B is for Brisket [Archive]

chuk hell

06-30-2006, 07:51 PM

Here in Texas, Brisket is the undisputed king of meat mountain. Sure, we love our sausage, chicken, ham and even pork shoulder but when you say BBQ in Texas, people think brisket.

Well, I'm having my traditional 4th of July party/BBQ and I'm going to smoke 2 briskets. To smoke brisket you'll need one of these. (http://pappasgrills.com/images/BBQ075%20Texas%20Style.gif)

If ya'll are interested I'll post my recipe and technique and maybe even some pix.

P_Schneider

07-01-2006, 06:11 AM

Sounds good Chuk! For me I will be smoking up some pork tenderloin this weekend. It's supposed to be a fantastic weekend too. Temps in the mid 80's, low humidity, sunshine, sunshine, sunshine!

Cap'n Bones

07-01-2006, 04:52 PM

darthcarl

07-01-2006, 11:26 PM

I'm looking forward to some grilled Bratwusts and grilled corn on the cob the beautiful 4th

Tina Brooks

07-03-2006, 08:42 AM

When IDay falls on a Tuesday -- Are you off today or tomorrow???

DEFCON Creator

07-03-2006, 10:32 AM

Both.

chuk hell

07-03-2006, 02:53 PM

Buy brisket that is untrimed, of what they call 'packer trimed". It will have a big "fat cap" on top of the brisket. Trim that down to about 1/4 to 1/2" thick. Don't trim too much because remember, fat=flavor.

http://img314.imageshack.us/img314/4862/img00025fd.jpg

After triming squirt a bunch of plain yellow mustard on the brisket and rub it all over.

http://img362.imageshack.us/img362/3570/img00084yx.jpg

http://img330.imageshack.us/img330/8845/img00123di.jpg

chuk hell

07-03-2006, 03:15 PM

This time I added a little Tabasco to the mustard, just for the hell of it. The mustard will hold the rub on and the vinegar will infuse the spices into the meat.

Next, you want to add your rub.

http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/9434/img00210ci.jpg

There's a lot of hoo ha about what goes in a rub. Personally, I just throw one together out of what I have in the pantry. It will usually include, but is not limited to the following:

garlic powder
cajun seasoning
chipotle powder
cayenne powder
black pepper
onion powder
oregano
ginger
paparika
salt

i don't like using sugar in rubs for beef but I do us it on pork.

Pat your rub allover the brisket.

http://img309.imageshack.us/img309/5545/img00264he.jpg

Once you have got your rub on, put the brisket in the fridge for an hour or two while you get your fire ready.

http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/2081/img00312jl.jpg

Now get your fire ready. You're gonna need one of these.....

http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/1758/img28uv.jpg

thehotpepper.com

07-04-2006, 12:38 AM

I like your fridge. Beer takes up one shelf, meat another.

darthcarl

07-04-2006, 12:40 AM

I like your fridge. Beer takes up one shelf, meat another.

I count 7 kinds of beer?

chuk hell

07-04-2006, 02:39 PM

I count 7 kinds of beer?

What can I say? ;)

At this point i've been smoking those 2 briskets continuously for 22 hours and they are just about ready to come off. The party starts in an hour and a half so I'll have to wait until tomorrow to post the rest of the procedure and pics.

Happy Independence Day everyone! :onfire: :mouthonfire: :onfire:

Tina Brooks

07-04-2006, 04:25 PM

Sounds yummy, Chuk! Have a great party!

Cap'n Bones

07-05-2006, 06:39 AM

Can't wait to see the final results! Thanks for taking the time to share your work...

btw, I spy Tecate, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Dogfish IPA?, Sam Adams summer ale perhaps?....

chuk hell

07-06-2006, 08:24 PM

OK, when the fire is ready and the brisket has set for a while I put it on the smoker "naked"; not me, the brisket...that is,not wrapped in foil.

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/5729/img54xt.jpg

That's a good temp to start out. You want to keep it between 200º and 250º for the duration. It really, REALLY helps to have a thermometer on yout smoker. Mine didn't come with one but I spent about 8 bucks for this one and it's a great thing to have...otherwise you just have to guess.

http://img378.imageshack.us/img378/8390/img64xr.jpg

After the brisket has been on the smoker for 6 to 8 hours I take it off and wrap it in heavy duty foil. Triple wrap it. This will keep it from getting too smokey. Too much smoke can actually make it taste sort of bitter. It also serves a very important funtion...it keeps the brisket from drying out. Once it's wrappped in foil all the fat juice that runs off will be trapped in the foil and the meat will cook in it's own juice.

