Need to improve Brisket

Mike Beaton

Well-known member
Messages
48
Want a fall apart tender brisket.
Used a flat, injected beef broth, yellow mustard binder, 1oz black pepper & 1/2 oz kosher salt.
Pecan pellets in hopper & competition pellets in smoke tube.
200 for one hour then 275 till 160. Put brisket in pan with balance of beef broth & foil wrapped to 204.
Great smoke ring, fairly tender but not fall apart tender.
How do I make this better?
 
What grade of meat did you use? A well-marbled Prime grade brisket is my first consideration. And, did you probe-check it for tenderness or just rely on the temperature to determine when it was done?
 
I’ve never done one @275, my suggestion, on top of Jim’s, is try low and slow @225.

sometimes you just get a crap cut of meat, it’s hard to tell what you have thru the package till you trim it.

Could use more info too, full packer or split, size, thickness, rest period.
 
i don’t know what temp i cook my briskets to exactly i just check them every 30 min once its at 200. i just probe it for tenderness. i bet you just need a bit more time. the meat can change alot in the last 30min of its cook. its like it just relaxes and goes tender. if you dont currently probe for tenderness i recommend you try it. i pull mine once it feels like im poking peanut butter
 
i don’t know what temp i cook my briskets to exactly i just check them every 30 min once its at 200. i just probe it for tenderness. i bet you just need a bit more time. the meat can change alot in the last 30min of its cook. its like it just relaxes and goes tender. if you dot currently probe for tenderness i recommend you try it. i pull mine once it feels like im poking peanut butter
Is poking peanut butter like poking the bear?
 
What grade of meat did you use? A well-marbled Prime grade brisket is my first consideration. And, did you probe-check it for tenderness or just rely on the temperature to determine when it was done?
Reasonable marvel. Temp guided.
 
I’ve never done one @275, my suggestion, on top of Jim’s, is try low and slow @225.

sometimes you just get a crap cut of meat, it’s hard to tell what you have thru the package till you trim it.

Could use more info too, full packer or split, size, thickness, rest period.
Started with full packer cut. Separated the flat to cook by itself. Uniform thickness. Rested about 30 minutes
 
Fall apart brisket is overcooked.
If that is what you want then take it IT temp higher. Go to 210 or more.
Also wrapping and resting in cooler or the oven set at 180-210 for a couple hours will help.
Will try higher temp. Rested at 200 for about 30 minutes.
 
If you want pulled beef you might try a chuck roast. Cost is comparable but you can get a 3-5 pounder to give it a try.
 
i don’t know what temp i cook my briskets to exactly i just check them every 30 min once its at 200. i just probe it for tenderness. i bet you just need a bit more time. the meat can change alot in the last 30min of its cook. its like it just relaxes and goes tender. if you dont currently probe for tenderness i recommend you try it. i pull mine once it feels like im poking peanut butter
Will try the probe method next time
 
Probing for tenderness will result in a proper sliceable brisket. You need to go beyond that.
 
Temp guided.
I think that’s your basic problem. “Probe tender” as @chadinsc suggested is my go-to. Once I get close to 190F internal temperature, I start probing. Sometimes, it is ready at 195F and other times if might go to 210F before it is probe tender.

As @cutplug suggested, I think “fall-apart tender” is overdone. I prefer “pull-apart tender where a 1/4” slice will drape easily over your finger and pull apart with a gentle pull. YMMV.
 
Started with full packer cut. Separated the flat to cook by itself. Uniform thickness. Rested about 30 minutes
Need to rest longer, at least an hour...I usually pop mine in the oven (still wrapped, and oven off).
I've also used a cooler. As long as it comes down slowly and re-absorbs the juices is part of what makes it tender.

As someone already mentioned, start poking it with a probe when it gets around 195F until it feels like you're dipping it in a jar of peanut butter to determine when to pull it from the smoker.
 
All good information here. Especially starting with a good cut of beef. One thing I’ve noticed is that cooking a flat alone is always somewhat problematic unless you separate it by cheating that fat cap onto the flat section. Typically, the point is ok. Another thing I didn‘t see mentioned is your dry brine process. Have you tried brining and leaving it for 48 hours in the fridge then letting it come up to room temp before it goes on the pit? Also, using Waygu Tallow as a binder and painting the peach paper during the wrap keeps moisture in the meat and give me great results. Full disclosure, I‘ve done a bunch of briskets but they were all full packers. Good luck.
 
Started with full packer cut. Separated the flat to cook by itself. Uniform thickness. Rested about 30 minutes
I think your brisket was undercooked. Pull when probe tender throughout the flat. I'm finding in pulling my primes at 208°.

As far as the point go to 210° Don't worry about how it feels.
It will feel great at 203°. Problem is that the intramuscular fat has not totally rendered.
 
Will try higher temp. Rested at 200 for about 30 minutes.
As Thumper said:
You really need to let it rest longer than 30 mins
Rapped tight in a Towel and p laced in a Cooler for a few hours

I split the Packer in two also
We run them overnight, unwrapped, Middle Shelf at 180, 8+/- hours 'till it reaches 150ish
Wrap with a Smoked Tallow Bath using Peach / Pink Butcher Paper
Back in a 270 for another 8+/- until it gets into the 200 - 205 range, when it's time to probe for tender every 15 - 20 mins
Then into the Cooler for a few hours

Comes out like this .... "fall apart tender":
13 Nov Brisket Flat.JPG

13 Nov Brisket 3.JPG
 

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