Yep this is what I have been doing recently. That way when I get busy I can reheat a 1lb chunk for dinner.
You can always smoke a whole brisket, cut it in half or thirds and freeze them for later on. I always freeze me a chunk.
Gary
Great questions Tumbleweed. WRT "X hrs per pound", the truth of the matter is that cook time is determined by the thickness of a piece of meat, not by it's weight. That said, with whole cuts like a Butt, the thickness increases proportionally as the weight increases. Because of this, "X mins per pound" is a fairly accurate guide. Now, with that said, if you find a split butt in the butcher case, or if you just cut a butt in 1/2, it will definitely throw the timing off as the weight to size ratio has been altered.
Ok, I'm relatively new to smoking & have only done pork products so far (baby backs a few times & last Sunday, a great pork butt). Actually, I believe this is my first venture here in the "Beef" section. I'm interested in doing a brisket & have a couple of questions....
1)- When I was reading up before doing a pork butt, it seemed like most folks were concerned with the 1.5-2 hour/per pound recommended cooking times. Why do I not see that so much with brisket? Is it because there is a lot of variation depending on select, choice or prime? Or are there other reasons?
2)- When I did ribs the first couple of times, I was at about 230 degrees with my smoker for 5-6 hours. For the pork butt, I adhered to the newer, "hot & fast" method & went to my smoker's max (275), but would have liked to be more like 300. As it was, it took about 10 hours to do a 7 pound butt. Is there a "hot & fast" method for BRISKET that works as well? I have to say, that pork butt definitely did NOT lack any moisture (and I did not wrap).
3)- Again- newbie here using an MES 30. Point or flat?
I love to eat brisket in a good BBQ joint, but have been a little intimidated at the thought of doing one. I felt the same way about the pork I've done so far & with all the expert advice I've received on these boards everything has turned out very nice so far.
Thanks,
TW
Thank you. That all makes a lot of sense. I just never saw much of it regarding brisket. Maybe I just wasn't paying enough attention, as I have had a pork obsession pretty much since I bought this MES30!
Great questions Tumbleweed. WRT "X hrs per pound", the truth of the matter is that cook time is determined by the thickness of a piece of meat, not by it's weight. That said, with whole cuts like a Butt, the thickness increases proportionally as the weight increases. Because of this, "X mins per pound" is a fairly accurate guide. Now, with that said, if you find a split butt in the butcher case, or if you just cut a butt in 1/2, it will definitely throw the timing off as the weight to size ratio has been altered.
With briskets, IF you are talking about full packers, "X mins per pound" also works as a general guide. But, once you get into chunks of brisket, the size to weight ratio has changed again and the timings will be off. Some brisket flats might be long wide and thin while others might be shorter, narrower but fatter.
Easiest way to picture this is to consider a 1/4lb hot dog. Would it cook any faster if you cut 1/3 the length off the end of it ? Nope. Cook time would be the same as the thickness hasn't changed.
Or you could look at a nice big sirloin steak.
Let's say that this is a 3lb sirloin. Would it cook any faster if you sliced a 1 1/2 lb chunk off the end ? Nope. Even though it's 1/2 the weight, it will take the same amount of time to cook as the thickness hasn't changed.
Thank you, Bruno. Very useful info for this "hot & fast" pupil. I just don't want to sacrifice the meat. With pork I it was still very juicy & tender.
Tumbleweed, briskets can be cooked successfully at higher temps (hot and fast) as well. I have cooked them anywhere from 225 to 350, with success at all temps. The hotter you cook a brisket, the faster it will reach toothpick tender, but it will also finish at a higher IT as well. When cooking at home or for catering jobs, I'll get 4 hours smoke on my meat in a 250 degree pit, then wrap it up and finish it in a 350 degree oven. Works like a champ everytime.
Thank you for the quick response Bruno.Cosmic check your brisket for tenderness in the thickest part of the flat but I will also check it in 3 or 4 spots as well, all in the fiat section.
Cosmic, unless you have some really serious heat differential, the thinner parts of the flat should be done by the time the thickest part of the flat is ready. If you are cooking a whole packer, the point end will be even thicker, but don't worry about that. The point is made up of a different muscle group, is less dense that the flat and has more fat. That's why you can ignore it and go by the thickest part of the flat to judge when the brisket is done.