Problem with first cook

mikeporter616

It's not my fault!
Premium Member
Military Veteran
Messages
181
Location
Lawrence, KS
Grill(s) owned
  1. Stampede
  2. Bullseye
Did my first RT590 cook today and it turned out...interesting. I did a 4 lb brisket point. It turned out very tasty, but really tough. There are two issues that may have affected it. 1. I had planned on doing it Saturday, so I put the rub on Saturday morning and put it back in the fridge. Things went crosswise and I wasn't able to do it Saturday and left it in the fridge till this morning. 2. I have been following several web videos that state that hot and fast is the way to go. So, I cooked at 375 about 2 hours until the bark had set. Wrapped it in tin foil and cooked another +/- 2 hours until it reached 205. I then cubed it and cooked in sauce another 1.5 hours at 320. Seemed to be very probe tender and I thought that all was well. Place the pan, covered, in the oven (off) for about 2 hours. It was still warm and the rub sauce combination as well as the smoke were great. However, the meat was way too chewy.. Should have been falling apart, but definitely was not.

Any one mistake kill me or was it the combination?

Thanks.

map
 
Mostly combo. You didn't cook it long enough to break down the collagens enough. You probably got the tender feel by hitting between the muscle strands "just right", but got a false reading. It takes time at temp to effectively yield a tender outcome. You hit temp because of the high cooking temp, but not enough time.
 
“Chewy” is the indicator that it was under cooked. When overcooked it’ll just fall apart.
Hot and fast typically gets done at a higher temp. Don’t let the temp you expect it to be done influence what you think you feel. You can get good tender brisket earthier way (though I prefer low and slow as well), you just have to let it get there whichever method you use.
 
Did my first RT590 cook today and it turned out...interesting. I did a 4 lb brisket point. It turned out very tasty, but really tough. There are two issues that may have affected it. 1. I had planned on doing it Saturday, so I put the rub on Saturday morning and put it back in the fridge. Things went crosswise and I wasn't able to do it Saturday and left it in the fridge till this morning. 2. I have been following several web videos that state that hot and fast is the way to go. So, I cooked at 375 about 2 hours until the bark had set. Wrapped it in tin foil and cooked another +/- 2 hours until it reached 205. I then cubed it and cooked in sauce another 1.5 hours at 320. Seemed to be very probe tender and I thought that all was well. Place the pan, covered, in the oven (off) for about 2 hours. It was still warm and the rub sauce combination as well as the smoke were great. However, the meat was way too chewy.. Should have been falling apart, but definitely was not.

Any one mistake kill me or was it the combination?

Thanks.

map
As stated before low and slow is the easiest way to have a tender brisket.

Have a read here on the science behind it:
https://amazingribs.com/technique-and-science/cooking-science/basic-meat-science
The part about Connective tissue probably it the key to brisket.
 
Brisket is the toughest piece of meat to cook. If it is not cooked long enough it is tough, it is definitely a piece of meat that needs time in the heat in order for it to be tender.
Cooking brisket is not for the faint of heart.
I learn every time I put a piece of meat on my smoker (been doing this for 30 years), no 2 pieces ever cook the same.
Keep up the battle and enjoy the rewards.
 
Brisket is the toughest piece of meat to cook. If it is not cooked long enough it is tough, it is definitely a piece of meat that needs time in the heat in order for it to be tender.
Cooking brisket is not for the faint of heart.
I learn every time I put a piece of meat on my smoker (been doing this for 30 years), no 2 pieces ever cook the same.
Keep up the battle and enjoy the rewards.
Agree with this, brisket is a finicky piece of meat and none of them cook the same. It's definitely wouldn't be my first cook on any new grill even if I knew what I was doing from previous brisket cooks.
 
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