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/7269/img116cq.jpg

Here's the smoker going strong at 3:30 am, just before I went to bed for a few hours.

http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/649/img00112vg.jpg

chuk hell

07-06-2006, 08:36 PM

OK, this is the 4th of July. The briskets have been on the smoker for about 19 or 20 hours. It's time to take them off and drain the juice out of the foil.

http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/13/img00133ae.jpg

That's what I'm doing here...

http://img45.imageshack.us/img45/6618/img00233le.jpg

After I drain off all that juice I put the brisket back on the smoker for an hour or so to dry it a bit...the outside, not the inside.

http://img351.imageshack.us/img351/7186/img00321eq.jpg

chuk hell

07-06-2006, 08:47 PM

Here's the final product. meat that has been smoked for 22 hours. it's a labor of love...and sleep deprivation!

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/4466/img00331cs.jpg

here's another shot...a whole brisket cut up and ready to serve my guests....

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/7919/img00352tg.jpg

One more, a close up! The redness on the edge of the meat is the smoke ring.

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/7844/img00362gj.jpg

And that's how I do Texas style brisket! I wish ya'll could have been here to have some....and a few beers!:cheers:

imaguitargod

07-06-2006, 08:56 PM

Wow! Nice meat, man! Uhhh...wait, that didn't come out right...

sixstring75

07-06-2006, 09:09 PM

Wow! Nice meat, man!

What not to say in the locker room. But any way, that looks friggin' good!!

laststandchili

10-24-2006, 02:41 PM

Brisket looks great, but I have one question. If you're triple wrapping after 6-8 hours, why not just finish it in the oven? Much easier to control, and you don't have to continue feeding your cooker.

Vayo con Queso

thehotpepper.com

10-24-2006, 03:12 PM

Welcome laststandchili!

Hey Chuk, that brisket looks perfect! All the brisket I've had has been dry. NYC, ya know.

marcosauces

10-24-2006, 03:43 PM

man..that meat looks darn good..:)

Scotty

10-25-2006, 01:24 PM

If I may... I'd like to interject that one of the most important parts of a good brisket is the actual packer choice selection. Talk to your butcher and ask him to bring out a case of packers and look for the ones that have the best marbling on the flat side. It's a different type of marbling than like you'd see on a steak, but after looking at a few, you'll see that difference.

I've Q'd many a brisket. Some came out great, so were dry as hell even though the were cooked the exact same way. As I'm sure CH cant attest to.... ya never know if you got a good one til you taste it and try and tug it. A nicely marbled brisket, you should be able to slice, tug on the slice horizontally, and the muscle strands should separate....but it shouldn't come apart.

CH, Did did you separate the point from the flat? There's nothing better than burnt ends... but as I'm sure you know... the point needs to be cooked longer that the flat for the fat to render.

And........

All this from a ... :flamethrower: Yankee!!! So I know you may take it stride.

:Edit ... forgot to add a pic.
http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/7647/pict0381lh8.jpg

chuk hell

10-25-2006, 07:45 PM

Wow, that's an awesome pic Scotty! Got me drooling!

You are right about selection of a good brisket although you seem to know more about it than me. I usually just use my "meat instincts" and try to pick out the best of the bunch. If you can post more about exactly what to look for I'd love to read it.

As far as the point and the flat, I'm not sure what you mean. Can you explain exactly which part is which? I'm also not sure what you mean about about separating them. Can you elaborate? When smoking I realize the thick end will need more time so I take that into consideration when positioning them on the smoker grill. Of course when they are closer to the fire box they get more heat.

marcosauces

10-25-2006, 08:51 PM

Darned guys....you gotta stop posting those kinda pictures...im gaining weight just looking at them..:)

LUCKYDOG

10-26-2006, 09:43 AM

As far as the point and the flat, I'm not sure what you mean. Can you explain exactly which part is which? I'm also not sure what you mean about about separating them. Can you elaborate? When smoking I realize the thick end will need more time so I take that into consideration when positioning them on the smoker grill. Of course when they are closer to the fire box they get more heat.

There is the Flat -- the bottom most portion this is usually the part they sell corned Then there is the Dinkle or Point this part sits on top of a fat layer on the Flat. The two can be seperated however I leave mine together until I cut them then I scrape that fat layer if its to thick under the point, the point has a different grain direction anyways.
I tend to smoke mine until the internal temp gets to around 150 160 then I foil it until I reach a temp of at least 190 before I unwrap and "dry" out on the smoker again.

Scotty

10-28-2006, 01:04 PM

I'm gunna bet getting a case of packers (the whole thing...the flat and the point). I'll try to get a pic of the marbling I'm talking about.
Here's a good site (not mine) that talks about the different parts.
http://www.azbbqa.net/articles/brisket-trim.htm
(This just shows how to separate before cooking, but I leave it on and Q the whole thing since the coals are already going). But like LuckyDog says, it's easy to tell since the grain runs in a different direction. when it hits 165 or so, you should be able to just run a knife down the fat layer and the point will slide right off.

