I have a good offset smoker (Oklahoma Joe) and I make killer ribs, pork loin, and butt. We got a new sam's club here in town, and I finally have access to some nice briskets. I bought two the other night and plan to do one on the first nice warm day. You know, April.

I have actually never done brisket, so I'm looking for tips on temp, time, trimming, etc.

thanks

I have cooked a few and had mixed success....I'd like to hear from some of you guys who have it down to a science

Smoking briskets in Texas is like making sausage, everyone has their own way of doing it.

I like to smoke mine for about 2-3 hours, then wrap it in foil for 4-6 hours depending on the size, temp, and number of briskets. I have cooked 1 brisket and I have cooked 1800 lbs of meat. And I have cooked in 105 degree weather and down to 20 degrees with ice on the wood. So time and temp is dependant on many factors.

I could not tell you the exact temp because I have never used a thermometer. I was taught to use my hand on the side of the smoker. It is easier because once you learn you can check any side of a large smoker instead of depending on the thermometer set in one location. But I think it is somewhere between 275 and 300 degrees typically maybe hotter. If you are using a store bought smoker there will be instructions on the time and temp for that model.

I believe rubbing a brisket to be best. My basic recipe has paprika, mustard powder, cayenne, course black pepper (must be course), granulated garlic, and then whatever other spice sounds good at the time. I usually also use a good sea salt. Though many people frown on using salt.

I do not cut much of the fat off of the brisket. But I do cut the "hard" pieces off of it. When you feel the fat there are certain parts of it that are really hard. It is tough to explain in writing, but you will know when you feel them. Though some younger beeves do not have the tough fat. Most cheaper briskets are older cattle though, so you will encounter these peices when buying buying meat on sale.

I never dope my brisket. In other words I never put any type of sauce on it while it is cooking. If you want sauce on it, that is your own choice while you are eating it.

Now the big debate:

Fat side up OR Fat side down.

I am of the fat side down contingent. I believe that as the fat cooks it releases the moisture which in turn becomes steam and makes the brisket tender. The fat gets hotter if it is on the bottom side so there is more steam. Also, this insulates the meat from the direct heat and will cook slower and more uniform. It still gets plenty of smoke.

As the meat cooks, it releases liquid and sits on top of the meat. It keeps it moist until you get it wrapped.

The most important part of cooking brisket is to go slow, and keep it moist in the meat. There is nothing worse than dry brisket. Well, maybe dry ribs.

Also, make sure to drink enough beer so the cooking does not go bad.

An ole German BBQer once told me... "Look here BOY... there are three keys to great BBQ....

Number 1... start a good fire...

Number 2... pop the top

Number 3... suck 'em down and screw the BBQ"

Once you have mastered this... then, and only then... should you attempt to actually cook a brisket.

Ok I will have to agree and disagree with the prior post. Killer is correct everyone does have their own way of smoking a brisket. I have cooked them in ovens, small pits too large pits and also in commercial Alkar smokehouses. One thing I have found to be constant is that you have to have quality meat to make a quality final product no matter what it is your making. The briskets you are buying from Sam's will make great smaking briskets as long as they are packer trimmed and not retail trimmed. Packer trimmed will still be in the Excel, IBP, Swift,etc bag and not in an overwrap package like we see at most grocery retailers. This brisket has alot of fat left on the outside and you can trim or not trim the hard fat off, there is one pocket on the deckle side(flat lean side) that could be trimmed, other than that I like to leave as much on the external side as possible. As far as how to season it, I prefer a nice coating of coarse salt, usually Kosher salt, and coarse ground black pepper. This will allow alot of reaction with the salt and fat and creat a nice seal to hold the moisture in, thus creating a more tender final product. if you like alot os seasonings then that is totally up to the cook. I then place the briskets in a large aluminum pan with deep sides and cover with foil. A hot pit intially will allow the juices to migrate and actually cook for several hours at about 250 degrees. I don't apply the smoke until my final few hours, by cutting the foil tops and allowing the smoke to penetrate down into the brisket. This process allows me to retain my juices and not over dry or over apply smoke. My experience has shown me that you can easily apply to much smoke and actually lose the flavor of the product. So take it for what you want, and best of luck.

one ag brings up the most important point, keep it moist. No matter what method you choose or however you may mix methodologies, make sure the meat does not dry out.

It will all work out if it is moist meat.

Hey ya guys are making me hungry! Both Killer and one_ag have great recipes and I plan on trying one's method. I have cooked a lot of briskets all kinds of ways. IMOP a good rub, rubbed in well, at least 24 hrs before and slowly cooked over heat not just smoke. You really can't mess it up. I ussually thaw the brisket, washed it off with cold water, wipe dry and season. Place in a large trash bag, place it an ice chest cover with ice leave drain open and in 24hrs you are ready. Good luck.

