I have (thanks to hornian, hornfans.com, etc.) become the family lake house bad-*** at griling all meats of choice, as well as smoking ribs, sausage, jalapeno-bacon wrapped chicken thighs, etc. However, I can not for the life of me get a consistent brisket in the rotation. I know all about the fat-up, slow-and-low deal, but what am I missing that makes every brisket I prepare just "average"? Where can you get the best cut of meat? What kind of wood is best? Do you inject the brisket, and if so, with what? Thanks!
Brisket hell
- Thread starter Bye Week
- Start date
The fat side up thing is a myth. Not that that is your problem, but it frankly doesn't matter. the fat does not melt through and baste the meat as many will proclaim. That said if you have a pit with a center mounted firebox(i.e. under the center of the barrell/cooking chamber) then you are much better off cooking it fat side down as the fat cap will act as a further heat shield. anyway, i do not inject.
I use this complex rub similar to what is used in lockhart. it consists of salt and pepper. there is no "seceret rub", no "magic brine", or any other topical bbq shenanigans to making a great brisket. To me it is the ultimate "keep it simple stupid" bbq.
I get brisket from HEB, or Pete's FIne Meats in Houston. What i look for in a brisket is a uniform, and really fairly thin fat cap. I like to be able to take one tip of the brisket, and pretty easily fold it in half to touch the other tip. This tells me it is well marbled internally, and will be tender. I rub it with salt and pepper 24 hours prior. I smoke over oak charcoal, and either post oak, pecan, or hickory depending on what looks best to me at the time. i keep my pit between 225-250, and i cook it 1.5 hours per pound. i never raise the lid to look at it. it is still there. I pull it, let it rest at least 30 minutes if not more. There are occasions where I will baste it in some sauce, wrap it up, and put it in a cooler for up to 4 hours before serving.
If oyur brisket is not "tender" then most likely you are not cooking it long enough. at those low temps it takes a long time. I will tell you that i have done some "fast briskets" too. They can turn out jsut as well, but you have to be careful. A fast brisket is one that is smoked at about 300 degrees to an internal temp of about 180 as fast as possible. I then turn it down to let it spend about 2-3 hours making a slower, but steady climb to 205ish to get to fall apart tender. some do not like it to fall apart, and if that is the case shut it down at about 190.
Just keep practicing it, and you will get it. don't over think it which IMO is what many people trying to perect brisket cooking will do. It is a really simple piece of meat to cook, and make it great while keeping it simple. you're going to mostly taste the meat, and the smoke when all is said and done so it really won't make much difference what you use as rub.
I use this complex rub similar to what is used in lockhart. it consists of salt and pepper. there is no "seceret rub", no "magic brine", or any other topical bbq shenanigans to making a great brisket. To me it is the ultimate "keep it simple stupid" bbq.
I get brisket from HEB, or Pete's FIne Meats in Houston. What i look for in a brisket is a uniform, and really fairly thin fat cap. I like to be able to take one tip of the brisket, and pretty easily fold it in half to touch the other tip. This tells me it is well marbled internally, and will be tender. I rub it with salt and pepper 24 hours prior. I smoke over oak charcoal, and either post oak, pecan, or hickory depending on what looks best to me at the time. i keep my pit between 225-250, and i cook it 1.5 hours per pound. i never raise the lid to look at it. it is still there. I pull it, let it rest at least 30 minutes if not more. There are occasions where I will baste it in some sauce, wrap it up, and put it in a cooler for up to 4 hours before serving.
If oyur brisket is not "tender" then most likely you are not cooking it long enough. at those low temps it takes a long time. I will tell you that i have done some "fast briskets" too. They can turn out jsut as well, but you have to be careful. A fast brisket is one that is smoked at about 300 degrees to an internal temp of about 180 as fast as possible. I then turn it down to let it spend about 2-3 hours making a slower, but steady climb to 205ish to get to fall apart tender. some do not like it to fall apart, and if that is the case shut it down at about 190.
Just keep practicing it, and you will get it. don't over think it which IMO is what many people trying to perect brisket cooking will do. It is a really simple piece of meat to cook, and make it great while keeping it simple. you're going to mostly taste the meat, and the smoke when all is said and done so it really won't make much difference what you use as rub.
Bye Week - Really, the question is, what kind of set-up do you have? Offset smoker? Vertical smoker? Big Green Egg? Weber Grill? (don't laugh, it's been done before, successfully! Just takes more work)
I agree with most of what 911 Horn said, and especially that you need to adhere to KISS principles.
