My First Attempt

[Caneyscud]

Why we ask is because brisket is one of the quintessential low-n-slow meats.  Meaning low cooking temps (200 to 250) for approximately 1.5 hours per pound.  Brisket is typically a tough cut of meat and seldom cooked any way, except some type of low-n-slow.  The brisket looks to be a 6 to 7 pound flat, which would mean about 9 to 11 hours of cooking to an ending Internal Temperature (IT) of the meat of about 185 more or less.   At the end of that cooking, there would be no red left.  If cooked with combustion, there could be a smoke ring that would show a little red, but that is not "rare" meat - it's a chemical reaction thing.  Beef starts "cooking" arguably at about 105 deg.  The meat fibers start changing and other things happen.  At about 120 deg. the meat fibers really start to change.  At 140 the red is turning to pink.  At 160, all red is turned to gray/brown and collagen starts to melt.  This is the magic of low-n-slow.  That and the rendering of fat.  From 160 to the IT desired is when the magic is done.  The meat fibers get totally done, which would generally leave you with a dry fibery product.  However during this time (and it can take hours) the fat is rendering and the collagen is melting and bathing those muscle fibers in some fantastic "juices".  Collagen is what makes tough meat tough.  So it melting is causing tenderness to happen.  Combining that with the rendering fat and the melted collagen and you get nirvana.  The trick is to take it far enough (Not tender) but not too far (fat is completely rendered and the collagen is all melted out) to dryness.  In brisket, to get a good slicing texture without dryness, pull a brisket at 180 to 185 and let it rest.  If you want a pulled meat product- take it to 195 to 200, but you do risk dryness.

[SmokeyDrew]

It was a little under 6lbs flat.  My BDS is brand new.  I seasoned on Saturday and found after purchasing the pork loins and brisket that the temp control on the right side of the unit would only show zero.  I was not able to set the temp of the unit at anything consistent.  I would go out and check and it would sometimes read 160 F or sometimes 240 F and every where in between.  It made it difficult to really get a handle on the cooking time.  I had a thermometer in the meat and the IT was 160 after 8.5 hours.  I would have preferred it a little more well done to be honest, but for my first time out, I was SUPER happy with the Pork Loins and pretty happy with the Brisket.  Next time will be better.  Hope to have a fully functioning unit by then.  Thank you for the help.  It is greatly appreciated.  I will definitely be asking for help all the time.


Drew