How to Make My Brisket More Tender?

Generally the later beef gets frozen in the aging process the better. The best and most expensive beef you can buy is dry aged and never frozen.

You might give it a shot but I think you will see better results if you cook it then freeze it. I haven't tried what you are proposing but would be interested in what you find out if you do try.
 
The potential problem is in buying meat that has never been frozen. Most hanging beef these days is frozen for transport. There is very little dry aged beef these days. Which is too bad it is much tastier.

If you can find a place that slaughters and butchers it will almost always be your best bet.
 
I smoked a 12 lb brisket this past weekend. Turned out great, nice and tender. However, I can't get my brisket to that "fall apart" tenderness that I like (think Rudy's extra moist).

I smoked my brisket for 9 hours, then put in oven at 225 for 2.5 hours. Let rest for close to an hour before slicing across the grain.

Any suggestions?
 
Yeah, get a thermometer probe and don't pull it until it reaches 190-195 internal in the thickest part of the point and flat regardless of how long you have cooked it. Keep it covered and let it rest for an hour where it will continue cooking and then absorb some of the juices. An ice chest is a good place for this (or warm end of a cooling pit) and some swear by covering it in a blanket (bedtime story optional). What you want is for the brisket to continue cooking with it's own heat to bring the internal temp up about another 5+ degrees and then a slow cool down where the meat relaxes and soaks up some of it's internal juices. I want mine to peak at about 200, let it cool before slicing and result in juicy slices of meat that can be cut with a fork but are not mushy.
 
The best way to make a tender brisket is to buy a tender one.

Grab each end of the brisket and try to fold the brisket so that the ends touch. If you can find one this "loose" (just keep looking there is always one there) you will have indeed found a tender brisket.

Taught this technique years ago by my Grandfather a true old school pit master. Since then I have been told by several contest winning BBQ'ers that they use the same method.
 
I incorporated most of the above advice this weekend, which resulted in a perfect storm of delicious, tender brisket.

I bought a 9.3 lb. SELECT brisket and was able to fold it in half easily at the store. Finding SELECT is the key, as I had much better results than when I used CHOICE.

I smoked the meat for 6 hours, then placed it wrapped in the oven at 210 until the internal temp was 190 (about 10 hours). Then I let it sit wrapped for another 2 hours, and it was the best brisket I have cooked to date.

I think SELECT meat is the key, along with the 190 internal temperature. Pretty hard to screw up a brisket if you follow those two rules.
 
I've had plenty of luck with CHOICE but if you can find SELECT then no reason not to use it.

Internal temp is the key. I don't usually pull and wrap my briskets, although I have done so in the past with equally delicious results. But if your pit is easy to regulate like mine, then I just leave it on the smoke the whole time, and then let it rest 20-40 minutes before slicing. IMO, resting the meat is another very important step.

But that's just my method, results for others may vary, and I ain't trying to convert anyone.

smile.gif
 
No brining will not make it corned beed that is salt and pickling spice. I brine beef and chicken before grilling it. Bring is great for tough meat, you just rinse the salt water off before cooking.
 
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