Brisket Bandwagon

[DennisLinkletter]

All these posts on brisket had me drooling so I tracked one down and smoked it up...

I have some trimming shots too but will post those later..

Was it good... Yup!

[Curly]

Um-ummmm. I bgt one a while back and haven't been able to do it. Soon though, that's a tastebud party there

[Porkchop]

great pic dennis! that charred/spice/fat rind on the outside of the meat is the best part, eh? nice smoke ring too!

[Sanny]

article on brisket

There's an article/recipe in Cooks Illustrated this issue (cooksillustrated.com) about "Authentic Texas Brisket." Pics of whole, point, flat, and the like. Looks yummy. Recipe uses flat, since that's more widely available. But guy who did recipe said he prefers it with point. Moister portion of the cut.

Maybe I'll have to try it. Just to verify the recipe, you understand.

The recipe shows a metal kettle, with offset coals for low and slow. At about 300, the cooking time is 6 hours or so, with a half hour rest. Brisket is brined and seasoned.

***

I picked up a brisket on the way home, so I will try it this weekend. Flat, at Costco.

[Sanny]

Why is brisket pink?

From the July/August 2007 issue of Cooks Illustrated

"In the competitive bbq world, championship brisket always contains a thick smoke ring - the 1/4 inch pink layer just beneath the meat's surface. Often mistaken for underdone meat, smoke rings -which don't affect taste - occur in most bbq'd meats. Despite the name, smoke doesn't play much of a role in creating a smoke ring. It's actually caused by reactions that occur when meat is cooked for a long time at a low temp in a closed chamber (ie, bbq'd). The fire emits gasses that dissolve in the moisture on the surface of the meat to create new compounds similar to the nitrates that keep deli meats pink. I found that placing a pan of water in the grill added enough moisture to guarantee a proper smoke ring."

End of CI blurb.

[ThreeDJ16]

Re: Why is brisket pink?

From the July/August 2007 issue of Cooks Illustrated

"In the competitive bbq world, championship brisket always contains a thick smoke ring - the 1/4 inch pink layer just beneath the meat's surface. Often mistaken for underdone meat, smoke rings -which don't affect taste - occur in most bbq'd meats. Despite the name, smoke doesn't play much of a role in creating a smoke ring. It's actually caused by reactions that occur when meat is cooked for a long time at a low temp in a closed chamber (ie, bbq'd). The fire emits gasses that dissolve in the moisture on the surface of the meat to create new compounds similar to the nitrates that keep deli meats pink. I found that placing a pan of water in the grill added enough moisture to guarantee a proper smoke ring."

End of CI blurb.

Good info to know. I just assumed it was from the smoke. But I have noticed the pink tint when slow cooking roast in the oven and wondered why since I had not applied any potassium nitrate preservatives (like in corned beef).

-=Jasen=-

[Porkchop]

dirty oven??

[ThreeDJ16]

dirty oven??

I didn't cook it at your house!

-=Jasen=-

[Porkchop]

you wouldn't be allowed.

[ThreeDJ16]

you wouldn't be allowed.

Hehehe, that's what you think!

-=Jasen=-

[U2PLT]

Smoke Ring

On the Naked Whiz WEB there is a detailed discussion of how the smoke ring is generated.

[DennisLinkletter]

Brisket time again..

Bought these two slabs of brisket in Bali and brought them to Sby this week.

Was told it was a full packer cut but when I opened up the bag there were two pieces, one obviously the point and the other I had to write Dave Z to figure out what it was.. I was disappointed to find that they were on the thin side also..

Here's the two pieces..

Slathered one side up with French's mustard.. using a brush make getting it even easier.

Home grown, sun dried Thai chilies add the necessary zippidy do dah..

Once one side is slathered and well covered with rub, I place this side down on the grill and then do the other side so I don't leave all the sloppy goodness on the cutting board.

Besides the dried chilie, I have a mix of a few different rubs that I added also..

Plugged into my Digi Q

I used the ramp mode and set the target temp at 176º so I could slow down the cook..

I was able to keep it longer at this low temp.. the cooker dropped to about 180º

Finally upped the target temp to 185º and pulled it when it got there..

Wrapped it in foil and set it on ice in the freezer for about 15 minutes then rested it about an hour and a half.

When I cut into it oil squirted out.. I found one of those sponge fat layers full of yuck.. So I split it there and scrapped it all out and trimmed all the little pieces.. It was sorta ugly but very moist and oh soo very tasty! Nothing like a great brisket.. I ate about a half pound while trimming it..

This was all the junk I cut and scrapped out..

Not the most photogenic plate of meat but was actually perfectly cooked..

It was firm enough that the pieces stay together when picked up but tears without almost any effort, then melts in your mouth. Oh and the bark was great.. the chilies was warm but not hot at all..

[johnnyboy]

Excellent Post Dennis. Thanks.

Maybe want to copy/paste the last brisket episode with pics to the recipe section. (Cuz by default; when I need it that's where I'd go lookin' fer it first. hehe-he)

[Conodo12]

Just freakin' YUM!!

Thanks for the tip on using the grill when slathering the meat with mustard. Good tip!