ShadowDriver
somebody shut me the fark up.
First off, I'm NOT good at cooking brisket. Before today, I've never smoked a whole packer. I've only ever been able to get flats from the DoD Commissary.
I've always pulled them too early.
The inspiration came last weekend when I discovered this sign.
I decided to go with the Bludawg hot & fast method (or as close to it as I could go).
Awoke at 0500, probably wasn't yet legal to drive, but I got the Longhorn running.
Gave the brisket a trim (first time I've ever done that, but what you folks have said sure made a lot of sense), and a rubdown with Adkins West TX rub. Into the sauna she went at 0600.
Fat cap down. Point towards the firebox, with the new baffle plate installed, the temps were much more stable. I ran her with pecan and hickory (and a handful of charcoal when I let the coal base die a bit too much).
This is 4 hours-in... just before I wrapped her with parchment paper (forgot to buy some butcher paper).
Wrapped, I flipped the fat cap on top, and continued to run the smoker at 275-325F. I'd pre-sighted my probing locations, and tore a tiny hole in 2 places, big enough to get a thick skewer into the meat.
It took a while... seriously, Bludawg's timeline just didn't hold water with this hunk of meat. She took a solid 9.5 hours to finally probe tender. Jason TQ's video on meat probing was helpful, as was the whole "avocado" description. Internal temp was 198F.
Brought inside and let rest, cooling to < 150F (took about 2 hours, as Blu says).
A bit dark, but here she is before I separated the flat and point.
Here's the reward:
I've never been able to really do that, especially with slices as thick as a #2 pencil.
Family taste tester could NOT get enough brisket...
This cook was NOT perfect - Frustrated that a good 3-4 inches in from the end of the flat were still not tender. That said, they'll be great in other stuff. Cut them off from the big hunk, and kept on going.
Should I have probed other places, besides just the thickest part of the flat?
Bottom Line - I want this to serve as an opportunity to show all the Pharkers and Pharkettes who are struggling with brisket (as I have, for years) that it CAN be done.
That's it for me... I'll get my butt back to the peanut gallery where I belong.
I've always pulled them too early.
The inspiration came last weekend when I discovered this sign.
I decided to go with the Bludawg hot & fast method (or as close to it as I could go).
Awoke at 0500, probably wasn't yet legal to drive, but I got the Longhorn running.
Gave the brisket a trim (first time I've ever done that, but what you folks have said sure made a lot of sense), and a rubdown with Adkins West TX rub. Into the sauna she went at 0600.
Fat cap down. Point towards the firebox, with the new baffle plate installed, the temps were much more stable. I ran her with pecan and hickory (and a handful of charcoal when I let the coal base die a bit too much).
This is 4 hours-in... just before I wrapped her with parchment paper (forgot to buy some butcher paper).
Wrapped, I flipped the fat cap on top, and continued to run the smoker at 275-325F. I'd pre-sighted my probing locations, and tore a tiny hole in 2 places, big enough to get a thick skewer into the meat.
It took a while... seriously, Bludawg's timeline just didn't hold water with this hunk of meat. She took a solid 9.5 hours to finally probe tender. Jason TQ's video on meat probing was helpful, as was the whole "avocado" description. Internal temp was 198F.
Brought inside and let rest, cooling to < 150F (took about 2 hours, as Blu says).
A bit dark, but here she is before I separated the flat and point.
Here's the reward:
I've never been able to really do that, especially with slices as thick as a #2 pencil.
Family taste tester could NOT get enough brisket...
This cook was NOT perfect - Frustrated that a good 3-4 inches in from the end of the flat were still not tender. That said, they'll be great in other stuff. Cut them off from the big hunk, and kept on going.
Should I have probed other places, besides just the thickest part of the flat?
Bottom Line - I want this to serve as an opportunity to show all the Pharkers and Pharkettes who are struggling with brisket (as I have, for years) that it CAN be done.
That's it for me... I'll get my butt back to the peanut gallery where I belong.