# Burnt Ends & Remnant Flat cut: Q-view



## forluvofsmoke (Jan 13, 2011)

Hi again everyone! This is part two of my brisket brine/curing project which I started yesterday (Cherry Spiced Cured Brisket) which left me with some goodies to smoke today. I like doing these types of projects, as a whole brisket is more than we can eat in a meal, and it gives me a chance to do some curing for a later smoke and have a nice dinner smoke as well, without freezing the leftovers.

I had about 1.5lbs of flat and a point left from a 12-3/4lb brisket curing project I started yesterday afternoon, so today I get to smoke up some nicely trimmed point and the remains of the flat for dinner tonight.

The point with the edges and fat trimmed away:
































The point and flat remnants rubbed with my red bell pepper rub (by request), wrapped and ready for the fridge...this was @ 2:00 pm yesterday, so these got a 16-hr rest to soak up some rub flavors while they waited:







Loading the grates in the Smoke Vault 24...I'll center these pieces on the grates so I have plenty of side/front/rear wall clearance. Also, I'll load the small flat cut remnants over the point cut so it gets some heat baffling from the point. This will help it cook slower or else it would be finished in about 1/3-1/2 the time the point will take:







The little piece towards the rear was a flap about 1" thick and 3" long which was loose from a rough meat cutter at the processing plant. I cut it off so I wouldn't have it hanging and getting over-cooked. It should make a nice snack for the chef in about 4 hours or so...hmm, brisket jerky? Naw, that would be some serious chewing!!! I'll probably toss it into some foil after it firms up in several hours...it's way too small to probe for temps, so I'll use the touchy-feely method: 







Got SNOW??? Starting-up with a cold smoke, in the literal sense of the term. Tossed the pan full of snow before I fired the burner to get the smoke wood tray hot. This will keep the humidity low in the chamber until it heats up, yet not leave pan completely dry while I'm heating things up. I don't like to pour liquids of any kind into a hot pan, as in this case, pan warp-age could easily result, and excessive steaming into the smoke chamber _*will*_ result:







Smoke is on @ 7:50 am MST with hickory chips for smoke, building up from cold to 200* chamber temps in 5-6 minutes , and holding it @ 200* for the first 45 minutes. I bumped it up to 220* and will let it ride there for the next 4 hours until I probe the point for internals and decide about when it's time to foil and rest the point before cubing it up and re-seasoning for a hot smoke (300* or so) to finish up the burnt ends.

It's warm this morning...well, for here in January...33* @ 9:30 am...watch out for that global warming! Ha-ha-ha!!! Got a warm weather break in between storm fronts...been almost -20* nights for the past several days and barely above 0* for daytime highs with fresh snow on a regular basis.

Anyway, just wanted to get this started while I had the chance. Pic uploads are sheer torture lately for some reason...about 90 minutes for 10-12 pics. So, I'll bring you the rest of the story as it unfolds.

Thanks all!

Eric


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## SmokinAl (Jan 13, 2011)

Very interesting. Snow in the water pan. That's one option we don't have here in Florida. But the way this winter is going I wouldn't be surprised at anything anymore.


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## nwdave (Jan 13, 2011)

A block of ice from your local grocery would work just as well.  Our snow just disappeared down the drain, thanks to great amounts of rain and 2-3 more rain storms sitting off the coast, just waiting to march in.  Eventually, this stuff will hit Wyoming as, you guessed it: SNOW.

I truly hope the picture uploading problem gets cleared up.  Pictorial tutorials are so much better, and we certainly don't want you being discouraged in your fine submissions.  Keep 'em coming.


