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Featured Replies

8 minutes ago, Smax said:

I'd think the salt would draw out too much moisture

That’s what I figured.  I’ll just throw it in a metal turkey pan and do it outside.  

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  • Brisket, potato salad (recipe from Franklin’s book is a good one), pintos, blueberry cobbler. This one turned out very good; WSM ran like a champ as always.

  • solamente73
    solamente73

    19.31lbs before trimming.  Costco Prime.  Really liked the shape.  Nice, thick flat.  Oak lump with hickory chunks.  About 18 hours at 235*.  No wrap.  Flavor was exceptional - that was one tasty cow.

  • Brisket prices are down again. Found this 9.5# prime brisket at Costco for $2.69/lb. 2:1 pepper to salt ratio, smoked on my BGE for about 6.5 hours at 275*. Wrapped in butcher paper and rested for 1

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Doing my maiden brisket this weekend and just picked up a 12# Prime brisket from Costco..  I usually do a lot of baby backs and pork butts on my BGE, but since I don't eat beef (I've got the gout and red meat sets it off), we don't cook much beef.  But wife wants brisket for Mother's day, so that's what I shall make.  Can you wrap with foil when you hit the stall, or does it need to be paper?

Also,  I know it's done when it's done, but how long should I give it?  For pork butts I usually put them on at 10 the night before.  They're usually done in 14-16 hours, but I've had them go as long as 20.  Is this a night before cook, or is this an early morning day of cook?

1 hour ago, Chewbacca said:

Doing my maiden brisket this weekend and just picked up a 12# Prime brisket from Costco..  I usually do a lot of baby backs and pork butts on my BGE, but since I don't eat beef (I've got the gout and red meat sets it off), we don't cook much beef.  But wife wants brisket for Mother's day, so that's what I shall make.  Can you wrap with foil when you hit the stall, or does it need to be paper?

Also,  I know it's done when it's done, but how long should I give it?  For pork butts I usually put them on at 10 the night before.  They're usually done in 14-16 hours, but I've had them go as long as 20.  Is this a night before cook, or is this an early morning day of cook?

I like to give a 12 lb brisket at least 16 hours (as far as planning goes).  Could be done in 12 though.  I start mine at 8 p.m. the night before on the WSM if I want it done near lunch and I want to sleep in a bit.  Earlier if you want to let it rest for an extended time.  For dinner, put it on near 11--midnight and give it a long rest in the cooler when it's done.

Have fun.

It depends how hot you're cooking it obviously. If you're a 225 guy give yourself extra time. Holding is better than running out of time. 

And yes, you can wrap with foil at the stall if it suits your pleasure. 

  • Author

Seasoning overnight should be fine. The salt initially draws out moisture but it gets sucked back in over time and will season the brisket all the way through with that much time.

Question- I’m smoking a brisket tomorrow but will have limited access to the kitchen because a cabinet guy is going to be working in there.  Can you put the salt and pepper rub on the night before and let it sit in the fridge, or will the salt draw out too much moisture and melt?  If I have to I’ll just rub it down in a pan outside while the smoker is getting going. 


It don’t make a shit.

Some folks say salting that far in advance draws out moisture. There’s some that say it doesn’t. Who really knows. I’ve done it both ways and honestly can’t tell a difference

Will that be oak or cherry sawdust you’re adding to the rub?

  • Author

Got a pastrami brisket on, hopefully we don’t have a monsoon today.

Question- I’m smoking a brisket tomorrow but will have limited access to the kitchen because a cabinet guy is going to be working in there.  Can you put the salt and pepper rub on the night before and let it sit in the fridge, or will the salt draw out too much moisture and melt?  If I have to I’ll just rub it down in a pan outside while the smoker is getting going. 
I always salt/pepper the night before. Serious eats recommends salting a rib roast 4 days beforehand, and that's a much smaller piece of meat.

Beautifully seasoned. Good luck. We’re all counting on you. 

Not my best effort but it didn’t turn out too bad.  Photo makes it look dry but it wasn’t at all.  HEB cut of meat tightened up and made the flat a little thicker than normal, probably because I started it too hot.   Bark is great.  

DF8-C8-EAD-EB89-4-E09-8-B41-39-A04-ADDA5

Edited by Judge Roybeanbag

Here's where i am right now. Didn't wrap, and about half of it is probing like butter, but some spots are not yet. Sitting at 203 in the point , but the flat is between 190-203 depending on where i test it. I guess i just keep going until it all probes soft, correct?fafe5af060864bc111303d9c554a8492.jpg

  • Author

Yup. Sometimes if the area that won’t probe good is small and I am in a hurry or tired of messing with it, I’ll pull it because only a couple slices won’t be perfect.

It's off and resting in the cooler. Looks good, but we'll see in a few hours.

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Saw this monster bad boy at Sams the other day, be an all day affair getting this one done.

