Beef Brisket

[Todd Robbins]

All of the brisket recipes that I see cook the brisket really slow to about 190 degrees and barbeque it.  I do it a little differently.  Today I smoked a small, 6 lb., brisket for some family that is here from out of town.  It was all eaten by 7 adults and 2 kids within an hour of being done.  Here's what I do:

Trim the fat off the brisket to about 1/2" thick.  Coat it good with Lawry's Seasoned Salt and pat it in.  Coat it good with coarse ground black pepper and pat that in.  I smoked mine today with hickory scrap from a bow stave in an electric smoker set on 275 degrees until the thick end was 140 degrees.  The thin end was medium well. I've used a charcoal bullet type smoker in the past with good success as well.  I also used to use red oak and white oak before I moved to south Florida from Mississippi, and it was really good as well.

Todd

[Joseph]

That does sound good, I might have to try that!

[Bobby Urban]

 
 
 
Here is a little Brisket that I slow cooked for 8 hours on my Pit - the rub I made was Coriander seed based with garlic and a few other spices.  Slow cooking is the way to go with this type of meat.  I will try your rub this summer.  BBQ season is coming into full swing!

[flinch]

I put mustard on my brisket after trimming the fat off of it.  I remove the membranes or score it about 3/4 in squares.  Rub it with cheap yellow mustard and apply my rub.  THen Plastic wrap it and put it in the fridge for 24 - 48 hours.   Take it out and let it come to room temp and put it in the smoker.  I run from 225 - 275 depending on the day and the wind.  I put internal probes in the meat and smoke for 7-9 hours then double foil and put in the oven and cook until it reaches 190 deg F.   Then take it out and let it cool inside the foil still.  I like to put it in a cooler wrapped in towels for long enough to cool and then place in the Fridge or slice up.   By letting it "Rest"  it slices up better and not breaking up.  Don't for get to salt and pepper it when adding rub.

[Ray Hammond]

The best brisket I ever had was texas style- green mesquite wood burned down to coals, then the coals were burned way down- the 17 lb brisket was dredged with roast chipotle pepper bbq sauce and cooked slow- it cut with a fork- almost crumbled in fact- and was hot and sweet at the same time....

I don't have the recipe...I just dream of that meal quite a lot. She served it with jalapeno cornbroad, sliced fresh big tomatos with salt/pepper and mayo dressing, and fresh strawberries and angelfood cake with whipped cream.

Y U U U U - um.

[flint kemper]

You guys are making me hungry. Flint

[Doug Young]

To get the fall-apart-with-a-fork tenderness, the internal temp needs to get up high enough to melt the connective tissue inside. That's why a brisket slow smoked for 12-16 hours can still be moist, because once that connective tissue melts it starts basting itself from the inside. My end internal temp for briskets is 205 degrees, cook temps 225-250 degrees.

Lots of ways to do it though.

Doug

[Caleb the bow breaker]

just my two cents on this.  

Although living in Nebraska now I was born and bred in the Republic of Texas where brisket is king.  A good rub is key and everyone has their personal favorite but dont get carried away with the amount you use.  We arent smoking ribs here.  Let it sit overnight if you can to give time for the rub to do its magic.  I inject my briskets with plain beef broth or stock.  About 3/4 c for a packer trim brisket.  Helps add a little moisture to a dry piece of meat.  

Dont get too hung up on the temperature of the meat to determine doneness.  I smoke based on weight.  225-250 for 45 minutes to the pound.  Mesquite smoke for the first three hours, thats it.  then just coals or heat.  At this point wrap tightly in heavy foil and seal the best you can.  Continue cooking.  Remove foil 30 minutes before time is up to allow outside to crisp up a little, this step is optional.  Allow brisket to rest for several minutes before cutting and serving.

Heat, light smoke, and foil are key.  Also, if you arent ready to eat when the brisket is, put in a covered dish in a cooler and then fill remaining space in cooler with towels, paper, blankets or whatever you have.  Will stay hot for 3-4 hours without overcooking

C

[crazyhorse86]

i envision a brisket buffet where we can try all of these methods side by side until full.

[stickbowhntr]

and I was wondering whats for dinner...mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm