The Official Brisket Thread

[Bo Diddley]

Great job. I just use little 10x10 cooling racks, like these. They fit into the large disposable pan just fine, and keep the brisket up out of the drippings pretty well.

[ATTACH]10037[/ATTACH]

Yeah, I might consider that. I use my rack for turkeys and I can fit a couple pork roasts on it.

[mtnbiker]

When I smoke, I use a roasting pan with a rack to hold the meat. I suppose if I found the right size aluminum pan that would fit the rack, I might use disposable.

[ATTACH]10035[/ATTACH]

Great job. I just use little 10x10 cooling racks, like these. They fit into the large disposable pan just fine, and keep the brisket up out of the drippings pretty well.

cooling rack.jpg

[Bo Diddley]

When I smoke, I use a roasting pan with a rack to hold the meat. I suppose if I found the right size aluminum pan that would fit the rack, I might use disposable.

20200315_132929.jpg

Here's the finished product. Week 1 was a resounding success; now considering what to do next week.

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[Green Monstah]

Do you foil (or paper)?

I foil. The stall with butcher paper doesn’t work well with my impatience.

[CJF]

REmind me: what are you cooking them on?

My Yoder has a tendency to really dry out brisket (moist on the inside, but the bark is pretty tough). I tried spritzing hourly and didn't get much traction. I'm curious what the rest of you guys with pellet smoker do.

I am mostly cooking on a Rec Tec BFG. But I use both my Memphis and a Louisiana cabinet pellet smoker also with very similar results. I don’t wrap in the cooking process at all. I just don’t have the time or flexibility to do it. I do think minimal trimming and cooking a little hotter helps. To me it’s a little counterintuitive, but cooking at 235-250 will reduce drying out when cooking for long periods vs cooking for hours at 180-215. 225 is kind of my lowest spot after about an hour of 180 to put more smoke on the meat. If I leave it in smoke mode too long it will dry out more often than not.

[Jeff Lebowski]

REmind me: what are you cooking them on?

My Yoder has a tendency to really dry out brisket (moist on the inside, but the bark is pretty tough). I tried spritzing hourly and didn't get much traction. I'm curious what the rest of you guys with pellet smoker do.

Do you foil (or paper)?

[Green Monstah]

From what I can tell, I cooked my 1,000th brisket this year yesterday. It’s been an insane year but I’ve learned so much. I also cooked prime rib yesterday that might have been my favorite prime rib I’ve ever had. I was quite pleased with the results.

REmind me: what are you cooking them on?

My Yoder has a tendency to really dry out brisket (moist on the inside, but the bark is pretty tough). I tried spritzing hourly and didn't get much traction. I'm curious what the rest of you guys with pellet smoker do.

[CJF]

Holy smokes, that's a lot of brisket. What's the max number you've done at a time? Nice to hear you're still enjoying it, too.

The most I’ve done at one time is 35. I had to borrow a couple of smokers for that. The most I can do with my own is 23-25 depending on size. From May through September we averaged about 45 a week. It’s slowed down a bunch in Oct and Nov. December has been busy again. Lots of company parties and even a few weddings in December.

[mtnbiker]

From what I can tell, I cooked my 1,000th brisket this year yesterday. It’s been an insane year but I’ve learned so much. I also cooked prime rib yesterday that might have been my favorite prime rib I’ve ever had. I was quite pleased with the results.

Holy smokes, that's a lot of brisket. What's the max number you've done at a time? Nice to hear you're still enjoying it, too.

[CJF]

That horseradish cream sauce must be pretty strong to sever the sliced meat.

Ha. I do like it strong.

[Pelado]

Kept it super simple. Salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasonings, a bit of mustard powder, and dash of chilpolte powder. Slather in olive oil, and liberally apply the mixture. Placed on the smoker at 180 and smoked until an internal temp of about 105. Cranked it up to 500 degrees and let it go until 128. Pulled it and let it rest tented for about 10 minutes. The resting was simply to get the internal temp to 133-135. Sliced it up and severed with horseradish cream sauce that I made to go with it. It was a perfect medium rare throughout. No little grey ring around it. Looked like a sous vide steak inside.

That horseradish cream sauce must be pretty strong to sever the sliced meat.

[CJF]

I'd be interested to hear about what you've learned if you're ever so inclined.

One thing I’ve learned is that brisket can hold for a really long time in food warmers. Especially if sealed up. I put a finished brisket on a cookie rack, pour some both into the bottom, seal up with both plastic wrap and foil. Put in the warmer at 170. This covers up a lot of flaws and when cooking 15 at a time, I make flaws.

Second, simple is just as good as complicated. I started out trimming every brisket. It was taking me forever. 15 brisket at a time when this is my hobby second job was killing me. If I was Bam Bam’s or something like that I’d trim like I had been. But for catering, it wasn’t worth it. I minimally trim big batches now. I also went with a much simpler with my rub. It’s a 55-45 pepper to kosher salt mixture. I have done taste tests with different rubs against this and I cannot tell the difference.

Third, trying to cook competition brisket for catering is dumb. Not just brisket, but everything. They’re cooking several different briskets to get the desired bite for each part of the box. I’m trying to not to waste anything. It was really frustrating me. Once I figured that out I began enjoying what I was putting out much more.

Above all, people just love brisket. What I think is not a good reflection of my personal expectations, will still be a hit. We’ve had a ton of reorders to validate that finding.

[CJF]

Deets please.

Kept it super simple. Salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasonings, a bit of mustard powder, and dash of chilpolte powder. Slather in olive oil, and liberally apply the mixture. Placed on the smoker at 180 and smoked until an internal temp of about 105. Cranked it up to 500 degrees and let it go until 128. Pulled it and let it rest tented for about 10 minutes. The resting was simply to get the internal temp to 133-135. Sliced it up and severed with horseradish cream sauce that I made to go with it. It was a perfect medium rare throughout. No little grey ring around it. Looked like a sous vide steak inside.

[Jeff Lebowski]

From what I can tell, I cooked my 1,000th brisket this year yesterday. It’s been an insane year but I’ve learned so much. I also cooked prime rib yesterday that might have been my favorite prime rib I’ve ever had. I was quite pleased with the results.

Deets please.

[Joe Public]

I'd be interested to hear about what you've learned if you're ever so inclined.