The Official Brisket Thread

[sparky]

An evening of rub and spatchcock

The brisket is rubbed and wrapped and the turkey is spatchcocked and brining. Both are chilling in the refrigerator, and the big smoke shall begin mid-morning. More to come.

[kccougar]

Ok, Guys. I'm in big trouble. Our neighbor is having a dinner and somewhere in the past my wife must have mentioned that I knew how to cook a brisket. Now, I don't own a smoker. My version of brisket is buying a small flat at the grocery store, marinating it in liquid smoke overnight, and cooking slow in the oven. Yes, it tastes good, but...

So my neighbor asked my wife if I would cook the brisket for her party. Of course, my wife said yes. So last night she brought over the meat, and here's where the trouble starts.

It's a packer cut (never tried it), it's 13 pounds (never cooked something that big), and it's frozen(!!). Dinner is Saturday evening. What the heck do I do now?

[Moliere]

Ok, Guys. I'm in big trouble. Our neighbor is having a dinner and somewhere in the past my wife must have mentioned that I knew how to cook a brisket. Now, I don't own a smoker. My version of brisket is buying a small flat at the grocery store, marinating it in liquid smoke overnight, and cooking slow in the oven. Yes, it tastes good, but...

So my neighbor asked my wife if I would cook the brisket for her party. Of course, my wife said yes. So last night she brought over the meat, and here's where the trouble starts.

It's a packer cut (never tried it), it's 13 pounds (never cooked something that big), and it's frozen(!!). Dinner is Saturday evening. What the heck do I do now?

Find a smoker and do this: http://www.cougaruteforum.com/showpo...1&postcount=11

Another option is to call a BBQ place that has a smoker and see if they'll let you smoke your brisket there. I know some places in Houston let you do that and they charge something like $0.50 a pound to smoke it.

As for defrosting it, you likely don't have time to defrost it in the fridge, whcih is the preferred method. I don't think defrosting it on a countertop, rubbing, then letting it sit in the fridge is at all recommended but you might not have another choice.

[kccougar]

So no way I should try this in an oven?

[Shaka]

Ok, Guys. I'm in big trouble. Our neighbor is having a dinner and somewhere in the past my wife must have mentioned that I knew how to cook a brisket. Now, I don't own a smoker. My version of brisket is buying a small flat at the grocery store, marinating it in liquid smoke overnight, and cooking slow in the oven. Yes, it tastes good, but...

So my neighbor asked my wife if I would cook the brisket for her party. Of course, my wife said yes. So last night she brought over the meat, and here's where the trouble starts.

It's a packer cut (never tried it), it's 13 pounds (never cooked something that big), and it's frozen(!!). Dinner is Saturday evening. What the heck do I do now?

You call Shaka and borrow his Traeger.

[kccougar]

Find a smoker and do this: http://www.cougaruteforum.com/showpo...1&postcount=11

Another option is to call a BBQ place that has a smoker and see if they'll let you smoke your brisket there. I know some places in Houston let you do that and they charge something like $0.50 a pound to smoke it.

As for defrosting it, you likely don't have time to defrost it in the fridge, whcih is the preferred method. I don't think defrosting it on a countertop, rubbing, then letting it sit in the fridge is at all recommended but you might not have another choice.

Should i even think about defrosting it in the sink with cold water and then leaving it in the fridge overnight with the rub or am I just asking to give salmonella to 20 of my friends and neighbors?

[Moliere]

So no way I should try this in an oven?

You can certainly do it in the oven. I've never done one in the oven. I imagine it won't have a smokey flavor, but maybe the liquid smoke would add that. But honestly sicne I've never done one that way I don't know. You can't call it BBQ if you do it in the oven

Should i even think about defrosting it in the sink with cold water and then leaving it in the fridge overnight with the rub or am I just asking to give salmonella to 20 of my friends and neighbors?

I don't know the chances of getting salmonella but obviously that is a risk. I think you'd be fine if you defrosted it in cold water, rubbed it down and then smoked it without letting it sit long after the defrosting.

You might even be fine having it sit in the fridge overnight after defrosting it that way. I really don't know.

[kccougar]

You can certainly do it in the oven. I've never done one in the oven. I imagine it won't have a smokey flavor, but maybe the liquid smoke would add that. But honestly sicne I've never done one that way I don't know. You can't call it BBQ if you do it in the oven

Notice that I don't call it BBQ. I do GRILL quite often, but I have never BBQ'd.

[kccougar]

So you really cook brisket to 190 degrees? I'm a little bummed now that I'm not going to experiment any, but my wife says our neighbor raved about the brisket she had at our house long ago (I don't even remember having her over), and she doesn't think I should change anything up since it is the neighbor's party.

So here I sit with two 6-lb Choice briskets from Costco, and it seems a shame to soak them in liquid smoke, sprinkle some season salt on them and throw them in the oven.

I've always just cooked to time in the oven, but I now have a nice digital meat thermometer. Should I really cook to 190 degrees?

[Jeff Lebowski]

So you really cook brisket to 190 degrees? I'm a little bummed now that I'm not going to experiment any, but my wife says our neighbor raved about the brisket she had at our house long ago (I don't even remember having her over), and she doesn't think I should change anything up since it is the neighbor's party.

So here I sit with two 6-lb Choice briskets from Costco, and it seems a shame to soak them in liquid smoke, sprinkle some season salt on them and throw them in the oven.

I've always just cooked to time in the oven, but I now have a nice digital meat thermometer. Should I really cook to 190 degrees?

Yes, you should.

Some of the brisket sites I read recommended 200-205 degrees.

[Jeff Lebowski]

So you really cook brisket to 190 degrees? I'm a little bummed now that I'm not going to experiment any, but my wife says our neighbor raved about the brisket she had at our house long ago (I don't even remember having her over), and she doesn't think I should change anything up since it is the neighbor's party.

So here I sit with two 6-lb Choice briskets from Costco, and it seems a shame to soak them in liquid smoke, sprinkle some season salt on them and throw them in the oven.

I've always just cooked to time in the oven, but I now have a nice digital meat thermometer. Should I really cook to 190 degrees?

Yes, that is a shame. You should take shaka up on his offer. You live in Salt Lake valley, no?

[kccougar]

Yes, that is a shame. You should take shaka up on his offer. You live in Salt Lake valley, no?

Yes, I traded PMs with Shaka earlier. It is a very generous offer, but I've never used a smoker. My wife doesn't want me experimenting on guests when it's not our party, and this particular host isn't really the happy-go-lucky type.

[kccougar]

Maybe the one advantage of using an oven - my house has smelled like heaven all day long. Halfway through...

[Drunk Tank]

Maybe the one advantage of using an oven - my house has smelled like heaven all day long. Halfway through...

Looks good so far. Nothing wrong with cooking it in the oven (as long as you don't call it BBQ... )

[Jeff Lebowski]

What's the verdict, KC?