 

[Mack Tripper]

Good work. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Let us know more about your method.

 

[LdyLnghrn]

Thanks for the compliments and the understanding. Considering it was my first brisket EVER, I know that I definitely have room for improvement, but it was also quite edible. Here's how I did it.

- My grill surface is pretty good size...about 17x29, with three burners that run across the 17 inch length. I only lit the burner to the far left, and turned it as low as it would go, which kept the temperature right at 250 degrees throughout the cooking process (I kept an oven thermometer in there to keep tabs on the temp). I placed the brisket over toward the right, so that it wasn't over the direct heat, and placed a foil packet filled with smoking pellets (something I had picked up at HEB a while back) right over the fire.

- I rubbed the meat down with a mixture of Stubb's Chile-Lime Seasoning, and Durkee Grill Creations Smokey Mesquite Flavor Seasoning.

- Based on some instructions I had found by searching Google, I was going to cook it uncovered for 2.5 to 3 hours, and then wrap it in foil to finish it out for another 3 hours (give or take). However, about 1.5 hours into it, I started to get scared about it overcooking and drying out, so I went ahead and wrapped it in foil at that point. It then finished cooking for another 5 hours in the foil. The end result didn't have quite as much of a smoke flavor as I would have liked, and was a bit more "roasty" (in flavor and texture/tenderness) than I would have preferred for a brisket. Other than that it was fine.

So, next time I will trust the directions and wait longer before I wrap it in the foil. Hopefully, doing that will give me both the flavor/smokiness and texture that is brisket.

 

[S197HQQKEM]

that is pretty cool actually, next time since a gas grill ain't as airtight as a smoker try using more wood chips/pellets, you still won't get a red ring but you should get more smoky flavor.


for even trying with a gas grill

 

[Brisketexan]

I think you did fine, and brisket being what it is (meat with a huge hunk of fat on top), you probably weren't at risk of drying it out at all. Let it cook unwrapped for 3-4 hours -- it will get more smoke flavor to it. Then wrap and finish that way.

Oh, and no need to get all fancy with your rubs/seasoning, IF you can get enough wood smoke flavor to it.

Good job, and great effort using the resources that you had available.

 

[UTEE]

My favorite rub for brisket is 2 parts salt, 1 part black pepper, 1 part paprika. Simple, and perfect. You could even kill the paprika if you wanted, because salt and pepper are all it really needs, but I like the color and the bit of flavor that the paprika lends.

Sometimes I throw in 1/2 part chipotle powder as well, but only when I'm serving folks who I know can handle the spice.

Looks good, I think you did a fine job, and I'd leave it uncovered longer next time as well. The fat in brisket is what keeps it moist, and it's actually a good thing to get a nice, charred bark on the outside.

 

[Orange Salad Ranch]

I've had a few similar situations were I had to "smoke" ribs on a gas grill. I used apple wood chips wrapped in foil pouches to get a lot of smoke and the ribs were actually terrific. I served them to a bunch of traditionalist BBQ guys who are on our rodeo BBQ/beer drinking team. They loved them but I was too embarrassed to tell them they weren't traditionally smoked.

I have more fun and it is a little more rewarding to use a smoker to make "authentic" Texas Q, but really for me, the bottom line is what the finished product looks and tastes like, no matter how you get there.