Christmas brisket ....

[outdoorsfellar]

I bought a brisket a week or so ago & have frozen it since. I wasn't able to prepare & smoke it like I had planned at that time, so I'd like to smoke it for Christmas. I was recently reading about a preferred method of NOT using a frozen brisket due it possibly wouldn't be as tender. I don't recall anyone here talking about that, so I'm wondering on how others feel about that & what their experience ... if any, has been using a frozen brisket.

[squirtthecat]

I used a frozen one once for Pastrami, and was indeed tougher than a similar one I made that I didn't freeze..

[Habanero Smoker]

It may be a little drier, but it will not be any tougher then when it was first placed in the freezer. With any meat, once you freeze in a home freezer ice crystals form in the cells of the meat. These crystals have jagged edges and will piece the cells as the crystals expand. When the meat is thawed the meat will loose liquid during thawing and cooking because the cells have been damaged. I often freeze meat when I get it home, and to me the loose of liquid is hardly noticeable. When meat is frozen at a packing plant, it is flash frozen. This type of freezing prevent ice crystals from forming in the cells.

[squirtthecat]

Thanks Habs.  I did notice it was dryer. (which made it 'feel' tougher - to me)

[classicrockgriller]

ODF, that brisket might be one for a wet coat (mustard, wet marinade).

Once the wet coat gets some smoke it will help lock in some of the juices.

I really wouldn't worry about it. Just cook it low and slow.

[Habanero Smoker]

Thanks Habs.  I did notice it was dryer. (which made it 'feel' tougher - to me)

With any cut of meat especially briskets; there are so many variables in each cut. You can often get a brisket cut that is just tougher then what you usually get. Your frozen brisket could have been just one that was tough prior to freezing.

[Pachanga]

I tend to agree with Habanero's posts.  I have frozen a few fresh briskets and did not notice a difference in the product.  A brisket is a fatty piece of meat.  Fat reacts differently to freezing than lean cuts do.  While I would prefer a brisket that is never frozen (and who knows how it was handled earlier), I do not shy away from a frozen product.

Good luck and slow smoking,

Pachanga

[outdoorsfellar]

I just remembered to look back in here on this topic, thanks for the replies. I should also mention that this is a 4 lb brisket, so I'm going to lather on the mustard prior to the rub. I've learned that smaller can be trickier, but since I already have the meat, so a 220 temp & an IT of 190 will be the order of the day. I'll probably just spray it down every hour or so with apple juice mixed with something else perhaps .... did I read somewhere here that someone used vinegar as well ?? I'll post pics as I go along & it looks like this will be a project for the day after Xmas.

No matter what, it'll certainly be a learning experience !  ;D

[pensrock]

Where I live I'm lucky to get brisket and they are all frozen. None have been dry or tough for me. Maybe I'm just lucky? I would love to try a fresh brisket one day. I've been talking to a few people that butcher their own cows. They said the brisket on them are not what I'm looking for, but if they do get a decent sized one they will save it for me.

[Habanero Smoker]

If they are flash frozen at the meat processing plant and remain frozen until thawed, you would not have the problem with ice crystals damaging the celll walls. Ice crystals form and grow when meat is slowly frozen, such as in your home freezer. When the meat is flash frozen (and most meat is shipped that way), if freezes so quickly that ice crystals do not form.