GRRRR Brisket

[BASCOM]

Hi all

Having recently received a WSM for my birthday, I have turned my attention to cooking me a brisket..
Now, im no newbie to this bbq business so ive got a good grip on what to do..

So after doing plenty of reading up about brisket I set to the task, but came across a few issues

1) A packer brisket will set you back a good £40-£50 notes,
now im all for spending ££ on a good piece of meat but want some experience of cooking smaller cuts first

2) Finding info on cooking smaller cuts of brisket are few and far between, think I found two threads on other forums that I will post here if able.

Ok so went out and got me 2 rolled briskets
I know rolled brisket isn't the best because of the fat cap has all but been cut off but everybody gotta start somewhere RIGHT

my hard and fast notes for brisket where

BBQ TEMP 225F-250F
INTERNAL TEMP OF 200-205F
IF FOILING (TEXAS CRUTCH) DO SO AT 160F-170F
STALL HAPPENS BETWEEN 150F-170F
TO SHORTEN STALL YOU CAN RAISE TEMPS OF COOKER UP TO 275F

Monitored by maverick et 72

1st brisket tried the texas crutch, but temps only got to 190f before I pulled it rested and ate, it was a little dry.
think where I went wrong was pulling it before the 200f threshold

2nd brisket didn't crutch but had bit of a coal nightmare, got internal temps to about 180f but was getting late, pulled foiled and stuck in the oven and then duly cremated

I know some if my issues may just be the meat that ive brought and the slight errors made but the meat still wasn't a moist as I would have thought..
anyone got tips for anyone wanting to do brisket but cant afford to splash the cash on a HUGE HUNK of meat you might cremate anyway

its like a classic catch 22 situation

think the moderators should start a thread LEAN or Rolled brisket to help us/ ME out

please be constructive with answers

[TheHowster]

I smoked my first brisket on my proq frontier elite and it came out well. It was a 1.4Kg rolled brisket from a butcher on a local estate. I had frozen it so upon defrosting I unrolled and tried to shape into as even a slab as possible. I dry brined the night before cooking then rubbed in memphis dust in the morning just before putting in the smoker. It took 2 hours to hit 150f internal at which point I foiled and poored a little thinned gravy in. Cooked for a further 2.5 hours to 203f then wrapped and tested for about 3 hours. The whole smoke was at about 235f with French oak and Pecan wood.

The best bit was the thickest part with the point on top. The end of the flat wasn't as soft and moist but having fridged the slices of this in a meat juice/Apple juice/bbq sauce mix and reheating in the microwave it came out amazing. Next up is a larger cut.

Hope you find something in there useful but I think I just got lucky for a first run.

[Kiska95]

Hi

I know your problems (I got them) and yes it could be the choice of meat as well. Just been to my friend in Sunderland who is a meat wholesaler and about to open a BBQ restaurant he also supplies others and they struggle to get the Brisket spot on. The best options being USDA Prime or Australian Brisket from Smithfield's but yes it aint cheap. Its our UK habit of wanting ultra lean meat that causes the problem, that and how the brisket is trimmed here. A US full brisket would have a "flat and a Tip" as there are 2 muscles there and a fat cap. One end of the brisket is thick (2 muscles) the other thin so you direct the thin end away from the heat source. Once smoked the tip is removed from the flat and resubmitted to the smoker for "burnt Ends". Unfortunately our briskets are trimmed of fat and separated by the butchers then rolled to look attractive and lean to sell easier. Its a tough meat (and was cheap) that's why it needs low and slow, most house wives put into a pot roast. However its the fat content that keeps it moist, taking it away means it dries out quicker. Also US beef is much bigger and has a lot of marbling like Wagyu ours are bred lean. Most butchers now don't cut from the bone and get brisket vac packed in 20KG boxes from all over the globe. I'm sourcing brisket myself hence the visit to my friend and the reason I did was that a big piece of rolled brisket I got cheap (@£6 per KG) was not the real deal when a butcher mate inspected it, so some do cheat when rolling.. So the solution may be to try brining as our friend did or injecting with a buttery marinade as they do with turkey breasts and legs of pork. Fresh is better of course but I use frozen too but what juices are left in the bag on defrosting are never going to go back into the meat so bear that in mind too.

My question to our competition boys out there is what do you use or do to win brisket competitions with juicy brisket???????

[Kiska95]

Hi

Should have read "point" not "tip" I had Tri-Tip on my mind at the time from another post sorry.

[J0hn78]

I'm sourcing brisket myself hence the visit to my friend and the reason I did was that a big piece of rolled brisket I got cheap (@£6 per KG) was not the real deal when a butcher mate inspected it, so some do cheat when rolling.

I've experienced the same confusion from butchers suggesting rolled brisket and saying the cut I'm really after is the long rib meat. I've found the best trick is to show them a diagram of the cut and a photo of the American cut. There's a wholesaler near to me who will actually supply packer, point or flat at under £5/kilo. I need to get a sample to see what it's like. I've heard good reviews of the brisket from Turnerandgeorge.co.uk which they will supply wholesale at £6.80/kilo .

[Swindon_Ed]

My question to our competition boys out there is what do you use or do to win brisket competitions with juicy brisket???????

Australian Black Angus, 4 out of 4 wins in brisket with these this year

[Jash Monolith]

I can only give you my backyard experiences which won't be to the extent of Ed, Steve etc, but my brisket always comes out well. I do however like mine to have more of a pulled texture over sliced, so I take it to 205ishf internal over the 195f for slicing.

It's a lot about getting a good piece and then just maintaining a temperature. The marbling is crucial and I use good quality, but British brisket most of the time. My butcher brings out a lump and I choose my piece depending on how many people I'm cooking for (but never under 2kg as hey, if there happens to be leftovers all the better).

I like a lower temp than some at around 230f for my kamado and to get to 205f internal usually takes around 12-14 hours depending on size, and I foil after about 5 hours.

There's obviously lots of people's preferred methods, but honestly maintaining a temp, getting the right piece with plenty of marbling and some fat cap, and getting the right internal are all I would say are key.

Some years ago when I started with supermarket pieces I learnt to add some dripping into small scoring 'pockets' I made on the top if it was lacking on marbling which did help add some fat and flavour into the centre.

Hope that helps somewhat

[Kiska95]

Hi Swindon - Ed,

do you have a local supplier of your Aussi Brisket or is there a source we can try?

[gingerchris]

Tom Hixson is the source for Aussie brisket, either in Smithfield market or on their website - http://www.tomhixson.co.uk/australian-brisket.html

[Kiska95]

Thats great thankyou