IMO, smoking brisket is the easiest thing in the world to do, if you have the right equipment.
So, tell us a little bit about your set-up, and about your method, and maybe we can help you figure out where the "average" is coming from.
Everybody does it their own way and some people have very strong opinions, but to answer your question about what I do-- I have an offset firebox smoker, a large heavy one that is welded all the way around. It takes a while to come up to temperature, but once it's there, it stays there forever with minimal maintenance.
I start my fire with lump charcoal, but I only use that to get the wood going. I typically just use oak because it's cheap and plentiful, but when I have some handy I also use hickory/pecan or apple or cherry. The fruit woods make great BBQ. I don't use mesquite for BBQ because IMO it burns too hot and too fast. It's great for direct grilling, though.
I use a rub of 2 parts salt, 1 part black pepper, and 1 part paprika. Put it on a few hours before the meat goes on the pit (you can do it 24 hours ahead of time if you like). Let the meat come up to room temperature before you throw it on the pit.
I always do fat side up, and I believe that it DOES make a difference. But, suit yourself on this issue, or do what I did and experiment with two at once, one each way, to figure out whether you think it makes a difference or not. I tried this a couple of times and came to the conclusion that it DOES make a difference. But it's up to you.
Then 225 in the pit for as long as it takes, don't mess with it and don't look at it, should be at least an hour per pound and maybe more like the 1.5 that 911 said but it really just depends on the particular brisket you have. No matter how long you have it in there, you know it's done when your finger easily slides into the fat cap (another reason to leave the fat side up).
After you pull it off the pit, let it rest for 30-45 minutes before slicing. Mine come out tender and juicy and delicious every time, and it's not because I'm a genius or anything.
I get my briskets at HEB and CostCo, whoever has the better price. HEB usually runs a $.99/lb sale around Summer holidays, so I often stock up and freeze a couple.
I agree with most of what 911 Horn said, and especially that you need to adhere to KISS principles.
IMO, smoking brisket is the easiest thing in the world to do, if you have the right equipment.
So, tell us a little bit about your set-up, and about your method, and maybe we can help you figure out where the "average" is coming from.
Everybody does it their own way and some people have very strong opinions, but to answer your question about what I do-- I have an offset firebox smoker, a large heavy one that is welded all the way around. It takes a while to come up to temperature, but once it's there, it stays there forever with minimal maintenance.
I start my fire with lump charcoal, but I only use that to get the wood going. I typically just use oak because it's cheap and plentiful, but when I have some handy I also use hickory/pecan or apple or cherry. The fruit woods make great BBQ. I don't use mesquite for BBQ because IMO it burns too hot and too fast. It's great for direct grilling, though.
I use a rub of 2 parts salt, 1 part black pepper, and 1 part paprika. Put it on a few hours before the meat goes on the pit (you can do it 24 hours ahead of time if you like). Let the meat come up to room temperature before you throw it on the pit.
I always do fat side up, and I believe that it DOES make a difference. But, suit yourself on this issue, or do what I did and experiment with two at once, one each way, to figure out whether you think it makes a difference or not. I tried this a couple of times and came to the conclusion that it DOES make a difference. But it's up to you.
Then 225 in the pit for as long as it takes, don't mess with it and don't look at it, should be at least an hour per pound and maybe more like the 1.5 that 911 said but it really just depends on the particular brisket you have. No matter how long you have it in there, you know it's done when your finger easily slides into the fat cap (another reason to leave the fat side up).
After you pull it off the pit, let it rest for 30-45 minutes before slicing. Mine come out tender and juicy and delicious every time, and it's not because I'm a genius or anything.
I get my briskets at HEB and CostCo, whoever has the better price. HEB usually runs a $.99/lb sale around Summer holidays, so I often stock up and freeze a couple.
One other thing-- slicing is really important. I've seen a lot of good brisket turned bad with improper slicing. A full packer trim brisket has two muscles that overlap. The grain runs in different directions, so you have to cut the two muscles apart, and then slice them independently. Against the grain, of course.
Seems simple, but I've been to restaurants that should know better and had brisket that was sliced incorrectly.
