Giving Brisket Flat a try again... Q-View

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dnvrdv

Smoke Blower
Original poster
Apr 4, 2010
141
15
Parker, Colorado
First one tasted good, but was tough as he!! and dry.  Trying a tip from NWDave and a few others on SMF.  Using mustard to hold on the rub, and the rub... Montrel Steak seasoning.  Like it on steak so, we shall see how it goes. Smoke is Hickory. GO BUCKS!

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 My hat goes off to anyone who can smoke a moist brisket! Great bark, great flavor, tender, but dry as  the desert.. Maybe the salt from the Montreal sucked the water out? Pulled it at 170, after 11 hours. Looks pretty, but not feeding it to anyone else.

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Did you foil it with some beef broth or beer in the foil? That really helps on the smaller brisket flats. Also you can drape bacon over them as well.
 
Also, how much fat cap did you trim off prior to smoking?  All is not lost.  Personally, I'd go for a beer and broth foil rehydration, then serve with a sauce of some sort.  Unless you've cremated the meat (and it sure looks fine to me), there's always a side dish creation.  Heck, slice the meat thin, heat up some Veri Veri Teriyaki sauce and let them dip it.

Now, go back and figure out what didn't happen for you, make the adjustment and go for it again.  I'm sure Matt (a mutual friend) doesn't mind.
 
No fatcap trimmed, not much of one on it. Guess I should have checked the wiki.. The Teriyaki is a good idea for the current brisket, and I WILL make a good Brisket, I WILL!!! Check that, I WILL make a GREAT Brisket.
 
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I'll tell you just like the other 3 folks that complained that their brisket flat was dry.

 get you a whole packer and trim the fat to 1/2 " and smoke it low and slow. Foil wrap at 165 and take it on up to temp.

 You will be amazed at the difference.

   IMHO flats are good  for corned beef and pastrami.
 
I had the same issue this weekend, 5.6lb with about a 3/4" fat cap and smoked for 9 hours (about 5 hours of constant smoke from the amazensmoker then a few hickory chips along the way)  The thing was completely dry.  Did a rub overnight, and kept temp between 210 and 240. Foiled for the last half hour and still was extremely tough.  Surprisingly it had little to no smoke ring either.
 
And that's what makes a brisket such a challenge.  Dave, you ought to go over to Tony's, buy a decent brisket on their recommendation and go for it.  Knowing you, all pieces of unsmoked brisket in the Denver Metro area should live in fear of you.  Practicing for next years family smokeout?
 
Put the brisket in a foil pan when it reaches 165 and cover tightly with foil. I don't put any liquid in with it and always pour off an inch of juice when it's done. Take it on to 190 to 200 and rest. I never trim any fat off until I'm fixing a sandwich or serving it. Moist and juicy everytime. I do the flats the same way making pastrami... melts in your mouth. I never smoke anything  but ribs below 225. Packers and pastrami I keep between 225 and 250.
 
nevermind, just re read it and clearly you said you put it in the pan when it hit 165, my fault.
Put the brisket in a foil pan when it reaches 165 and cover tightly with foil. I don't put any liquid in with it and always pour off an inch of juice when it's done. Take it on to 190 to 200 and rest. I never trim any fat off until I'm fixing a sandwich or serving it. Moist and juicy everytime. I do the flats the same way making pastrami... melts in your mouth. I never smoke anything  but ribs below 225. Packers and pastrami I keep between 225 and 250.
 
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I'm with eman on the packers. I tried two flats before going to packers and made a hugh diff. I've been running at 225-250 until it feels like butter when I stick the probe into the flat. The points seem to cook faster and if you stop when the point is tender then the flat will still be tough. I haven't wrapped the last three briskets that I've done and they have been plenty moist. Get my packers at Sam's. Best I've found. I've wrapped only after they are done and rest for an hour or so. Also seem to have more moist meat when I inject with beef broth and marinate in the same.
 
Gotta agree on Sams meat, although I havent tried their briskets yet all the other meat weve ever had is very good and quite cheap.
I'm with eman on the packers. I tried two flats before going to packers and made a hugh diff. I've been running at 225-250 until it feels like butter when I stick the probe into the flat. The points seem to cook faster and if you stop when the point is tender then the flat will still be tough. I haven't wrapped the last three briskets that I've done and they have been plenty moist. Get my packers at Sam's. Best I've found. I've wrapped only after they are done and rest for an hour or so. Also seem to have more moist meat when I inject with beef broth and marinate in the same.
 
Well, I'm certainly no expert on brisket. In fact I've only done one, but it came out so good that I am going to do another in a few days. What I did with mine was smoke it at 250 until it reached about 165, then I put it in a roasting pan with some beef broth and some dry onion soup mix. Covered the pan with heavy duty foil and put it back in until it got to 200. Then it went into the cooler (pan and all). Since it got done way ahead of when I thought it would, it was in the cooler for about 5 hrs. When it came out of the cooler it was very tender and not dripping juice but it wasn't dry at all. Looked like this:

df642539_DSC_5152.jpg


Now, I don't know if the secret was that it was in the cooler so long or what, but I'm going to try it the same way again and see if I get the same results.
 
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that looks great, did you hit it with smoke the whole time it was uncovered? I cant believe I didnt get a smoke ring at all on mine after it went through a fully loaded amazensmoker.  Also, was it a flat or a whole brisket?

Thanks
 
Well, I'm certainly no expert on brisket. In fact I've only done one, but it came out so good that I am going to do another in a few days. What I did with mine was smoke it at 250 until it reached about 165, then I put it in a roasting pan with some beef broth and some dry onion soup mix. Covered the pan with heavy duty foil and put it back in until it got to 200. Then it went into the cooler (pan and all). Since it got done way ahead of when I thought it would, it was in the cooler for about 5 hrs. When it came out of the cooler it was very tender and not dripping juice but it wasn't dry at all. Looked like this:

Now, I don't know if the secret was that it was in the cooler so long or what, but I'm going to try it the same way again and see if I get the same results.
 
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