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## forluvofsmoke (Jan 13, 2011)

Hey guys, I tried to qoute and reply with pic uploads, but had to restart my reply due to upload stall, and lost the quotes...catch ya in a bit.
4 hour update:

I too a peek for the usual signs of progress before probing, mainly shrinkage and the formation of juices on the top surfaces, along with the development of the color, of course. Juices were puddling-up nicely, so I grabbed a direct read analog and digi-probe which I had cleaned and wiped with alcohol to prep, fed the cable through the top vent and stabbed the the probe into the point. It was reading 140* @ 3-hrs, 20 min into the smoke, so danger zone time/temp is not a concern any longer, as the meat cutters made some wicked boo-boo's during processing this brisket, leaving some deep cuts in the edges of the full packer...worst one I've run accross so far, btw.

I checked the point temp again @ 4 hours, and apparently have hit one of the lowest temp stalls I've ever seen in a piece of beef...ever...140* turned to 138*, and at 4.5 hours in it's reading 144*. So, a micro-stall, but it tells a bit about the personality of this particular point cut.

The small flat cut has slowly climbed from 147* at 3-hrs, 20 min, to 153* at 4 hours into the smoke, so it may not have a stall, but it's such a small piece that a stall wouldn't last long at all anyway. I'm thinking I may just foil this with a bit of liquid and take it to 200* for pulling. That should put it at the ready point closer to when the burnt ends are finished. A rest in the fpoil wrapped in towels for an hour while the burnt ends are in for the second smoke should be about right.













Under-sides are about the same color, so a nice even smoke and cooking is building up for some great burnt ends: 







Point with lots of juices forming on the thinnest section and a bit is starting to ooz out the heavy end as well...yep, time to probe:







This little fella just looks gorgeous with the few bits of fat I left on:







Foiling the flat to bring to finish temps, and foiling the point to rest for a bit before cubing, then cubing re-season and double smoke to follow soon.

Thanks again all!

Eric


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## forluvofsmoke (Jan 13, 2011)

SmokinAl said:


> Very interesting. Snow in the water pan. That's one option we don't have here in Florida. But the way this winter is going I wouldn't be surprised at anything anymore.


Yeah, with the milder/warmer conditions you have, I don't think water vapor condensation would be much of a problem. Once it down to about 35*, I start using anti-condensation precautions, or else I have a mess of water and smoker residue dripping out of every crack and cranny of some of my rigs...hasn't been a big problem with the Smoke Vault, but I just stay in the habit for extra measure.
 




NWDave said:


> A block of ice from your local grocery would work just as well.  Our snow just disappeared down the drain, thanks to great amounts of rain and 2-3 more rain storms sitting off the coast, just waiting to march in.  Eventually, this stuff will hit Wyoming as, you guessed it: SNOW.
> 
> I truly hope the picture uploading problem gets cleared up.  Pictorial tutorials are so much better, and we certainly don't want you being discouraged in your fine submissions.  Keep 'em coming.


I don't think a guy would have to go to the extreme of block ice, but a pound or so of ice cubes would go a long way. My loose snow didn't even completely melt until I was up to 200* for about 5-6 minutes...doesn't take much just to keep the pan cool until chamber temps are up above 170* or so, deepending on relative humidity and ambient temps.
 

Yeah, we're forecasted for colder temps soon, and tomarrow is for rain turning to snow, then sub-zero nights again for the next several days. We generally don't get tons of snow all at once except during the spring storms...last snow of the season....those get down-right ugly...road closures for 2-3 days is pretty normal... maybe only 10-12" of snow, but piled up in drifts too deep for anything with rubber tires to get through...wait tractors with V-Plows, snowblowers on trucks, everyhting the county road and bridge dept has in their arsenal along with the highway dept's crews with the same equipment...not a pretty sight, ever, but 9 winters out of the last 10, that's what we get here.

Pic uploads are a PITA for me right now, but, it's just another day in the world of smokin' for me...I ain't gonna give just because technology doesn't agree with my plans...
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





...adapt, over-come...take some names and kick some internet butt!!! I'll get through it and still have a smile on my face when the smoke clears! Hee-hee!!!

Thanks guys!

Eric


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## smokin relaxin steve (Jan 13, 2011)

I must say Eric... no, I dont know what to say, LOL... as always I love your posts!