The difference in the way one_ag and I cook our briskets probably has alot to do with our cooker set-ups and the wood we use.

I like alot of smoke in my meat. I have smokers that the fire boxes are one chamber removed from the smoke chamber. Meaning that the smoke must travel from the fire box, through the grill chamber, then into the smoke chamber where the meat is.

When I was in the Panhandle I cooked with yellow mesquite. Which is much different from pecan or oak. Or even red mesquite for that matter. I could also get hickory from Oklahoma, which would put a great flavor in the meat.

I have now moved to the New Waverly area and I have alot of hickory on my place, but it does not place the same flavor in the meat. And I now use oak and I have to be careful not to oversmoke the meat.

Yellow mesquite was very forgiving, especially when it was still wet.

So in short, cooking good brisket has alot to do with where you are located. If you are cooking in a small store bought cooker, then follow the directions. Buy some big chunks of hickory and let it soak, when ready, through it on the coals while you are smoking the meat. Sit back with a buddy or two and enjoy a cold beer. You gotta start somewhere.

IF this is how you are going, then I really suggest the Brinkman smoker. It has been around a long time and is a good design. It is not the easiest to use as far as the fire is concerned, but does a great job smoking/cooking the meat.

You want a tender brisket? I'll give away the secret: marinade in coke (or other cola) overnight. I've heard its the caffeine that tenderizes the meat, but I don't know if that's true or just the chemicals in the soda that does, but either way, it works.

As far as rub, the only rub you need is a little salt and pepper. Rubs are for ribs and other meats that don't need to smoke long to tenderize. Brisket needs at least 12 hours, which is one reason why I don't smoke many anymore. The wood choice is what gives it flavor. You can stay with Hickory, or go with fruit woods like apple, cherry, or even pecan.

Or, just marinade with coke and put one in the oven for 10 hours or so. If you do this, I'd recommend a rub -- you can find them all over the internet. Honestly, this isn't a bad deal. My mom did this to a brisket she had frozen (never recommended) and it came out very well.

ok, so the bf does a fantastic brisket on his oklahoma smoker. what he does...

1. marinades it in beer & cattlemans marinade over night.

2. uses usally pecan (but i like apple) wood to smoke.

3. sets the brisket, fat side down (no trimming) usually about 8 - 10 hours.

4. bastes often, usually every 30 minutes.

5. after the crust has started to form on the outside, he likes to cover it w/foil.

6. he talks to it like a baby, always referring it to "she"



his brisket always turn out great. the smoke ring is awesome, the tenderness is amazing & the taste is out-of-this-world. out butcher told us that in choosing a good brisket, it shoud have a thick & skinny side, one side being fat, & you should be able to bend it in half. the bf never puts it on direct heat either. but each brisket varies in time.

oh, he also keeps his heat to about 200, no greater than 225.

Here we go again .....

I have a Lyfetime smoker w/offset fire box. I prefer a combo of mesquite and oak, but I'll use pecan on occasion. As for seasonong, salt and pepper only, and on the fat side I flat out put a "layer" of sald and pepper. I'll smoke my briskets for 3-4 hours, then wrap em for another 8-12 depending on the size of the brisket. FAT SIDE UP. My thermometer generally stays in the 150 degree range - it is on the far side of the cooking box, which means the meat is likely at 225-250.

ok so I know we are beating a dead subject but just a couple things.

1. It is not the caffeine in the coke that is tenderizing the brisket, if there is anything there that actually tenderizes it would be just the fact that the coke is so acidic, just like using lemon juice. Most likely it is more due to the cooking method(moist slow) rather than the marinade. Trust me on this it is my profession.

2. FAT SIDE UP no question about it. This allows the juice to flow down through the lean and add flavor.

Yeah, it's the carbonic and phosphoric acids in the coke.

When a group gets together for a big cooking almost anything in the method of smoking brisket can be argued to a compromise except one bit of contention: fat side up or fat side down.

Fat side up.

I am not a big fan of liquid marinade for briskets. Dry rub A LOT, especially on the fat side 12-24 hours before smoking. I smoke with mainly oak and a little mesquite, fat side up. Pecan is good but it can impart too much of a smoke taste if you use too much, IMO. I usually go half and half on the time on the smoker unwrapped before wrapping. At least an hour per uncooked pound at around 200-250 F.

A very important thing most people miss is how to cut the damn thing. From my bbq restaurant days I separate the top and bottom parts of the briskets (the grain runs in a different direction on each), then stack them back on top of eachother to get my cuts across the grain, always. This also allows you to trim that 3/8" layer of fat between them. NEVER seeparate the brisket or trim prior to smoking. If you have "fall apart" brisket, you need a very sharp knife or an electric knife.

all I got for now.

