I just put my second brisket in my Bradley. Since I usually do things backwards, I just found out what FTC means. I did not do this with my first brisket and it turned out pretty good. Just how important is the FTC and since the brisket turned out ok the first time is it really necessary to FTC this time? The recipe ( which I got from the Bradley website ) calls for FTC 4-5 hours. Since I won't be taking the brisket out of the oven until around dinner time then with the FTC it'll be after 9pm before the meat is ready! Some input would be appreciated.
Triplem123 from Illinois
FTC is not a necessity, but you should do it if you can. It does help redistribute the juices, as all meat should be allowed to "rest" a bit after cooking. So if you can do it at least an hour it will help.
FTC is also a good thing to use if you underestimate the time and your meat is done early. It keeps it hot for a few hours without drying out the meat.
Thank you GusRobbin. I understand about the resting part. The 4-5 hours blew my mind. The info about keeping meat warm if done early is definitely a keeper. Thanks again for the input.
Triplem123
I think that although it is not necessary, it does tend to help to FTC. I would recommend that if you only have to wait and hour or two until dinner time and want it to be piping hot then FTC. If you want it to be somewhere between hot and warm then loosely wrap in foil and let it rest on the counter. I may be mistaken, but letting it rest generally means taking it away from the heat (resting from the cooking process) and as it begins to cool, the meat will redistribute its juices. When you FTC, the meat will maintain its cooking temp and the internal temp could even increase therefore you are actually continuing to cook but the foil is holding the juices near the meat so that it does not dry out.
1 to 2 hours just wrap in foil... longer wrap in towels and cooler
I generally cook my barbecue in advance, so I never FTC. As Wildcat pointed out, removing the meat from the heat source will allow the meat to cool, and redistribute the juices. FTC you are creating a "passive" oven. Besides keeping the meat hot for longer periods of time, the meat will continue to cook longer, the carryover will be much higher, so the IT will be much higher, than if you just let the meat rest at room temperature.