British BBQ Society Forums

Had a chat with Mr Butcher man this morning, the normal fella isn't in today so was describing to someone else what I'm after, and I basically ended up with a 5kg hunk of cow.

Now alot of it is fat, I wish I took a pic of it earlier, but I'll get one when I get home.

So, it's a 5kg cut, lot of meat, also a lot of fat, what are your guesses as to the weight once trimmed?

The winner gets.... The knowledge and satisfaction that they were the closest. I'm too good to you lot

4125g???

Hi Strechie
If the cut is really fatty you could lose 15-20%
Si

Dont cut all the fat off!!!!!!! biggest mistake people in the uk make is forgetting that the briskets here are lean. take it all of the point but leave a good amount on the flat, and cook fat side down. post a pic if you want some guidance

Oh don't worry Toby, I won't be cutting all the fat off, that's the whole point of cooking like this innit, and there will be pictures.

The missus just rang me, apparently we have a very healthy sized pork shoulder too

So she's them both in the fridge and it'll be trimming time when I get home

Got a rough timetable to start getting the coals going after 19:00, and the shoulder on at 21:00, then off to the pub, get up at daft o'clock to wrap the shoulder, put back on and take the brisket out of the fridge, then an hours sleep and up to get the brisket on.

What temp are you cooking the brisket?

HOPEFULLY about 125c.

I say hopefully as I am having trouble with my UDS at this new house, so have been trying it in different locations.

I am hoping to start doing a brisket a month to get the practice in, I can do ribs and shoulder with my eyes shut and not a thermometer in sight but only because I've done so many.

So I want to get like that with brisket, at the moment I am at the point where I am wondering about:

1- To wrap or not to wrap?
2 - If wrap, at what temperature?
3 - What temp do I finally pull it off at?
4 - In which muscle do I measure the temp? In the flat or point, I think the flat as that cooks first? Then I take the point off and throw it back on the smoker?

I know and understand about 'the stall' so that wont worry me. I'm having a few people over but I'll have pulled pork and maybe some ribs so I'm really not bothered if it takes longer to cook, because at that point everyone iwll have been fed and then the brisket is all for me, FOR MEEEEEEEEE

It's just the annoying stage for me but I'll get over it the more practice I get, but if people have suggestions to the above I would be very happy to hear them. Been trying to search here but my searched keep coming up with "The following words in your search query were ignored because they are too common words".

1. To wrap or not to wrap? -
I dont care what anyone says, always wrap, foil is your friend and the results with the meat over here is better.

2 - If wrap, at what temperature?
Forget temperature, leave in the smoke for about 7 hours then foil. The meat will probably be sitting at 156F

3 - What temp do I finally pull it off at?
Its about feel, probe it and pull off when its soft. It will be about 200F

4 - In which muscle do I measure the temp? In the flat or point, I think the flat as that cooks first? Then I take the point off and throw it back on the smoker?
The difficult part is getting the flat right. the point you can leave on for a few more hours to get burnt ends. Therefore test the flat for tenderness.

I would suggest putting the brisket in 1 hour after the pork, its a big lumb and will take about the same time as the pork to cook. try and reduce the cooker temp by a few degrees between 117 - 120C

You're a star, thank you, you have confirmed a few things I was thinking I was just looking for someone experienced to just agree ha haa

I have been wrapping so far
I was planning on just smoking for x hours like I do the shoulder then wrapping, as far as doneness I was hoping to look for "ust do it until you can put a thin knife or toothpick in and pout with little to no resistance, after that experience will tell you roughly how long that will take depending on what the brisket you get weighs and looks like"
And so happy you suggested the flat, the one I did last week I was planning on watching but ended up leaving to chance as I went to the pub with a friend in need (I know, so selfless ) and the flat was a little overdone to me yet the point could have done with longer, the fat in it was far from rendered down.

Thank you so much, I will definitely revisit my timings once trimmed and I find out the weight, last weeks was 2kg after trimming (with a decent fat cap left on) and that was cooking for 6-6.5 hours so will adjust for the extra weight.

Thank you, you're a star

**EDIT**

As far as the temp level though, I will have to leave that in the hands of the cosmos, it is not what you could call a 'device of precision' but I will do my best.

Get thee to a thermopen at least. It will stoo the worrying 9 hours in that you might be over temp but its not tender yet ahhhhh.