vBCms Comments

Welcome To Hunting Country

    Site News & Announcements (34)
    New Member Introductions (142)

General Hunting Forums

    After the Hunt - Recipes / Cooking (59)
    Waterfowl, and Small Birds (15)
    Big Game General (47)
    Turkey Hunting (60)
    Small Game (11)
    Whitetail / Mule Deer Forum (149)
    Pigs & Exotics (11)
    General Gear and Hunting Accessories (59)

Archery & Bowhunting

    Archery Gear Talk - Compounds (80)
    Archery Gear Talk - Accessories (28)
    Bowhunting (153)
    Archery Gear Talk - Crossbows (7)

Shooting Sports

    Gun / Rifle Target Shooting (17)
    Archery Target/Tournament Shooting (5)

Manufacturers' Corner

    Product Announcements (2)
    Promotions and News (6)

Firearms

    Black Powder (1)
    AR Talk (15)
    Guns & Rifles (88)
    Reloading (12)

Classifieds

    Fishing Gear (1)
    General & Misc (3)
    Archery Equipment (17)
    Guns & Firearms (11)
    Camping & Hiking (0)

Not Hunting / General Chit Chat

    Podunk Corner (1588)
    Photography (118)
    Fishing Chat (46)
1.) bluecat - 12/23/2013
Picked up a nice brisket from the butcher.

I'm smoking a brisket for Christmas Eve dinner and wondered if I should flip the meat at some point. There is a side with a thick layer of fat and one that doesn't have any fat. Should the fat side go right-side up so the juices drip through the meat? Do you flip the meat? Does it matter?

I put a rub on the meaty side figuring the fatty side would be a waste of spices.

He told me to keep the temperature at around 225 for 8 hours and let the internal temperature get to 190.

Gonna be single digits when I light it up at 3:00 am tomorrow morning.
2.) billy b - 12/23/2013
Fat side down, I would take it to 190 at the thickest part, if you have an instant read thermo, check it at a couple different places & use the lowest, do not flip it.
3.) bluecat - 12/23/2013
Thanks billy, I know you are an expert at smoking.
4.) Hunter - 12/23/2013
Billy is the man when it comes to grilling and smoking!
5.) Deerminator - 12/23/2013
I read that the fat should be around 1/4" thick.
6.) DParker - 12/23/2013
[QUOTE=Deerminator;13994]I read that the fat should be around 1/4" thick.[/QUOTE]

Oh, man. I'm [I]way[/I] over that.

Or, are you still talking about brisket? If so, then...yeah...what Billy said.
7.) bluecat - 12/23/2013
[QUOTE=Deerminator;13994]I read that the fat should be around 1/4" thick.[/QUOTE]

That's good cause I got a cow that just layed around and ate Cheetohs.
8.) NEBigAl - 12/24/2013
[QUOTE=bluecat;13999]That's good cause I got a cow that just layed around and ate Cheetohs.[/QUOTE]

Please don't cook crookedeye!
9.) billy b - 12/24/2013
[QUOTE=NEBigAl;14011]Please don't cook crookedeye![/QUOTE]

Good one:grin::grin::grin::hb:
10.) billy b - 12/25/2013
Well.............how wuz it??????
11.) BULLZ-i - 12/25/2013
LISA JUST PULLED OURS OUT ABOUT AN HOUR AGO, AFTER ALMOST 12 HRS... SHE MADE ME GO TO WORK, SO I WILL GET THE SCRAPS
12.) Hunter - 12/25/2013
I guess scraps are better than nothing!
13.) billy b - 12/25/2013
The scraps are the best part.
14.) bluecat - 12/26/2013
[QUOTE=billy b;14043]Well.............how wuz it??????[/QUOTE]



I started the fire at 3:00 am. Put the brisket on a 3:30. I was able to keep the temperature around 225. The guy at the meat counter said I wanted to smoke around 8 hours until the internal temperature reached 190. That seemed kind a high to me but that was my target. At 1:30 that afternoon (10 hours in) the internal temperature was 175. The guests had arrived so I really didn't have the option of smoking more. I felt it was done anyway so I pulled it off.

As it turns out, I'm glad I stopped when I did. I think at 190 the brisket would have been overdone. I could have probably stopped at 170. I keep an iron pot next to the meat so it was humid and the meat wasn't dry.

I would be open to any future suggestions as to techniques. Do you ever inject your briskets? I made a dry rub and wrapped the meat in saran wrap for a day prior to smoking. I kept the fat side down and never flipped.

It was very flavorful. Thanks for your help Billy.
15.) bluecat - 12/26/2013
A friend of mine who also does some smoking suggested that after 4 hours, your really don't need any more smoke flavor and suggested I wrap the brisket in aluminum foil so it cooks in it's own juices until the internal temperature reaches target.
16.) crookedeye - 12/26/2013
I was talking to my dad the other day and says to always wrap it in foil the last few hours..put a little apple juice in it..i bought a master built, regular 229.00 for a 147 bucks..the only difference in the high price one's is the widow and the rollers on the bottom..my dad does inject the brisket with something but I forget ..and they turn out great..i'll find out..
17.) crookedeye - 12/26/2013
it was built by a master...
18.) DParker - 12/26/2013
[QUOTE=bluecat;14091]A friend of mine who also does some smoking suggested that after 4 hours, your really don't need any more smoke flavor and suggested I wrap the brisket in aluminum foil so it cooks in it's own juices until the internal temperature reaches target.[/QUOTE]

