today i cook my first brisket

scottsins

scottsins

1,000+ Posts
found a brand new brinkman "bullet" style smoker at My dad's while cleaning the place out for estate sale.

After a call to TBC, I decided to give it a shot. so far, so good. temp is right, decent amount of smoke from the wood chunks.

I have ****** up in one way though, and that is that I only have 3 beers here. beer store is near though, so I'll manage.

questiopn though:

will I be able to transfer the brisket from the smoker to the foil pan by using a towel? Will I burn the **** out of myself? i don't have special glvoes, and I REFUSE to stab a serving fork into any piece of meat until after it has rested sufficiently.
 
Probably, but briskets can be very squirrely. They're heavy and don't exactly have handles. Be careful out there.
 
Try for a "squeeze" method with whatever implements you can muster... salad tongs, anything.

AS I type this, GI Jane is about to blow some **** up on the tee vee...

Unlikely story, but what the heck.

& Brisket... nice day for some brisket.

texasflag.gif
hookem.gif
texasflag.gif
hookem.gif
texasflag.gif
 
get some of those gloves that go up to your elbows and are appropriate for handling red hot ingots at a smelting plant
 
^
^

that would be the plan, except when i was at wal-mart, my sheer dread and hatred took over and I couldn't find the 'assistance" to locate welder's golves. so what I'm needing is a temporary fix.

also, having a little difficulty with the temp now, but nothing too bad. when it got too cool, i didn't know how much charcoal to add and overdid it. had to leave the lid off for about 5 minutes to bring it down. I really seem to be having trouble keeping the smoke going. i'm going through soaked wood chunks pretty fast.
 
do you have kitchen mitts? i use those sometimes, and then just throw them in the washing machine when done. if not, two hand towels will work in a pinch.

brisket is an art. i have done dozens of dozens of them, and sometimes i end up feeling that i could have done much better. somtimes i feel like it is better than any restaurant that i have ever been to. so many variables.

the very first brisket i did, many many years ago was when my friend was remodeling his house and had to move out and get an apartment for 9 months while he did. he let me come get his smoker and use it since he wouldnt be. i ended up keeping it for about 4 years, but, oh well.

the first one i did on that thing, i invited about 50 people for a cookout... a huge brisket, several chickens, sausage, not my best, but it worked.

have fun with it. once you get really good at it, it will give you a whole new appreciation for great brisket from 'que joints.
 
so, how long am I supposed to cook this thing? it weight right at 7 lbs.

also, I plan on resting it, wrapped in a cooler for about 45 min. to one hour, if that matters with the cooking time.
 
Brisket is strange. Personally, I'd rather overcook than undercook one, which is bass-ackwards from most meat. If you get it upwards of 195 F internal temperature, it will be falling-apart delicious.

I'd bet on something like 80 minutes per pound if you're getting a consistent smoker temp of 225 F. Really, after it has smoked for a few hours, there isn't much more benefit in smoking. (Sacrilege, I know.) I usually take mine off the smoker after 3-4 hours, put them in foil, and toss them in the oven. Add a remote temperature probe, and you're good to go -- it will be perfect.
 
o.k., so my dumbass didn't put this thing on until 2:20 this afternoon. my wife will be less than impressed if I have to wake her up to eat it at 11 p.m.

thus, I've been advixsed that since it's been smoking for over 4 hours now, that I can possibly transfer to the oven, and raise the temp to 275 degrees.

this seems like a smart idea, so I'm going to try it.

then, i should be able to stop cooking at8 or 8:30, rest for about 30 minutes in a cooler (or should I jsut do it on a platter, wrapped) and eat by 9 or so.
 
now wife called and REALLY wants to go out when she gets home at 8:15. she's starving, needs a drink, etc. these things mean i likely get laid if we go have sushi and get drunk.

so, now that the brisket's been at 275 trying to speed it up a little, for about one hour, I think I ought to bring the temp back down to about 210-215 and keep cooking while we're gone.

in sum: brisket was on smoker for 4.5 hours, in oven at 275 for 1 hour, and now I'll jsut drop the temp down and cook for another 2 hours. then, i'll take it oput, rest for one hour, and put in fridge for tomorrow.

I'm guessing I'll need tips for reheating, since i'm guessing the microwave would get me hung around here.
 
I like to start a brisket around 5 PM on a Friday or Saturday night. I let it smoke for 5 or 6 hours, then wrap it in foil at put it in the oven at 225 F around midnight. There is no risk of it finishing by breakfast, and for a sufficiently large brisket, it won't hit an internal temperature of 190 F or higher until lunchtime. By that time, everyone is famished.
 
Jimmy, I agree with you 100% on the "once it's had enough smoke, wrap it and finish it in the oven" thing, but I like to get mine 8-10 hours on the smoke, and then 3-5 hours in the oven.

Total cook time is 13-14 hours. I don't worry about time per pound, etc, because I try to work with 11-13 pound briskets only, and they all pretty much cook the same.

I have damned sure learned the lesson that you can't rush it. Even cutting an hour or two off, it doesn't turn out right. 13 hour minimum, period, for me.

If I want to serve one for Saturday dinner, I just set my alarm and get up and put it on around 4:00 a.m. I get up that early to go fishing, and I don't even get to go back to bed when I fish, so no big deal. Get it going by 4:30, go to bed until 6:00, check the fire, doze again till 7:30 or so, and I'm rested, with a kick-*** hunk o beef cookin'.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Weekly Prediction Contest

* Predict HORNS-AGGIES *
Sat, Nov 30 • 6:30 PM on ABC

Recent Threads

Prediction Results Threads

2024 Schedules

Back
Top