Seems simple, but I've been to restaurants that should know better and had brisket that was sliced incorrectly.
also if you have an offset smoker then place the bigger/thicker end of the brisket facing the firebox, and the smaller end away from the firebox. I have a center firebox model from tejas smokers so i try and put most of my fire up close to the front of the firebox, and put my brisket on my pit lengthwise (if it will fit) with the big end pointing to the front. Also because of my put design i am one who puts mine fat side down to use the fat as further sheild from the heat source directly under it. Many different ways to go about this, but much of it is common sense.
All: Thanks for the great suggestions! I should have mentioned it in the OP, but I have a standard off-set firebox smoker. After reading your comments, I think my main issue is that I am a little high on the temperature (260-275) and am not allowing for enough cooking time. Thanks again and
Son of a Son
1,000+ Posts
I usually get to 165, wrap the sucker in foil, and let it get to 190-195. Then I wrap the foil in a towl and set it in an empty cooler for an hour or two to try to let the juices soak back in.
The funny part is that there's about 100 different "tricks", but ultimately it comes down to low and slow.
The funny part is that there's about 100 different "tricks", but ultimately it comes down to low and slow.
hornyhoosier
500+ Posts
Lots of good advice on this thread.
Bye Week, we expect another brisket attempt in the near future, utilizing these suggestions-- and then a full report on the results.
BBQ pr0n pictures are appreciated, and expected in this case. You don't get to tap the massive collected wisdom of Hornfans BBQ Gurus and not give something back.
Bye Week, we expect another brisket attempt in the near future, utilizing these suggestions-- and then a full report on the results.
BBQ pr0n pictures are appreciated, and expected in this case. You don't get to tap the massive collected wisdom of Hornfans BBQ Gurus and not give something back.
hornian
1,000+ Posts
Ever since I started smoking briskets, I followed Brisketexan's tried and true method. An hour a pound, and finished in foil after about 8 or 9 hours on the smoke. They always tasted fine, but they were a little too tender for my liking - I couldn't slice half of the point at times because it would just fall apart when I tried. Now, it makes some seriously tasty chopped beef, but that's not what I'm really trying to get out of my 12-15 hours of effort.
So this past Memorial Day, I tried a little experiment. After I had wrapped the briskets and got them to their optimal doneness, I threw them back on the smoke for a couple of hours. I figured that it firmed up my spareribs, it would probably firm up my briskets too. And I was right, since I started putting my briskets back on the smoke, unwrapped, for a couple of hours at the end I've had no problems slicing my briskets. And the flavor is still outstanding. In fact, I think it's getting better.
So, here is my new method (I'm assuming a 12 lb brisket, and all temps close to 225):
1. Rub brisket the night before.
2. Smoke brisket for ~8 hours
3. Wrap in foil, continue to heat for another ~4 hours
4. Unwrap, back on smoke for a final ~2 hours
5. Rest, slice
I've been pumping out consistently great briskets doing this method. For one of the football tailgates last fall, I literally made the best tasting brisket of my life (better than anything I've eaten outside of Taylor Cafe and Franklin Barbecue) doing a modified version of this method (modified because it was off the heat for about an 60-90 minutes between steps 2 and 3 while I was setting up the smoker in our tailgate spot).
Every brisket I've smoked since last May I've smoked this way, and they've all been great.
Hope that helps.
So this past Memorial Day, I tried a little experiment. After I had wrapped the briskets and got them to their optimal doneness, I threw them back on the smoke for a couple of hours. I figured that it firmed up my spareribs, it would probably firm up my briskets too. And I was right, since I started putting my briskets back on the smoke, unwrapped, for a couple of hours at the end I've had no problems slicing my briskets. And the flavor is still outstanding. In fact, I think it's getting better.
So, here is my new method (I'm assuming a 12 lb brisket, and all temps close to 225):
1. Rub brisket the night before.
2. Smoke brisket for ~8 hours
3. Wrap in foil, continue to heat for another ~4 hours
4. Unwrap, back on smoke for a final ~2 hours
5. Rest, slice
I've been pumping out consistently great briskets doing this method. For one of the football tailgates last fall, I literally made the best tasting brisket of my life (better than anything I've eaten outside of Taylor Cafe and Franklin Barbecue) doing a modified version of this method (modified because it was off the heat for about an 60-90 minutes between steps 2 and 3 while I was setting up the smoker in our tailgate spot).
Every brisket I've smoked since last May I've smoked this way, and they've all been great.
Hope that helps.
LITNIN HORN
1,000+ Posts
So...you have a bye week.
