Let's Talk BBQ
Recipes => Recipes => Beef Recipes => Topic started by: Savannahsmoker on January 07, 2013, 12:41:23 AM
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I am one who smokes a brisket low and slow but to venture out I would like to hear about other methods of doing a brisket.
Thanks in advance.
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i don't really do any of those choices. i smoke @ 170° for 3-4 hours this up the temp to 250° for the rest of the cook. i don't wrap very often. i like bark. 8)
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I've tried "faster" methods a few times and have never liked the results as well as the good ol' tried and true slow cooking method. The fast methods were close, but no cigar.
Hub
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Low and slow always :)
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None of those options really pertain to me either.
I tend to smoke low for a couple hours (170°) bump the temp up to about 225°-250° for about 3 - 4 hours then bump the temp up to 300° and foil with a bunch of sliced onion and a small amount braising liquid consisting of equal parts vinegar, brown sugar & either Kentucky bourbon or beer.
This combo lets the beef flavor shine through and the results are tender succulent beef. Not to mention the onions are great on a brisket sammie!
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I go 225F until the stall then bump up to 260F for the finish and no foil. I also like the brisket bark ;)
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I was strictly a 225 degrees and lets sit by the off-set for 18 hours until I saw a grillin fools post about a high heat brisket they did in their 940X. I gave it a try and really liked the results.
So if I am slicing, I go hot and fast (300 degrees about 7 hours)
If I want to pull, I go real lo and slo (18-20 hours...12 hours at 160, then 250 till finished)
There is a million ways to do a briskie!! :)
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The Pit Barrel Cooker might tip the scales around here because the way it cooks you have a brisket done in under 8 hours when using the PBC................
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I was strictly a 225 degrees and lets sit by the off-set for 18 hours until I saw a grillin fools post about a high heat brisket they did in their 940X. I gave it a try and really liked the results.
So if I am slicing, I go hot and fast (300 degrees about 7 hours)
If I want to pull, I go real lo and slo (18-20 hours...12 hours at 160, then 250 till finished)
There is a million ways to do a briskie!! :)
I forgot about the slicing and like you if I want to slice it I do it above 300 at 325. Thanks
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Like most folks here, I cook brisket in a number of different ways and feel that this method might please some of you cooks wanting to try something "Hot and Fast".
For the folks that would like to try a very good high temp brisket and probably much better than any high temp brisket you have ever tasted, this post might be right down your alley.
This is my method of cooking a brisket direct at a higher temp that will result in the meat tasting just like a good "steak" and cut the cooking time to less than 5 hours. It will also give you a very tasty, tender, and juicy finished product.
It is best done on a cooker where you can place the meat above the open hardwood lump coals at enough distance above the hot coals so the drippings don't flame up and sear the bottom of the meat.
This cook MUST be done direct with the meat straight above the open fire as the drippings must go into the lump charcoal fire. This will give you a completely different and wonderful flavor of the finished meat. Steak, I tell ya!
The meat needs to be on some type of raised grid in a ceramic cooker, or maybe in a WSM without the water pan as you need to get the meat as far above the fire in the cooker as possible to prevent flame ups from the fat burning the bottom of the meat. Will also work in a CB-940X with the fire at the lowest setting.
Let's get started...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/OldDave/Ceramic%20Pictures/S3EDSC00063.jpg)
I like to use a big brisket flat and my Sam's club has the real nice choice flats that usually weigh above 7 pounds and do have some fat left on them. They also sometimes leave about half the point on the brisket like the one in this picture. I do trim up the fat to about 1/8" thick on the fat or cap side of the brisket.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/OldDave/Ceramic%20Pictures/S3EDSC00064.jpg)
Now, this isn't bbq...keep all your rubs in the pantry and just get out some garlic salt and some black peppercorns. Grind on a fairly heavy layer of black pepper on both sides of the meat. On top of this, sprinkle on a layer of the garlic salt on both sides.
Get the cooker up to a temp of about 350 degrees and then put on your smoke wood and do use a large amount as it doesn't last long at this raised temp. I used cherry for my cook yesterday and about 7-8 chunks.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/OldDave/Ceramic%20Pictures/S3EDSC00065.jpg)
Place the meat on your raised grid in the ceramic smoker fat side down.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/OldDave/Ceramic%20Pictures/S3EDSC00066.jpg)
With the fat dripping on the fire, you will get a lot of smoke but this is normal for a direct cook.