I don't smoke brisket, but I slow cook it on the grill (about 6 hours, usually) wrapped in heavy duty aluminum foil to keep the juices from dripping all over. You just need to be really careful when removing it from the grill so that you don't accidentally tear a hole in the foil and spill hot beef fat all over the place.
19.) bluecat - 12/26/2013
What internal temperature do you shoot for on your brisket Delta Paul?
20.) DParker - 12/26/2013
[QUOTE=bluecat;14102]What internal temperature do you shoot for on your brisket Delta Paul?[/QUOTE]

Whatever internal temperature it hits after 6 hours on the lowest heat my grill has. I do have an electronic meat thermometer that I use with ribeye roasts and the like, but I've never bothered to use it with a brisket. So far, so good.
21.) billy b - 12/26/2013
At 190* the cologen in the meat releases & that's when it gets tender, after about 200* it drys out. I always wrap mine with foil at 160* then take it back out at 185 to crisp up. When I get home tonight I'll post a killer recipe ( the best I've ever used) if my internet works, it didn't late last nite.
22.) bluecat - 12/27/2013
[QUOTE=billy b;14108]At 190* the cologen in the meat releases & that's when it gets tender, after about 200* it drys out. I always wrap mine with foil at 160* then take it back out at 185 to crisp up. When I get home tonight I'll post a killer recipe ( the best I've ever used) if my internet works, it didn't late last nite.[/QUOTE]

Okay, that makes sense. I would be curious if you ever inject a brisket and/or slather it with anything during the cooking process.
23.) Deerminator - 12/27/2013
PICS
I'm slobbering all over the key board think'n about brisket. We had ham and stuffed shells.
24.) DParker - 12/27/2013
[QUOTE=bluecat;14111]Okay, that makes sense. I would be curious if you ever inject a brisket and/or slather it with anything during the cooking process.[/QUOTE]

It might or might not translate well to smoking (and I'd certainly defer to Billy's expertise on the matter if he says, "Don't do it") but I do two thing in that regard:

1) I slice about 10 cloves of garlic in half, length-wise. I then use the point of a thin knife to cut a narrow slit, one for each clove half, about 2/3 of the way down into the meat, with the slits evenly distributed across one side of the brisket. Then a half clove gets pushed down into each slit. I like them to be spaced about 3-4" from each other so the number of cloves used/slits cut will vary depending on the size of the brisket.

2) I inject the meat in several places (using a turkey marinade syringe) with a good beef marinade. I've used several and they all worked well, so just pick one that's fairly thin (so as to flow through the needle without clogging) and that features the flavorings that you want. Also, be careful to not over do it or you'll just have marinade gushing out through the injection holes.
25.) bluecat - 12/27/2013
Good good. Now what kind of marinade do you make up. Apple juice with spices added?
26.) billy b - 12/27/2013
I can't find the recipe I use, I'll post it tonight, it's not complicated, only has one weird ingredient & I found it @ wally world, I just have to find where I stashed the recipe, it makes the tenderest & tastiest brisket I've ever made.
27.) bluecat - 12/27/2013
If you were Martha Stewart you would post a recipe that the ingredients are only available in some little corner shop in Connecticut.
28.) billy b - 12/27/2013
Martha I ain't, if I were I'd have someone find the recipe for me. I know it but I'd rather scan it than type it, besides it wears out my two fingers:wink
29.) billy b - 12/27/2013
OK bluecat, here it is, please forgive spelling & type-o's


10-12# brisket


Ingredients
3 tablespoons "Fiesta Bristet Rub" sold @ Walmart in spice section
3 tablespoons Frenches Yellow mustard
3 tablespoons beef paste "Better Than Bullion" sold @ Walmart in the bullion section

Seasoning blend (Rub)
1/4 tablespoon garlic salt
3 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon lemon pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil (do not mix with spices, hold for later)

Wrapping mixture
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter or margarine

Preparation
1. Combine paste ingredients & spread on all sides of brisket. Wrap & refrigerate for 2 days (if you
have time if not, give it a couple of hours, longer is better)

2. Prepare smoker with oak or mesquite wood to 250*
3. Brush the veg.oil all over the top & sides of brisket
4. Sprinkle all the rub on the top & sides of brisket
5. Insert a heat proof thermometer in the thickest part of brisket

Cooking
Place in cooker fat side down
meanwhile lay out double sheets of foil big enough to completely wrap the brisket.
Mix the wrapping mixture but don't refrigerate
Cook brisket until it reaches 165* internal, take it out & place on foil. Brush on the wrapping
ingredients all over the brisket, then securely wrap entire brisket with foil & reinstall thermometer probe.
Place back in cooker & cook until internal temp reaches 195*
Remove from cooker place in a aluminum pan (be careful of hot grease leaking) then open foil & remove to cutting board. slice cross grain & for even more flavor, after slicing pour some of the drippings over brisket.
OK blue cat I typed all this so forgive the punctuation & spelling errors & if you don't understand something PM me for my phone # This sounds like a lot of work but it really isn't & I promise if you cook it to proper temps, it will melt in your mouth.
30.) bluecat - 12/27/2013
Awesome billy. Thanks for your effort. Wanting to give this a try. Yum - o.
31.) Deerminator - 12/28/2013
OH BABY!!!!!