Oh and B-1 83, I love my Lyfe Tyme

I'm with oneag. Fat side up. Also I like to make a rub of salt, pepper, and Tony C's. That's just the way I like it. I keep the heat at about 225. Lastly, no sause. If you want sause you can add it yourself later.

Not that I use it, but MOP sauce is a completely different animal from the BBQ sauce folks add at the table.

Fat side up. 1.5 hours/pound at 225 degrees.

And make certain you can regulate a fire well enough to not see any white smoke coming from the pit.

Visible, white smoke will ruin a briskit.

quote:

---

If you have "fall apart" brisket, you need a very sharp knife or an electric knife.

---

For the record, if you have "fall apart" briskit, you've screwed it up. Briskit should not fall apart.

true, but my point is that I hate to see a plate full of brisket that looks like pulled pork

maybe he does it fat side up....


whatever, its good.

How I wish all my screw ups would be limited to fall apart briskets. I think I can live with that.

I rub mine down in a BBQ rub of choice. Then, I sprinkle some Worcestershire over the mean and rub it in. Wrap it in foil, and throw it in the over for about 6 hours at @ 275-300. After it sits in the oven for allotted time, I throw it on the pit for @ 2-3 hours in the foil and smoke the crap out of it, while keeping decent heat under it. If I cooked it all day on a pit, I would be too drunk to carve it. Also, I leave the fat on, cook fat side up. this sucker melts in your mouth....works everytime.

Not trying to bash anyone's cooking means, but I never understood smoking meat wrapped in foil. Just defeats the purpose as you are blocking out the smoke and basically just roasting the meat on a pit.

quote:

---

You want a tender brisket? I'll give away the secret: marinade in coke (or other cola) overnight. I've heard its the caffeine that tenderizes the meat, but I don't know if that's true or just the chemicals in the soda that does, but either way, it works.

As far as rub, the only rub you need is a little salt and pepper. Rubs are for ribs and other meats that don't need to smoke long to tenderize. Brisket needs at least 12 hours, which is one reason why I don't smoke many anymore. The wood choice is what gives it flavor. You can stay with Hickory, or go with fruit woods like apple, cherry, or even pecan.

Or, just marinade with coke and put one in the oven for 10 hours or so. If you do this, I'd recommend a rub -- you can find them all over the internet. Honestly, this isn't a bad deal. My mom did this to a brisket she had frozen (never recommended) and it came out very well.

---

You just hit the nail on the head for me as to how I do mine. A good brisket doesn't need any other seasoning than salt & pepper. Fat side up, direct on the grill, low, low temp, and a long amount of time.

got to put my two cents in, for what it's worth.

My grandpa makes the best brisket I've ever tasted and I've just learned from watching him.

Here's how I do it:

24 hours before I'm ready to cook I rub my brisket with Pitt's and Spitt's original BBQ rub and stick it in the fridge. I make a mopping sauce with vinigar and lemon juice. This isn't for flavor, it's to help keep moisture, it won't leave a glaze or crystalized effect like most sauces. I cook with mesquite, just my preferance. When I get my fire to 250 degrees its ready. I put my meat on fat side up and cook it between 45 minutes and 1 hour per pound, depending on the size. I don't let the temp. get above 250 and prefer it to stay around 225. I don't rap my brisket until I take it off, guess I'm a little old fashioned in that regard. I've never had a problem with it drying out as long as the fire doesn't get too hot. This way I get a good ring around the brisket and a good BBQ taste. I don't like it to taste like it just came out of the oven. In fact if you don't rap it it will cut better and mine are usually just as moist as those who wrap their meat while cooking.

smoking brisket. My 2 cents. Rub with dry rub first...start out fatside down on hot smoker rack...this is only to get rack good and greasy then after like 20 the 30 minutes flip to fat side up. Cook until well browned...then wrap. you can keep it in smoker at this point cause you are only using heat. After fifnishing let stand for 30 minutes. Thats it! I think!

smoking brisket. My 2 cents. Rub with dry rub first...start out fatside down on hot smoker rack...this is only to get rack good and greasy then after like 20 the 30 minutes flip to fat side up. Cook until well browned...then wrap. you can keep it in smoker at this point cause you are only using heat. After fifnishing let stand for 30 minutes. Thats it! I think!

Its all right here:

http://www.barbecuen.com/champ-brisket.htm

Foil + Brisket does not equate to BBQ in any possible way! Foil is used if severe cases of Oh Chit, it aint done and the Cowboys are hungry! Cooking in foil basically, rapidly increases the internal temp of the brisket and turns the BBQ into roast! Pretty good for sandwiches but far from BBQ Brisket!

ever been to a BBQ competition?

yes!

great!!