I have done only 7-10 briskets in my day. I got the pit hot, fat fide down for 1.5 hours, fat side up for 1.5 hours, the wrap in foil for about 3-4 hours. This is good for approx 10 lb brisket. Dont worry about the temperature. Just keep the pit hot as hell. All of my briskets have turned out super tender. Also, I dont use any rub or anything . I dont want those chemicals in my body. Tyr the natural taste of the meat. It is wonderful. This really aint that hard. You can make it hard if you want.
^
based on the two posts above I'd say not just the agssuck, but the brisket too.
I did a little experiment this past weekend with a "trimmed" brisket. It had a very thin layer of fat left on it. It was about a 10 pound brisket, and I think my yeild was pretty close to 10 punds of meat as it did not have the extra 3-4 pounds of fat on it. I compared it with a 14 pound untrimmed version at the store, and excluding the fat cap they were almost the exact same dimensions. So basically my goal was to determine if the extra layer of fat was going to impact anything other than cook time. I have to say that it did not. The meat was as tender and juicy as ever, I got the same amount of meat yeild I would have gotten out of the 14 pounder, but i cut off significant cook time by not having to deal with the extra 4 punds of fat that would have needed to melt away. Keep in mind also that i do fat side down as i have a center mounted firebox. I cooked it at about 235-245 for 10 hours. It was absolutely glorious.
based on the two posts above I'd say not just the agssuck, but the brisket too.
I did a little experiment this past weekend with a "trimmed" brisket. It had a very thin layer of fat left on it. It was about a 10 pound brisket, and I think my yeild was pretty close to 10 punds of meat as it did not have the extra 3-4 pounds of fat on it. I compared it with a 14 pound untrimmed version at the store, and excluding the fat cap they were almost the exact same dimensions. So basically my goal was to determine if the extra layer of fat was going to impact anything other than cook time. I have to say that it did not. The meat was as tender and juicy as ever, I got the same amount of meat yeild I would have gotten out of the 14 pounder, but i cut off significant cook time by not having to deal with the extra 4 punds of fat that would have needed to melt away. Keep in mind also that i do fat side down as i have a center mounted firebox. I cooked it at about 235-245 for 10 hours. It was absolutely glorious.
^^^^
So how did you come to the conclusion my brisket sucked? It was "fall apart" tender! I did buy the butchers cut brisket, not the cheap ****. But it really aint that hard. But let me know where I can get some of your legendary brisket. I'm sure its probably the best ever.
So how did you come to the conclusion my brisket sucked? It was "fall apart" tender! I did buy the butchers cut brisket, not the cheap ****. But it really aint that hard. But let me know where I can get some of your legendary brisket. I'm sure its probably the best ever.
Thanks again for the tips, Hornfans. Spring Break (bye week) was a rousing success and the brisket (and ribs, smoked chickens, pork butt, etc.) came out great. If any of you can educate a 40-year old idoit how to post pics, I'll try to make this thread not worthless. Hook 'em
uisge beatha
1,000+ Posts
I've done the wrap in foil before when I've let the temp get too high and the outside is getting too done. But once you've wrapped, it doesn't matter if it's in the oven or in the smoker as the smoke isn't affecting the flavor any more. Also, the lower and slower you cook it, the larger smoke ring you're going to get.
As far as wood, I like using oak for slow burning and adding either pecan or mesquite for flavor. Personally, I'm not a big fan of hickory for smoking.
As far as wood, I like using oak for slow burning and adding either pecan or mesquite for flavor. Personally, I'm not a big fan of hickory for smoking.
Well, thanks to hornfans I have got this brisket thing down (and, two months later, have figured out how to post pics).
Here's a rundown of Bye Week's bye week:
The set-up:
Got the temperature right at 225. This was the key. I had been making shoe leather at 275...
It's on, baby:
Don't look, it's still there:
Off and rested:
Slicing that bad boy up:
Hatch chili and swiss burgers while the brisket is smokin':
This is my first attempt at adding pics; hope it works. Thanks again for all the tips and have a great Memorial Day weekend...
Here's a rundown of Bye Week's bye week:
The set-up:
Got the temperature right at 225. This was the key. I had been making shoe leather at 275...
It's on, baby:
Don't look, it's still there:
Off and rested:
Slicing that bad boy up:
Hatch chili and swiss burgers while the brisket is smokin':
This is my first attempt at adding pics; hope it works. Thanks again for all the tips and have a great Memorial Day weekend...
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