Mrs. Sola (no pics) wanted a brisket for Mother's Day, so I obliged.  Prime.  11.73lbs before trimming.  Put it on Saturday night for dinner on Sunday.  18 hours at 240* over hickory, pulled at 205 internal when it was probing like alllsomeness.  Rested it for 1 hour.  Not pictured is the insane cheesy jalapeno hash brown casserole she made to go with it.

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This one turned out beautifully.  Was really, really pleased with how moist the flat was and how well the fat rendered in the point.  My 2 and 4 year old boys ate the hell out of it.  They will grow up and eat more.  A lot more.  I'm gonna need a bigger smoker.

Making 3-4 briskets for a party on the 25th, but making them this Saturday. Do I cook all the way like normal, then slice and freeze then reheat in a cooker a couple hours before serving time on the 25th?  More than half will be chopped brisket for sandwiches, so doubt that process matters much, but wondering about the regular-sliced brisket. 

Basically, just trying to minimize work on 25th. 

Edited by EZ$

12 minutes ago, thunderlounge said:

Absolutely do NOT slice a damn thing until after you reheat it. 

Agreed.  That is a terrible idea. You will wind up with dry, tough brisket.  Slicing 3-4 briskets on the 25th will not take much time.  Freeze them whole, 

So smoke completely (195-205) and let it set for a couple hours and then freeze whole?

Yep. Hope you have a bag sealer.

Lots of info already in this thread about freezing and reheating. 

  • Author

When I freeze them, I let them set out for a couple of hours after I pull them from the pit and then put them in the fridge over night.  The next morning I vacuum seal them.  They are much each to work with when they are cold and all of the grease is solidified.

2 hours ago, thunderlounge said:

Yep. Hope you have a bag sealer.

Lots of info already in this thread about freezing and reheating. 

If you don't have a vacuum sealer, try resting, cooling then wrapping in saran wrap and then put inside the large turkey brining bags. Expel the air, seal, and wrap in foil and freeze. Then use the methods you can find here or online for reheating with hot water.

  • Author

If you are vacuum sealing, don't get a brisket bigger than about 14lbs because it won't fit in an 11" wide bag without trimming.  Also avoid buying a brisket that has a really wide and thin flat for the same reason.

Edited by kevwun

On 5/16/2019 at 5:55 PM, AustinMT said:

If you don't have a vacuum sealer, try resting, cooling then wrapping in saran wrap and then put inside the large turkey brining bags. Expel the air, seal, and wrap in foil and freeze. Then use the methods you can find here or online for reheating with hot water.

I have a vacuum sealer coming via Amazon on Saturday, so I’ll try it out. 

  • Author

One of my friends bought one last week.  It was $80.

52 minutes ago, kevwun said:

One of my friends bought one last week.  It was $80.

Bingo.

Fortunately the bourbon and beer my friends will bring will help offset the cost

 

Edited by AustinMT

  • Author

A few of us chipped in on it. I actually may end up cooking it on Saturday for him.

Edited by kevwun

On 5/19/2019 at 7:34 PM, AustinMT said:

Grabbed this at the local HEB today 

 

 

How big were they?

Just now, Dr Fear said:

How big were they?

This was 12 3/4 lbs

I'm serving brisket Saturday afternoon around 5.  I'll be busy with graduation shit Friday evening and Saturday morning.  I can smoke it Thursday night to Friday morning.

Obviously no need to freeze so just let it rest Friday morning, wrap tight and put in fridge and reheat in oven to 140F on Saturday afternoon, right?

Does the same work for pork butt?  Will it "pull" after reheat to only 140F?

 

  • Author

If you are going to pull the pork butt, I would do it the same day you cook it and then just throw it in the fridge in ziplocs.  Especially if you are planning to add sauce and make sandwiches.

Edited by kevwun

Just now, kevwun said:

If you are going to pull the pork butt, I would do it the same day you cook it and then just throw it in the fridge in ziplocs.  Especially if you are planning to add sauce and make sandwiches.

That's what I have done in the past and it has worked fine.

On the brisket -- I have typically reheated on the smoker with good results, but I know others use the oven.

  • Author

Let's make a 10 or 12 hour process take 5 days and then have it produce a brisket that is still bloody.  I hope to gawd that 132 is a typo.

Edited by kevwun

  • Author

It will be good, the brine may not have enough time to penetrate it completely through.  You'll know if you find a grey spot in the middle of it when you're slicing.  It will still taste good though.  I brine mine for a full week.

I put a full packer in the brine Monday - going to smoke it Friday night/Saturday morning to make pastrami. Hopefully it doesn't suck.


Based on your McRib escapades I give it an 85% chance of sucking.
58 minutes ago, deft said:

Parkay brine?

 

Oh, and the brine is to make pastrami. 

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