BigNugg

10-28-2006, 09:32 PM

the toughest cut of meat to cook consistently.........if you can get 3 out of 5 to come out great, your doing good. Heres a few pics of a couple I did recently.................enjoy

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g117/BigNugg/Picture079.jpg
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g117/BigNugg/100_0115-1.jpg
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g117/BigNugg/100_0117.jpg

BigNugg

10-28-2006, 09:33 PM

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g117/BigNugg/PICT0070B.jpg
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g117/BigNugg/PICT0071-1.jpg

chuk hell

10-29-2006, 10:24 AM

Wow! Meat porn!

marcosauces

10-29-2006, 10:43 AM

LOL..!!! looks good Bignugg..!!

imaguitargod

10-29-2006, 11:36 AM

Wow! Meat porn!
You almost made me spit out my coffee onto my monitor.

LUCKYDOG

10-30-2006, 10:12 AM

Looks good Big Nug ...

ross

10-31-2006, 01:05 AM

damn, i know this is an old thread, but chuck, ive never made one by wrapping it up, that sounds like an awesome idea! i think ill be doing that real soon.

by the way, i like the 90 minute in the fridge. nice touch, should go great with all that brisket!

chuk hell

10-31-2006, 09:51 AM

ross

10-31-2006, 10:15 PM

There's always some 90 Minute in my fridge! And usually some 60 minute too!

Right now I've got some of their "PUNKIN" beer. The first pumpkin beer I've tried that I actually like, mainly because they don't overdo the spice and pumpkin flavors.

man i thought about it, and i dont think i can do the brisket for 20 hours.. i dont have indirect smoke :(

try some dogfish world wide stout, now THATs a beer.

chuk hell

11-02-2006, 04:36 PM

try some dogfish world wide stout, now THATs a beer.

:(

That's one I can't get in Texas.

Scotty

11-02-2006, 05:42 PM

chuk hell

11-02-2006, 05:56 PM

I know it's a huge topic for debate, but them juices out of the foil are something that sould NOT be lost !

What would you use it for? Gravy? It's mostly just rendered fat. just curious.

Scotty

11-02-2006, 08:14 PM

Well, many uses. Gravy is a definite possibility, but it's great as is. The juices have so much collagen, it's naturally thick when it cools a little.

Mostly, I just use it to spoon over the layered pieces of sliced flat right before service. The extra juice in the bottom of the pan is a bonus if you are serving it in a chaffer. You can baste the slices to keep it looking nice and attractive.

It's also great for .... *Insert ANYTHING here*
Some ideas:
poured over spuds of any kind
drizzle over grilled veggies
addition to stew / chili (if not comp)
addition in making demi glaze / or any hearty sauce
adds a great flavor to beef steaks / Philly's
The list goes on and on.

imaguitargod

11-02-2006, 08:19 PM

It's also great for .... *Insert ANYTHING here*
Throwing at your friends
Giving it to your dog
Giving it to your frog
Leaving it on the counter for days on end until one of your roommates is forced to clean it up
Adhearing the wallpaper to the wall
Using it to style your hair
Using it to style your friends hair
Putting it in your shoes and then walking around while recording the noise it makes for use on a sound effects album
Use it for matress filling

chuk hell

11-02-2006, 08:20 PM

Thanks for the tips! I'll consider it. I'd like to try making a demi glaze.

imaguitargod

11-02-2006, 08:21 PM

Thanks for the tips! I'll consider it. I'd like to try making a demi glaze.
Your welcome. :hell: (I know you ment Scotty)

Scotty

11-02-2006, 08:28 PM

Thanks for the tips! I'll consider it. I'd like to try making a demi glaze.

Pretty easy, just takes a lot of time. I have a hard time finding/making Veal stock up here.

LUCKYDOG

11-07-2006, 08:52 AM

man i thought about it, and i dont think i can do the brisket for 20 hours.. i dont have indirect smoke :(

I have done them in my kettle grill with success just put a drip tray underneath filled with water or a mixture of whatever and line up coal all around the drip tray add wood chunks and damper down. Granted you cant do huge pieces but you can do a good 8 pounder.
Yum yum :P

xgrafcorex

11-11-2006, 01:03 AM

all of those pics look amazing. what would be the best way to attempt this or something as close as possible without a smoker?

and CH, i hope for your sake i never crash at your place....that fridge looks too tempting to NOT raid!!!

setzuanfire

12-02-2006, 12:48 AM

2 things I look for in brisket- good smoke ring and juicy, thin slices. And MESQUITE smoke!!! You guys are indeed posting 'meat porn'! excellent stuff. Anyone wanna share any favorite brisket rub recipes? I just use a basic rib rub that varies from batch to batch, but I'd like to try the yellow mustard/ dry rub combo on my next try (maybe soon). I'm also going to try it only in the oven with smoked powders in the rub, see how it goes.

brookthecook

Larry Wolfe

12-02-2006, 12:29 PM

I know it's a huge topic for debate, but them juices out of the foil are something that sould NOT be lost !

Amen! Tons and tons of uses for the juice as well as tons of flavor!

What would you use it for? Gravy? It's mostly just rendered fat. just curious.

True, there's alot of fat in the juices. But........you can easily remove much of the fat and then you're left with liquid gold!!