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## the dude abides (Jan 13, 2011)

Awesome post!


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## realtorterry (Jan 13, 2011)

bring on the ends!!


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## raptor700 (Jan 13, 2011)

Lookin good as usual, Eric

Can't wait to see the finally


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## les3176 (Jan 13, 2011)

Love me some burnt ends!! another amazing post thanks eric!!


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## forluvofsmoke (Jan 13, 2011)

8 hours into the smoke...interesting how this is shaking out.

 


Smokin Relaxin Steve said:


> I must say Eric... no, I dont know what to say, LOL... as always I love your posts!


Thanks Steve, every smoke seems different than the last, and this one's no exception to the rule.

 


The Dude Abides said:


> Awesome post!


Thanks, hey man, glad to see ya back with us! Got any Dudestrami in the works lately?
 


realtorterry said:


> bring on the ends!!




Cubing and reseason to finish coming up in about 3 hours or so...dang, the wait, I'm more into this than my curing brisket flat right now...maybe 'cause I know these will get devoured before I do eyelid inspections tonight.
I'm seeing a bit different progress in the internal temps than I've seen in a long time. At 4 hours, the point hit a micro-stall, and recovered slowly from that. Well, it almost seems like that was the onset of the real deal. It's now 8 hours in, and has yet to pass 151* after a 140* drop to 138* over 4 hours ago. But it has had a few small speed bumps along the way, so I'd have to say it's just a low-temp stall, which would make perfect sense considering the game I played with the cold start-up and 200* temp for the first 3/4 hour, and running just a tad cool @ 220 since then. I have had a couple unexplainable spikes, which I'd just take advantage of by opening up for a peek and pic grab, but nothing over 245*.

Anyway, the small flat cut landed in the foil @ 7 hours and 160* I/T, and @ 8 hours I had a spike and grabbed a couple more pics for your drooling pleasure:













I may need to do something about the thinner end on the right...looks to be about done, but I'd hate to cut the center section to separate this meat while it's this hot...tons of juices could be lost...hmm, what to do...







...AHAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!! FOIL WRAP THE SMALL END!!!! Why didn't I think of that!!! Oh, I just did....duh...I used to be blond until I was about 6 or 7 years old...hah-hah-ha! Foil to the rescue again!

Gotta take care of this ASAP!!!

'Puter logged me off the site and I almost lost this post when I tried to submit it...error message with something about not checking/having permissions to reply, so I ran out and did the foil-job, came back, logged in on another browser tab, and viola!!!

There we are!!!!:







I think the foil will slow things down a ton for the thin end of the point...wheew!

I did a double-take on the temp probe when I was getting ready to head inside...dropped from 151* to 144*??? I pushed the probe about 3/4" deeper and got 142*??? This point is trying to drive me nuts...must a took another temp drop @ mid-stall, but I've only seen this about 2 or 3 times. Man, like I always say, every, and I do mean *every* smoke is a new adventure...

A couple more hours (???) and we're on to the downhill grade...this smoke is getting about as weird as they can get, so I'll make no promises on finshed time at this point...
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





...confusion doesn't find me when I'm in my outdoor kitchen very often, but it sure landed a hard left hook into my chin this time...
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





...I never saw it coming either! I invite the stall all the time...that's what low & slow is about, maybe I need to keep my thoughts of stalls to myself? 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Ah, we'll get through it!

Thanks all!

Eric


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## Bearcarver (Jan 13, 2011)

Lookin' Great Eric!

Good thing I'm not working swing shift anymore.

I used to hate these continued stories.

Like "Rich Man Poor Man".

I'd get interested by watching 4 weeks in a row---Then get Middle shift & miss the next 2 episodes!

BTW: This was before VCRs & DVDs & DVRs, and all that good shet!

Bear


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## beer-b-q (Jan 13, 2011)

Nice looking smoke Eric...


