Brisket

Brisket

11/6/2011     11.1lb Meat Fight Brisket cryovac brisket from WalMart, 14hrs 9:30PM-11:30AM rested 4hrs, perfect, 191.2

internal temp, outside temp 40-60 degrees

12/18/2011   13.1lb Christmas 2011 outside temperature 48 degrees cryovac untrimmed brisket, cooked to 196 (14hrs 9:30PM to 11:30AM)  Outside temperature 48-54 degrees, good brisket

5/2012          14lb MS150 brisket Walmart, 12hrs at 250 or more.  Too well done but no complaints

7/2012          9.85lb July brisket Albertson’s Choice cryovac, 9 hours 45 minutes 192. Too salty, not black and shiny   Outside temperature 77 – 95 degrees Mistake with rub.  Cayenne instead of paprika

11/3/2012     13lb Walmart outside 70 – 84 degrees Wrestling fundraiser.  190 internal.  Good brisket.

2/17/2013     250     9:36PM         250           8:36AM         180                225           9:40AM         185

                     225     10:45AM       185     250           12:00AM       181     250     12:40AM           188

3/9/2013       14.5lb Albertson’s Choice, Outside temperature 61⁰ .  14hrs 210⁰

                                250     7:10PM         200           8:10PM         210     9:40PM         220           10:00PM       250     1:00AM

                                250     4:20AM         200           6:20AM         250     7:00AM         270           8:00AM         Internal 210⁰

3/22/2013     12.3lb and 12.5lb Select, Walmart, Outside temperature 48⁰.

                                225     9:10              225           12:00            225     7:10    178     225           9:45    185                                                                     225     11:20  190, 194          

                     14hrs 10 minutes                                   

7/6/2013       11.55lb Walmart

8/2/2013       13.2lb Walmart

9/15/2013     6 lb grass fed briskets (Randy Means)  Cooked at about 240 on the smoker thermometer.  These were very

                     Good but small.  2 briskets.

10/12/2013   12.7lb Walmart  14 hours at 250 on igrill and about 235 on smoker thermometer.  188 internal temperature on igrill

5/27/2018     11.96lb Walmart 13hrs at 245 on igrill.  Outside temp 85F  190

4/21/2023     11.6lb  Walmart  Outside temp 75F

Use the igrill probe mounted through the side of the smoker at grill height, and the other probe horizontally into the thickest part of the meat.  Cook between 245 and 255 on the igrill (230 to 240 on the smoker thermometer) as much as possible.  The smoker thermometer will show approximately 15 degrees cooler.

Watch the internal temperature after about 10hours.  These vary a bunch.

Trim brisket

11 to 12lb brisket works the best for me because the cook is always about the same length.  If I can’t find an 11 or 12lb piece I just deal with it.

Buy a packer cut in Cryovac (I buy from Walmart)

Select or Choice doesn’t seem to matter that much, but look for a brisket with a recognizable point and flat, and the flat should be about the same thickness throughout.  If the flat tapers, the thin end will overcook.

Trim hard fat out

Trim fat to approximately ¼” thickness.  Go thicker not thinner.

Rub

4oz     Sea salt (Not coarse)

2oz     Paprika

1.5oz  Cracked pepper

1t        Cayenne

Put ½ on 12hr before you start to cook

Put the other half on before you start

Smoker

Start with 1/2 chimney B&B Red Oak coals, fill the ring with charcoal, and 1 to 2, 4 x 2 pecan chunks.

Wrap water bowl in foil and fill about ½ to ¾ way.

Spray grill with Crisco oil

Get smoker to 225 – 250 before starting

You will need to restoke after about 7 hours. 

With the big smoker you can restoke thru the door with a garden shovel. Add another one or two chunks of pecan.

Add water as needed to the water bowl (I only add water if the level is less than half where I started.  You don’t want the pan to go dry)

Go back to bed

Cooking

Approximate total cooking time 1 hour per pound. (Very approximate)

You can flip if you want to but it doesn’t seem to matter.  I usually cook fat side up.

When you get to 195 – 205F internal temperature take off the smoker

Double wrap in heavy duty foil

Put in cooler fat side up and rest for at least 1 to 2 hrs.  (This can go up to 8 hours easily)                    

Separate the point from the flat or not.  I usually separate the two and use the point for chopped beef sandwiches, tacos, etc. but if you slice through both the point and the flat (across the grain of the point) you get a piece of each and with that you will get some with more fat and some with less in the same slice.  A lot of the restaurants cut it this way.

Slice across the grain.

For Meat Fight brisket we cut out of the middle of the flat for the first premium slices

Yields about 6 or 7lbs of cooked brisket(40 – 60% of starting weight).  Meat Fight had less than a cup of waste fat after it was picked over.

If you cut as you serve and mix lean pieces with fattier pieces you should end up with no waste.