- Feb 17, 2009
- 9
- 10
Hi folks,
I thought I would post up a detailed account of the planned cook this weekend. It consists of 2 monster briskets, cooked one day apart (some friends are over today, so even though there is an insane amount of meat, it will all be consumed :-) ).
As you all may or may not know, brisket as smoked in the US (as seen in the various online smoking forums), is basically unobtainable in Australia. We simply don't seem to have the number of cattle to have them grow as large/old, so when they are slaughtered, we get veal like sizes of most cuts. In addition to this, most butchers don't break down the carcasses the same way, so the brisket gets distributed into multiple other cuts.
But I found a source of proper sized briskets... you need to find Angus cattle from a specific supplier, and the catch is that they are Wagyu. Unfortunately, this means that most people cannot justify cooking brisket very often, and so for most (and for me), it is a treat once in a while perhaps when guests are over for lunch or dinner. The brisket comes out to be approximately AU$13/kg for the lower grade wagyu, and $19.50/kg for the best in Australia. So a top grade, very large brisket can cost you almost $200.
The 2 briskets are:
Rangers Valley Wagyu Beef Brisket (9.9kg = 22lb) (AU$14/kg ~= US$8/lb)
Blackmore Full Blood Wagyu Beef Brisket (7kg = 15.5lb) (AU$19.50/kg ~= US$11/lb)
Click on thumbnails for full-sized images.
First up the Rangers Valley:
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i...sket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0662_resize.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i...sket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0663_resize.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i...sket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0664_resize.jpg
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i...sket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0669_resize.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i...sket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0670_resize.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i...sket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0671_resize.jpg
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i...sket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0674_resize.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i...sket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0675_resize.jpg
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i...sket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0676_resize.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i...sket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0678_resize.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i...sket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0679_resize.jpg
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i...sket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0680_resize.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0992.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0994.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0995.jpg
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i...sket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0997_resize.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0998.jpg
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG1000.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG1002.jpg
First up I trimmed the ENTIRE fat cap from both of them. That's right, you heard right... I didn't follow the regular wisdom of leaving all the fat on, or even trimming it down to 1/4inch. I trimmed off the ENTIRE fat cap.
Think I'm crazy? Want to know why? Think it will dry out?
I think not... have a look at what was below that fat cap and tell me these babies aren't going to be moist when done:
The rangers valley wagyu:
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG1003.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG1004.jpg
The blackmore full blood wagyu:
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG1153.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG1155.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG1156.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG1157.jpg
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG1158.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG1159.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG1160.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG1161.jpg
The Rangers Valley brisket was rubbed down with my own brisket blend and the Blackmore was rubbed with Texas BBQ Rub. Both were rubbed down the night before to allow the rub to penetrate the meat slightly to give the outer layer a great flavour and good bark:
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG1162.jpg
I thought I would post up a detailed account of the planned cook this weekend. It consists of 2 monster briskets, cooked one day apart (some friends are over today, so even though there is an insane amount of meat, it will all be consumed :-) ).
As you all may or may not know, brisket as smoked in the US (as seen in the various online smoking forums), is basically unobtainable in Australia. We simply don't seem to have the number of cattle to have them grow as large/old, so when they are slaughtered, we get veal like sizes of most cuts. In addition to this, most butchers don't break down the carcasses the same way, so the brisket gets distributed into multiple other cuts.
But I found a source of proper sized briskets... you need to find Angus cattle from a specific supplier, and the catch is that they are Wagyu. Unfortunately, this means that most people cannot justify cooking brisket very often, and so for most (and for me), it is a treat once in a while perhaps when guests are over for lunch or dinner. The brisket comes out to be approximately AU$13/kg for the lower grade wagyu, and $19.50/kg for the best in Australia. So a top grade, very large brisket can cost you almost $200.
The 2 briskets are:
Rangers Valley Wagyu Beef Brisket (9.9kg = 22lb) (AU$14/kg ~= US$8/lb)
Blackmore Full Blood Wagyu Beef Brisket (7kg = 15.5lb) (AU$19.50/kg ~= US$11/lb)
Click on thumbnails for full-sized images.
First up the Rangers Valley:
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i...sket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0662_resize.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i...sket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0663_resize.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i...sket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0664_resize.jpg
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i...sket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0669_resize.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i...sket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0670_resize.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i...sket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0671_resize.jpg
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i...sket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0674_resize.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i...sket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0675_resize.jpg
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i...sket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0676_resize.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i...sket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0678_resize.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i...sket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0679_resize.jpg
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i...sket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0680_resize.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0992.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0994.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0995.jpg
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i...sket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0997_resize.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG0998.jpg
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG1000.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG1002.jpg
First up I trimmed the ENTIRE fat cap from both of them. That's right, you heard right... I didn't follow the regular wisdom of leaving all the fat on, or even trimming it down to 1/4inch. I trimmed off the ENTIRE fat cap.
Think I'm crazy? Want to know why? Think it will dry out?
I think not... have a look at what was below that fat cap and tell me these babies aren't going to be moist when done:
The rangers valley wagyu:
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG1003.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG1004.jpg
The blackmore full blood wagyu:
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG1153.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG1155.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG1156.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG1157.jpg
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG1158.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG1159.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG1160.jpghttp://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG1161.jpg
The Rangers Valley brisket was rubbed down with my own brisket blend and the Blackmore was rubbed with Texas BBQ Rub. Both were rubbed down the night before to allow the rub to penetrate the meat slightly to give the outer layer a great flavour and good bark:
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/infernooo/smoking/brisket/?action=view¤t=CIMG1162.jpg