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## forluvofsmoke (Jan 13, 2011)

The finish is at hand!!! Warning for those who haven't viewed much of my q-views just yet...now's the time to grab a bib and cover your keyboards...
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





 


Bearcarver said:


> Lookin' Great Eric!
> 
> Good thing I'm not working swing shift anymore.
> 
> ...


Thanks Bear! Hey, I know what you mean about the long progressive threads like this...gotta drive some folks just plain bonkers, too!

But it does bring out a lot more to the table for others to contemplate when the blow-by-blow includes all the bloopers and creative moments, and I managed to overcome a few stepping stones/stumbling blocks today which I hadn't experienced yet...yeah, even I haven't run into every possible issue on what "should be an easy smoke".
 




les3176 said:


> Love me some burnt ends!! another amazing post thanks eric!!


You're welcome, Les! Hope you have the chance to try th BE's, if you haven't already...they're a great treat!
 




raptor700 said:


> Lookin good as usual, Eric
> 
> Can't wait to see the finally


Thanks, hey man, long time coming, but I finally brought you the rest of the picture show!
I was battling the thought of yanking the point out before the 160* mark to rest a bit before cubing, as temps were hanging in the mid 150* range for what seemed an eternity. I finally decided to just go for it @ 157*. As it turns out, this was probably the best choice to keep more moisture content in the point. It was oozing with pink juices on the heavier end when I sliced, as you'll see, and I used a bowl-style board to be sure I'd catch everything and get it back into the cubes, and it worked out great.

During my pacing while tossing wheather to let it ride some more or get to cuttin', I grabbed the board and re-oiled it for a fresh coat to keep the juices from soaking into what looked like pretty dry wood...it's not my smokin' board, but it was over-due for oiling...wife won't mind...couldn't find any canola or vegetable oil, so olive oil will have to do:






Much better!!! Nice and shiney now:







The little flat cut is double toweled in the foil (in the white/blue striped towel), and the point still has the foil over the thin section from earlier in the smoke:






 

I forgot to mention earlier that when I put the foil on, I used the shiney side out instead of in, because I wanted to deflect more heat away from the meat than hold it inside th efoil, to slow the heat penetration down as much as possible without placing it into a pan on a an elevated rack (another option).













Now that I have a chance to really look close, yeah, that thin section needed some help...glad I foiled it up...could have done it earlier than I did: 













And I give you the cold start, low initial temp smoke ring I love _sooo_ much...I was just itchin' to see this myself, but really wanted you all to have a look. No fat cap, so it took on a great smoke on both sides, and the edges can it get any better?:







And that ring is showing up with pink meat in ther middle...gotta love it!:



















In the center of the board are some juices from the undercooked meat...well 157* is not undercooked for beef, but it is for beef brisket:

























Still juices on the board...I'll mop those up with the cubed point before I toss 'em into a bowl:







Got most of the juices picked back up:







Into a non-reactive bowl...stainless for me when I can:







This is one of the few times you'll ever see me use a sauce with smoked meats to finish the job...about 2-1/2 oz of Sweet Baby Ray's Honey Bbq:







Tossed and rolled to give 'em all a nice light coating, and we're going back for round 2 in the Smoke Vault:



















300* for just 1-hr, 20-min with enough remaining charred smoke wood in the pan to re-ignite and start the smoke all over again with the higher burner setting:













The baby flat cut ready to slice after about 90 minutes in waiting...cooked weight is probably just under a pound...petite fella for sure:



















And here's my trophy for the day:

























The Red Bell Pepper Rub my wife requested is just a basic general rub, but without making any variations for the heavier brisket flavors, it's a nice touch. I had been thinking about trying my latest flavor craze, the cherry rub (the beef roast variation), with a few minor adjustments in the blend, but my wife made a good call on the RBP...it's so simple that it's good on everything.

