Long brisket hold skeptic

[smoke ninja]

Because that's a big vac sealer required and a big water bath assuming you are not slicing and bagging first. You'd want to keep it complete as long as possible IMO.

Having said that, I've done the following on a few occasions with excellent results: Smoke to 190-195. Wrap in foil, 2 large towels and a foam cooler box. Leave it there overnight. Some of you will freak out about this Danger Zone thingy. Pfffft. Slice and vac seal the next morning. Freeze for the big day. Warm bags required to 150F in a water bath. Cut bag for service.

No complaints. My brother, who has spent a long time in the USA has had this and said it's the best he ever had. QC group of one however.

for larger items you use a plastic bag, it doesn't have to be vac sealed...maybe one of those plastic cooking bags. just have to get the air out and weight it down

 

[oldgfbbq]

stiffer than a fillet or ribeye...I don't think that is what is considered well cooked brisket. a proper brisket is soft, fork tender.

Let's clarify.....when you say fork tender, do you mean cutting brisket slices into bite size portion using only a fork? Or, do you mean one should be able to us a fork to cut slices off a brisket? I'm guessing the former.

I'm thinking if you cut both ribeye and a brisket into slices, the ribeye should be more tender than the brisket when using a fork to cut into bite size pieces. Are you suggesting they should be equally tender?

 

[Kevin James]

I'm a big fan of the hot overnight hold. More for convenience sake than anything else, because I can wake up at a normal time and as long as I get the brisket on the pit by 9-10am it will be an easy cook. I'll generally pull it off some time between 9-11PM, let it cool for an hour then throw it in my PK100 which I use as a holding cabinet set to 140 and it's ready to go whenever I want to slice in to it for lunch or dinner the next day. Can't beat the convenience.

 

[Lynn Dollar]

In Aaron Franklin's latest book, he says the brisket is not going to get any better than two hours after its come down to 140* and put in the warmer. He says ya might as well eat it then.

The reason the bbq joints have the long rest is they need room on the smoker for other meats that can't be held for long periods.

And trying to do a side-by-side comparison would be almost impossible when ya cut into one brisket a couple hours after it gets to temp, and then compare to another brisket that's had a long rest.

If resting allows someone to get more sleep, if it fits their serving schedule, if for whatever reason its more convenient ..........then go for it. A brisket can be held for a long period of time, but me, I'm very skeptical that the bite is going to be noticeably better. Its just another cooking fad or trend of the day.

 

[txsmkmstr]

I'm thinking if you cut both ribeye and a brisket into slices, the ribeye should be more tender than the brisket when using a fork to cut into bite size pieces. Are you suggesting they should be equally tender?

As crappy as the ribeyes are these days the brisket is always more tender IMHO - a big reason why I've quit buying ribeyes.

 

[Itsdone]

Because that's a big vac sealer required and a big water bath assuming you are not slicing and bagging first. You'd want to keep it complete as long as possible IMO.

Having said that, I've done the following on a few occasions with excellent results: Smoke to 190-195. Wrap in foil, 2 large towels and a foam cooler box. Leave it there overnight. Some of you will freak out about this Danger Zone thingy. Pfffft. Slice and vac seal the next morning. Freeze for the big day. Warm bags required to 150F in a water bath. Cut bag for service.

No complaints. My brother, who has spent a long time in the USA has had this and said it's the best he ever had. QC group of one however.

Just use an old cooler and a immersion circulator like anova and a rack that is just slightly above the water line. Wrap your brisket in BP, and put in a aluminum pan on the rack. Put a probe on the rack and adjust the temp on the circulator so that it holds the target temp. As long as you keep the cooler lid closed it will hold that target temp indefinitely. In my cooler, even if i open the lid, it only takes maybe 10 min tops for ambient temp to reach target temp again. I only have to set my circulator about 5F degree's higher then the target temp i want.

 

[Connor_Macleod]

After a brisket cook, I take a vacuum seal bag, put an ice cream scoop of refrigerated smoked tallow in the bottom of the bag, put in the smoked brisket cooled down below 160 F, vacuum seal it, then do an overnight sous vide warm hold at 141 to 145 F overnight (I have a 7-gallon kettle from my home brew equipment), and serve for lunch the next day. The tallow minimizes bark sticking to the vacuum seal bag, and the results are much to my liking.

I like Itsdone's cooler/rack/Anova setup and hope to build one of these sometime soon.

 

[smoke ninja]

Let's clarify.....when you say fork tender, do you mean cutting brisket slices into bite size portion using only a fork? Or, do you mean one should be able to us a fork to cut slices off a brisket? I'm guessing the former.

I'm thinking if you cut both ribeye and a brisket into slices, the ribeye should be more tender than the brisket when using a fork to cut into bite size pieces. Are you suggesting they should be equally tender?