My cooker wanted to run at about 365 degrees yesterday so I just let it and I cooked the meat to about 175 internal and this took exactly 2-1/2 hours and then I foiled the meat.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/OldDave/Ceramic%20Pictures/S3EDSC00067.jpg)
Sure did look good just before it went into the foil.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/OldDave/Ceramic%20Pictures/S3EDSC00068.jpg)
For my Au Jus, I mix up about 2-1/2 oz of beef broth and about 1-1/2 oz of worcestershire sauce and pour it into my foil boat.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/OldDave/Ceramic%20Pictures/S3EDSC00069.jpg)
Place the brisket in my double layer foil boat and wrap it up.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/OldDave/Ceramic%20Pictures/S3EDSC00070.jpg)
Cook the brisket until the internal is around 210 degrees and I know this is hotter than normal but it does take this finish temp to get this meat to where it is tender at this higher temp. Be very careful when checking the brisket with your Thermapen and don't stick it all the way thru the meat and poke a hole in the bottom layer of the foil and let all the juice out. The total time in the foil yesterday was one hour to get to my finish temp.
The total cooking time for this wonderful treat was just 3-1/2 hours.
I will usually let the meat rest in the foil for at least an hour before I cut it up. This is enough time for the juice to redistribute inside the meat.
I carefully take the meat out of the foil over a bowl as I don't want to loose any of the Au-Jus. I put this juice into a plastic squirt bottle for serving at the table.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/OldDave/Ceramic%20Pictures/S3EDSC00072.jpg)
I then cut the meat to the thickness I want and against the grain and as you can see, it is very juicy and tender.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/OldDave/Ceramic%20Pictures/S3EDSC00073.jpg)
Take a real fresh onion bun and cut in half, grill or toast it, put a ribbon or two of horsey sauce on the bun, lay a couple layers of this steak brisket on the bun, and then squirt some of the Au-Jus over the top and enjoy.
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That is one good looking fast cooked brisket Old Dave!
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Excellent cook Old Dave. I like it and will try this in my WSM!
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You guys doing the hot and fast I am wondering how much smoke flavor
you get verses the low and slow?
Great reply's so far and some interesting points of view.
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You will still have a good smoke ring and smoke flavor. The briskets I do get a pretty heavy smoke the first 2-3 hours, then I just stay with heat......
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You will still have a good smoke ring and smoke flavor. The briskets I do get a pretty heavy smoke the first 2-3 hours, then I just stay with heat......
For me and others using pellet smokers the high temp creates a problem with smoke.
Higher pit temperature produce the smoke to the point the pit runs almost like an oven.
Maybe us pellet cookers could run at 180-200 for 3 or 4 hours and up the temp to over 325 or so.?
Any ideas?
Another possibility is for me to drag the old stick/charcoal burner out and use that for high temp but that sounds like work.
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Art, I've been cooking my briskets at 270 for quite a while now and they come out great. I will occasionally throw a smoke tube in and it definitely will add a profile.
I'm wanting to mess around with the thickness of the fat cap. Lately I've been leaving it on and cooking it fat side up. However, this has been giving me much too thick of a bark on the bottom side.
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You will still have a good smoke ring and smoke flavor. The briskets I do get a pretty heavy smoke the first 2-3 hours, then I just stay with heat......
The couple of hot & fast briskets I've done didn't have near the smoke flavor or smoke ring as a low and slow or one that's been smoked first. They still tasted good, but I thought were a bit disappointing in the smoke flavor.
If you think about it, at those temps the outside of the meat reaches 140° too soon for much smoke absorption to take place. Also 140° is when myoglobin denatures stopping the formation of a smoke ring. That's why I'm not a fan of hot & fast from start to finish.
You could hit it with a really heavy smoke before the outside reaches 140° (but that kind of smoke can taste nasty) or you could try a stronger smoke wood like Mesquite (not a fan), or black walnut (which is great for beef - like a strong hickory). I could see a smoke tube helping.
That's my 2¢... and heck, it may not even be worth that much! ::)
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I smoke in my 200° electric smoker until the stall
then I finish in my roaster in the oven at 300° to finish
sometimes I foil wrap (Texas crutch) at the finish
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o283/CaptJack50/BBQ/rump_002.jpg)
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o283/CaptJack50/BBQ/OvenRoaster.jpg)