The flat was still tender, just a tad dry as I got hurried and didn't add any OJ or AJ to the foil, but not enough to really notice unless you were the one holding the knife which did the slicing. Everyone here thought it was just as good as any other sliced flat I've done.

The burnt ends I've done from untrimmed full packers were easier to judge when it was time to rest/cube for the second smoke, but these had a different texture due to being smoked without the basting of a fat cap. A bit less of that juiciness and popping kind of chew. Different chew, but still a great experience to eat, and we all liked these just the same as my other BE batches, too. I did a good thing by getting it onto the board earlier for sure, and could have even went for the 150-153* mark, I think. May have to give that a try on the next round and see what happens...as long as the meat spends enough time in the lower temp range before the final smoke brings the temps up over the 200* range, then tenderization should still be there.

Wheew!!! I think I covered everything...nor=t sure...if anything else comes to my smokefried brain (LOL!!!), I'll come on back.

Man, that was another fun smoke, even with getting my face slapped by the weirdest stall I'd seen in a few years! Ha-ha!!!

OK, you can stick a fork in me...'cause now I'm done!

If you have any questions about something I may have over-looked, or didn't explain very well, please feel free to ask...lots of info (and enticing pics) to digest here, so don't sweat it.

Great smokes to all!

Eric


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## forluvofsmoke (Jan 14, 2011)

Beer-B-Q said:


> Nice looking smoke Eric...


Thanks Paul! I stomped on your post when I spent a couple hours pulling all these final pics and text together...notr frustrating, just timew consuming. Worth the effort in getting the word of another good smoke into the forum though.

Dang, OK, I must be getting tired 'cause I'm not thinking in straight lines anymore, and can't type for squat either with my clumsy paw-sized fingers! LOL!

Long day, but fun for sure! Eyelid inspections are in order for this boy...soon, very, very soon...

Thanks again all!

Hope you enjoyed it!

Eric


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## Bearcarver (Jan 14, 2011)

Eric,

You even outdid yourself on this one.

Pictures galore !!!!

I spent a lot of time left clicking so many of them to zoom in---Awesome pictures of awesome meat!

This is about the most pics you ever posted of something.

I'm wondering if it's because you aren't afraid the "insert image" thing will freeze up any more??

Thanks for some GREAT VIEWS!

Bear


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## smokin relaxin steve (Jan 14, 2011)

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i have a drool puddle on my desk!


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## beer-b-q (Jan 14, 2011)

Eric those look terrific... Do You Deliver? LOL

Those look better than any I have had in ANY Kansas City Q Joint...


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## mballi3011 (Jan 14, 2011)

I wish he delivered I think I would be his best customer too. Now that looks awesome there Eric. Man I have to make me some burnt ends hear pretty darn quickly too.


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## SmokinAl (Jan 14, 2011)

My God what a great finish to a long day. I've been following this since the snow in the water pan. Everything looks soooo delicious. Thanks for the great post.


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## barneypoo69 (Jan 14, 2011)

Great smoke. You keep outdoing yourself. Love your "play-by-play". I learn everytime you share. I'll have to remember that foil wrap on the thin end when I run into that same issue.

Thanks for sharing.


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## forluvofsmoke (Jan 15, 2011)

Bearcarver said:


> Eric,
> 
> You even outdid yourself on this one.
> 
> ...


Thanks Bear, I did have a ton of pics taken towards the end, and they all looked so good I just couldn't decide on which ones to post that would best describe what this smoke _really_ looked like, and how the finish actually came to be. Those sliced point pics (before cubing) about drove me crazy when I saw 'em on the monitor, so, I just took the extra time to unload 'em all on you guys! LOL!!! 
 

As for the "Insert Image" having issues, yes, it does still mess with me, but I stopped using PB for the past couple of weeks if I remember correctly, and have had less problems than before. I had a few upload sessions where I only got 2 pics up (out of 6 or more) and made the mistake of going for a third....I rolled snake eyes (with X's through the middle...dead...LOL!) several times on those. But on this last set of...I don't even know how many...20 something...I rolled the dice and got 5 and 6 at a time between clicking the preview button, so I guess you just never know when taking a gamble will make ya or break ya.

