I won't cook another brisket this year. I cooked one last nite that will take me thru to 2019 (just days away), that turned out to be the BEST brisket I've ever cooked, and I have three of 'em.
I can't take much credit for the way this one turned out and here's why. Our local grocer had whole "Choice" packers for $2.99 lb and I just had to get one to experiment with. Whilst trimming it, I cut off a hunk of it that weighed about a pound and a half or so (give or take). The rest I rub with SPG and put in the fridge for what turned out to be two days (dos dias). I smoked the smaller chunk in the Akorn by itself. When I tasted it, I knew right away that I had used too much pepper (crazy Texans)- won't do that again. I knew it would take 10 to 12 hours (more or less) to smoke the big hunk, so I decided to cook it overnight. My logic was this: I didn't want to get up real early to start the Akorn and have the meat finish up at 8:00 to rest and cool for the fridge when I could let it go all night and I could deal with it after breakfast.
Last night, I loaded the Akorn with lump stuff and pecan chunks and lit the fuse. It got up to temp of 225* plus a little extra, so I waited for it to cool down a bit. Once it stabilized, I put the meat in over a water pan and sealed it up for the night. By 10:30 I was comfortable with the temp so I went on to bed. This morning I awakened at 6:30 thinking about the brisket. I knew I had to put some clothes on before I went out into the frosty air, so I did. When I got out to the cook shed, I checked the grill temp -- 285*. "Dang", I said, "It is toast." Then I looked at the meat temp -- 210*. "Perfect", I said. I don't know how long the Akorn temp had been at 285*, but that must have been the magic number. I eased the lid open and looked thru steamed over glasses at a most beautiful hunk of meat. I could believe it. I poked it with my tongs and it kinda jiggled. I started getting excited. With the tongs I eased one side of the brisket up and slid the flat pan under it so as not to break it apart. I savored the "brisket smell" for just a moment before I took it inside. I covered it with foil and put it in the oven to rest. Did I mention that I had not wrapped the beef at all? Well, I didn't. I though it would be a bit dry because of that one missed step. Now, lemme tell y'all, that once it rested and cooled down a bit, I sliced that piece off the tail end and then the next piece. WHOA, NELLIE! That was the juiciest, tenderest slice of brisket I've had this side of Texas. I took the knife and smashed down on the meat just a little - like you see 'em do on TV - and watched all that goodness run down the side. I took another slice and put it on a plate a quietly carried it to Deb. I held it there and she actually took a bite. (remember, the last hunk of brisket was a bit dry). WHOA, NELLIE! She lit up like a Christmas tree and wiped away that little drip from her chin. She liked it - I mean, she REALLY liked it.
Well, that did my heart good.
Now, after telling y'all all this, I still don't know what I did to make it so good. It seems I did enough stuff wrong to make it turn out bad...temp too high, rinsed off the rub, didn't wrap it. I was hopeful, though. And sure enuff, it turned out. If I can duplicate this technique next time, maybe it'll turn out again.
B T W, forget the pics. I know you've seen good briskets before and this one would not be much different. Besides, it took so long to write all this, that I'm give out. Maybe next time.
