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Post by cruzmisl on Sept 4, 2006 19:18:25 GMT -5
HI, I'm planning on smoking some brisket. Any tips on which end to pick and how to cook it? Thanks, Joe
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Post by BBQ Butcher on Sept 5, 2006 7:15:37 GMT -5
HI, I'm planning on smoking some brisket. Any tips on which end to pick and how to cook it? Thanks, Joe Joe, if you've never done Brisket, you are in for a treat However, it will be the most difficult bbq cook to nail down. It might take you 2, 3 or even 4 tries before you get the hang of it. It is cooked low and slow for a long time and takes patience. There are basically two types of Brisket available to the consumer: 1) the whole Brisket (also called "Packer Trim"), which contains the two muscles, 'Point' and the 'Flat'. 2) the 'Flat. The Point end is very fatty and the grains run in several different directions. The 'Flat' is the most common found in supermarkets and discount box stores (Sams, Costco, etc), it is one flat muscle with a fat cap one side. If I were you, I'd start with a 'Flat', probably around 4-5 lbs. These will generally shrink by almost 40%, so you want to make sure you have enough. Ok....there are a few different methods and ways to smoke a brisket. If you go the the various bbq forums, you will get tons of suggestions and info. I'm just going to give you the basic KISS method (keeping it simple). The night before, or the morning of cooking, trim the fat down to about 1/4" all the way around. Rub the meat with your favorite bbq rub (just Kosher salt, pepper, garlic and paprika is fine) on both sides and the ends. Wrap in plastic until time to cook. The brisket will need to cook INDIRECT.....which is away from any direct flame. The ideal temp in the cooker should be around 225-250°. You may want to throw some wood chunks in the charcoal so that it gets some smoke while cooking in the beginning. Make sure to use a probe type thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the Brisket. You may want to place foil or a pan under the Brisket to catch the fat as it's melting and prevent flare ups in the grill. A Brisket can take any where from 1-2 hours a pound to cook, depends on the thickness, the fat content, whether it was injected, the temp inside the grill, etc, etc, etc...that's why I advocate using the probe thermometer. Also, don't open the lid on the grill to peek, takes longer to get the cooking temp back up and a longer cook. Some where around 165° (+ or -) the temp will stall. This is what we call the "Plateau". What is happening is the collagen in the meat is being broke down. This process enable the meat to become tender. The Plateau can last an hour or up to two hours or more. Don't rush it, let it do it's thing. Once the Plateau is over, you'll see the temp starting to rise. If you want sliced Brisket, pull it from the grill when the internal temp reads 185-190°, wrap in foil for a few minutes before carving. This allows the juices to settle down and for the meat to set up. Make sure to slice against the grain, about 1/4" thick. If you want the meat to fall apart, leave the Brisket in the grill until internal temp is 195-200°. Remove from grill, foil and let rest for about 30 minutes before attempting to carve it. I have a couple different Brisket recipes in the BBQ Recipes and also the Tutorial section, check them out. Also, there are some good discussion forum listed in the General section. I would suggest you check this forum out, it's non-denominational, lots of pics and info... addictedtobbq.proboards56.com/index.cgi
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Post by cruzmisl on Sept 5, 2006 7:51:43 GMT -5
Thanks a ton for the detailed explanation. I'll try a flat this weekend and let yo know how I made out.
Joe
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