Anyway, I figured if I'm going to post a tutorial of sorts, or just a mind-blowing Q-view, I'm gonna go for it...all or nothing! Took awhile, but it was still tons of fun doing the smoke and being able to share it with all my friends.
 


Smokin Relaxin Steve said:


> WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i have a drool puddle on my desk!




Hey Steve, didn't you read the top lines of my finale' post? I _*did*_ warn you about that!!! LMAO!!!




Beer-B-Q said:


> Eric those look terrific... Do You Deliver? LOL
> 
> Those look better than any I have had in ANY Kansas City Q Joint...


Oh crap, Paul! I wish I could deliver...they still haven't gotten hudler to get PM smoke deliveries...just think...take a pic and add it to a PM, click send, and instead of the recipient getting a pop-up PM notification, they'd just get a plate of fine smoked grub sitting right in front of the monitor, complete with napkins and an ice-cold brew with water condensation trickle down the bottle!

I know, I know, that's reaching pretty far...but if I could make it happen...LOL!
 

KC can't do decent BE's? Dang! Maybe you should ask to go into the kitchen and see how they do 'em so you get point 'em in the right direction. Can't be too hard if I can do 'em! LOL!!!!

 


mballi3011 said:


> I wish he delivered I think I would be his best customer too. Now that looks awesome there Eric. Man I have to make me some burnt ends hear pretty darn quickly too.


Thanks Mark, I guess we can hope for hudler to really pull some strings one day, huh? If you haven't made burnt ends in the last month, that's about 2 weeks too long if it were my house...my wife buys a brisket every time she's got an itch for BE's...well, if she can find one, that is...she's been talking brisket for over a week and finally found one two days before I smoked it...she keeps me in the brisket smokes pretty regularly.
 


SmokinAl said:


> My God what a great finish to a long day. I've been following this since the snow in the water pan. Everything looks soooo delicious. Thanks for the great post.


You're welcome, Al! That really was a great day for a brisket smoke. Now that this smoke is over (but not forgotten), my next project will be coming soon, and I'm pretty pumped about it...curing has got to be my favorite...OK, gotta shut-up about that or it'll drive me nuts 'cause I still have at least 3 days 'til I can do a long smoke again.


Barneypoo69 said:


> Great smoke. You keep outdoing yourself. Love your "play-by-play". I learn everytime you share. I'll have to remember that foil wrap on the thin end when I run into that same issue.
> 
> Thanks for sharing.


Thanks, yeah that foil trick, man, I'm sure someone has used that one before but I don't recall seeing it anywhere. It just goes to show, you never stop learning, even with a smoker. Heck, I had a foil-fix in my Gourmet smoking a 7-bone 14-1/2lb whole beef rib for Christmas...roast was too long, so I baffled 4" below the ends of the roast with foil so it wouldn't get slammed with the high heat at the outer edges of the vertical smoker's grate...worked out perfectly! Foil is our friend! Ha-ha-ha!!!!!!!

Well fellas, it's been a great pleasure doing smoke with ya!

Keep your smokers warm and happy...oh, that goes for your bellies, too!

Eric


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## smokermark (Jan 17, 2011)

Exceptional brisket Eric!!! Nicely done.


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## big bad rog (Jan 17, 2011)

I'm in awe. I have a lot of work to do to make mine look that good. Thanks for all the pics - you should be proud, very proud!


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## rw willy (Jan 17, 2011)

Okay next smoke will be brisket!

That looked great.  Congrats and thanks for the tutorial.


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## aftershox454 (Feb 18, 2011)

awesome post!


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## forluvofsmoke (Feb 18, 2011)

Geez, I must be slippin'! I got so busy last month that I kept overlooking the activity on this thread.

 


aftershox454 said:


> awesome post!