I make brisket more tender than any steak. a slice can be pulled apart with little effort

 

[oldgfbbq]

In Aaron Franklin's latest book, he says the brisket is not going to get any better than two hours after its come down to 140* and put in the warmer. He says ya might as well eat it then.

That is consistent with my experience. Glad to know Aaron agrees with me. :grin:

 

[oldgfbbq]

I make brisket more tender than any steak. a slice can be pulled apart with little effort

Sounds like we have different measures of "perfection". And as someone recently posted, it your meat, treat it as you wish! Or something to that effect. This is why BBQ is great, we know what we like and endeavor to achieve it.

 

[Itsdone]

In Aaron Franklin's latest book, he says the brisket is not going to get any better than two hours after its come down to 140* and put in the warmer. He says ya might as well eat it then.

He also claimed he only uses Salt and Pepper, so there's that.

 

[oldgfbbq]

He also claimed he only uses Salt and Pepper, so there's that.

Please elaborate. Some may not know of what you speak.

 

[smoke ninja]

Sounds like we have different measures of "perfection". And as someone recently posted, it your meat, treat it as you wish! Or something to that effect. This is why BBQ is great, we know what we like and endeavor to achieve it.

that is true. folks like what they like and ain't nothing wrong with that.

I think the comment Lynn said about Franklin is probably true. you don't have to hold super long if you properly cook a brisket. two hours sounds about right. there is definitely a learning curve if you hold hot for extended times. I typically pull a brisket at just over 190. the last two hours or so of the cook before the hold is at a bumped down temp of 225 or under so I don't bleed off much heat if any. it's a very on the fly method that can be sped up or slowed down as needed.

best brisket I've cooked in the last year was two for a party. the extra meat in the cooker made the cook take longer and I had to bump up the temp in the oven to get it done. it was a short hold wrapped in towels and put in a cooler, probably about 2-3 hours. had I not had troubles and it finished early no problem using a long hold and the extra time gave me a backup plan. seems my best cooks are accidental

 

[Itsdone]

Please elaborate. Some may not know of what you speak.

If they don't know, they were living under a rock. Theres been plenty of well known previous employee's that admit when they worked at Franklins they never put just S&P on the briskets. I know you know this, but i don't mind stirring the pot.:biggrin1:

 

[Lynn Dollar]

He also claimed he only uses Salt and Pepper, so there's that.

Why would he want to mislead people about his hold time ? There's no logic there.

And every barbecue joint in the history of barbecue joints has been vague on their recipes.

And that also applies to cooking in general, even old ladies withhold info. I loved my grandmother's potato salad and my mother could never make it like she did. I always suspected she did not tell mom all the secrets.

I'm reading a book now by Mike Mills , " Peace Love and Barbecue " published in 2005 and its billed as " secrets, recipes, tall tales, and outright lies " about barbecue. Its part of the lore.

Every barbecue joint in Texas and a whole bunch not in Texas have long brisket holds. Franklin lays out his cooking schedule in his first book. Its not a big secret, whether it makes a brisket better or not, is up to you. What I've read, is what I stated, they do it to free up space for other meats on the smoker.

If you think it makes a difference, then have at it. I'm skeptical. And its extremely difficult if not outright impossible for me to make an apple to apple comparison. I would have to smoke two briskets, starting at different times to have then ready to cut and taste for a side by side comparison.

So there's that.

And on top of all that, way too much is made of brisket these days. Its incredible how many " secrets " have been disclosed in the last few years. People are doting way too much on brisket. Its become a ridiculous obsession.

 

[Lynn Dollar]

I fully expect to be at the grocery store check out line any day, and one of those supermarket tabloids will have the headline ...........

" BRISKET SECRETS REVEALED "

 

[ttkt57]

Elvis Presley’s BBQ sauce recipe disappears into sinkhole!

 

[smoke ninja]

when a pit master tells you their brisket is just s and p they are saying thays the minimum standard for a Texas style brisket. you can add more but coarse pepper and salt is a standard

 

[Hlzr]

Recently upgrading from a cabinet to an offset I've been contemplating how the best way to hold is. As I read through the posts and comments it seems everyone finishes the brisket and then holds it for x amount of hours. Has anyone done a brisket up to the point of wrapping point, usually165-170 for me, giving it an optimum short rest, then vacuum sealing it and putting it in a sous vide to finish to the desired finishing temp and time? Sorry to hijak the thread op

 

[Lynn Dollar]

On a side note here ..........

The best barbecue book I've ever read, is Aaron Franklin's first book. It inspired me to make better barbecue. It totally changed my barbecue life.

And Mike Mills " Peace, Love, and Barbecue " is now my second favorite book. I just regret not reading it in 2005 when it was published. Can get a good used copy on Amazon for under $10. I recommend, highly.