Thanks, bro! I had to refresh my memory as to what this one was all about...tons of fun to prep and smoke this!
 




SmokerMark said:


> Exceptional brisket Eric!!! Nicely done.


Thanks, that was one of my better batches of burnt ends in awhile.




Big Bad Rog said:


> I'm in awe. I have a lot of work to do to make mine look that good. Thanks for all the pics - you should be proud, very proud!


Thanks,

it's not _too_ hard to achieve these results...there's a few basics to know about the brisket, but overall, it's among the most rewarding of what I would classify as a moderately difficult smoke (with pork butts for pulled pork ranking as low difficulty). Well, it is hard to judge the difficulty level on the things I know well, but turning out a really good brisket is definitely worth everything you put into it, and _then some_.

You're welcome for pics/method, and yes, I take pride in most everything I cook. Even if not everything went exactly as planned, and I dodged a couple bullets along the way...that just makes the event even more memorable and enjoyable.
 


RW Willy said:


> Okay next smoke will be brisket!
> 
> That looked great.  Congrats and thanks for the tutorial.


Thanks, and you're welcome as well! That was another fun ride!

Eric


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## kboss714 (Feb 5, 2016)

Wow loved reading this and looking at your Q-view.  Made my mouth water and now makes me want some. Great Job


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## b-one (Feb 5, 2016)

Tasty looking smoke,any leftover burnt ends?
Olive oil can go rancid and not the best options for cutting surfaces did a lot of research when we got butcher block counter tops. Mineral oil is recommended.


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## cmayna (Dec 2, 2016)

Eric,

Fantastic thread to have discovered.  Question:  How many hours overall did you smoke and then rest these pieces of loveliness?     I have yet to do a brisket, and really want to do burnt ends, so I might look for a couple small pieces of point and flat to experiment with.   Nice work indeed and thanks.


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## pc farmer (Dec 2, 2016)

cmayna said:


> Eric,
> 
> Fantastic thread to have discovered.  Question:  How many hours overall did you smoke and then rest these pieces of loveliness?     I have yet to do a brisket, and really want to do burnt ends, so I might look for a couple small pieces of point and flat to experiment with.   Nice work indeed and thanks.


Glad you found this Craig, I have bought a brisket to try for my first time.

 Great post Eric.    I now know for sure I am cutting this brisket up.     Point, 2 flats.


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## forluvofsmoke (Dec 2, 2016)

cmayna said:


> Eric,
> 
> Fantastic thread to have discovered.  Question:  How many hours overall did you smoke and then rest these pieces of loveliness?     I have yet to do a brisket, and really want to do burnt ends, so I might look for a couple small pieces of point and flat to experiment with.   Nice work indeed and thanks.


Thanks, Craig. I think the point was in for 8+ hours for the initial smoke...came out with I/T in the mid to upper 150's, rested for ~45 minutes, then cubed into BE's, sauced and back in for their final smoke. That little flat was foiled @ 160* after ~6 hours, then finished until tender and rested for a good hour before slicing, IIRC...but damn, you dug up such an old thread I had to start from the beginning to refresh my memory 'cuz I've slept too many times since then...LOL!!!


c farmer said:


> cmayna said:
> 
> 
> > Eric,
> ...


Thanks, Adam. If you've never tried BE's, you're in for a treat.

I wish I could find just point muscles...might have to talk to a meat cutter at a local processor and see what they can do for me. If I had a freezer loaded up with points I'd be a Burnt Ends smokin' maniac!!! Around here, BE's are THE only reason I need to do a brisket smoke. I just don't smoke brisket now days 'cuz all the kids are out of the house, but I might put together a brisket smoke for a gathering in the near future.

WOW!!! This brought back some mighty fine memories. Thanks for the bump and taking me down memory lane!!! I just asked the wife about a local meat cutter...her friend knows of one...might have to pay him a visit soon about brisket points.

Eric


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## pc farmer (Dec 2, 2016)

Thinking of burnt ends and cooking one part of the flat and curing a part of the flat.


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## forluvofsmoke (Dec 2, 2016)

Well, there ya go!!!

This 5+ year old thread was all about what to do with the remains from a cherry pastrami project. Sounds like you already know what you want to do...HA-HA!!!

Eric


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## pc farmer (Dec 2, 2016)

forluvofsmoke said:


> Well, there ya go!!!
> 
> This 5+ year old thread was all about what to do with the remains from a cherry pastrami project. Sounds like you already know what you want to do...HA-HA!!!
> 
> Eric


I did already know what I wanted to do but this thread reassured me.


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## cmayna (Dec 2, 2016)

This is awesome stuff.  I need to go out and start shopping for a brisket point.


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## forluvofsmoke (Dec 2, 2016)

cmayna said:


> This is awesome stuff.  I need to go out and start shopping for a brisket point.


I have no idea what is normally stocked in the meat coolers in your area, but you may need to call-in a special order, or speak to them in person and explain exactly what you want. Some meat cutters are kinda green when it comes to brisket (among other cuts), and most of the points get ground into GB...those are the stores that sell "center-cut brisket" as if to make it sound more fancy or a delicacy (which it is not), and it is nothing more than a trimmed flat, and is still a lessor, tougher cut no matter what you call it on the label. I steer clear of center cut...not worth the money to me if I can't make burnt ends. Some grind up the whole brisket to make quotas for their cooler stocking if brisket isn't selling well at that time...which is just as bad for brisket lovers.

I will say this, if you do burnt ends once (first time around is an experiment with your personal preferences, because you don't know what you'll like best), you won't want to wait for when you can smoke 'em up again. It will be taunting your imagination...like: what if I toss 'em in dry rub instead of sauce? What happens if I smoke the flat to 180-190* instead of 150* before resting and cubing? How about 205*? (don't, please, don't do this...LOL!!!) I already know the answer to some of the questions that you haven't asked yourself yet, because you haven't discovered these gems and experienced the simplicity that makes them such a great treat.

If I may suggest, get 2 points, or cut one point in half before you prep for smoking. Why? Options. Treat both pieces the same, except after cubing. Toss one in sauce, the other in your dry rub of choice...then you'll have that one comparison under your belt at the end of the day. Unless, by chance, you want to keep yourself in suspense for weeks until you get another shot at it...LOL!!! OTOH, that could take some of the exploration and excitement out of your 1st and 2nd BE smokes. It's up to you. Believe me, there WILL be a 2nd BE smoke...I don't know of anybody who stops at just one.

Have fun locating your brisket point, and have a GREAT smoke!!!

Eric


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## GaryHibbert (Dec 4, 2016)

This was a fantastic post Eric.  The burnt ends turned out great and the sliced point pics are making me hungry.  Normally I would avoid a cut like a point--just too much fat for me--but yours look real good.

POINTS

Gary


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## forluvofsmoke (Dec 4, 2016)

GaryHibbert said:


> This was a fantastic post Eric. The burnt ends turned out great and the sliced point pics are making me hungry. Normally I would avoid a cut like a point--just too much fat for me--but yours look real good.
> 
> POINTS
> 
> Gary


Thanks, Gary!!! Yeah, the fat in the point can carry an overwhelming flavor to some. I've read from more than one member here that they or their spouse just can't tolerate the taste of brisket fat. And, if you're trying to eat healthy, well, most are recommended to eat low fat, low cholesterol. I'm a firm believer in low & slow cooking of brisket. If you can render out more of the interior fat it changes everything with the finished product. You don't want to loose it all, or a dry finished product will result. Turning the point into burnt ends possibly allows for even more rendering of the fat, which is just a bonus, as the real reason for BE's is that unique texture in the bite and chew...oh, whole brisket smokes around here command that BE's be made, as well...if there's a point to be smoked, the BE's will be coming.

Eric


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