Brisket Wars

[Curtis Jackson]

I'm about to try my first brisket in a Bradley, and I am a might confused. Check out, for example, the differences between these two recipes:

http://www.recipecircus.com/recipes/SweetPeach/BBQ/Braggin39-Rights_Brisket.html

http://www.barbecuen.com/newsletters/mayspecial-2003.htm

Page down a few times on the latter one.

The first recipe, from my much-beloved and trust "Smoke & Spice" says to use a packer cut with full fat cap, to put on a rub that includes sugar, to smoke the hell out of it, and to mop it apparently right from the get-go.

The second recipe says to use a completely trimmed brisket, never to put sugar on until almost done, smoke only lightly, and don't mop until you're halfway done.

Although I do love "Smoke & Spice", my inclination is to follow their recipe exactly, including using the packer cut and the sugar in the rub, but only smoke for the first 4-5 hours, and don't start mopping until halfway through.

Can someone more experienced give me some advice here?

Thanks!


Curtis Jackson
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[MallardWacker]

Curtis,

Below is a link to a thread on this forum where I put some info from the Arizona BBQ Association.
http://bradleysmoker.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=136&whichpage=3
There web site link is:
http://www.azbbqa.com/

I have recieved consistantly good info here.  There forum board can get a bit fragmented and you have to poke around abit to get the nuggets in it.  I think these folks are kind of like the BS folks, they just have one problem, they use them there weird looking torpedo-egg shaped cookers.  Hope this helps.


SmokeOn,

mski
Perryville, Arkansas
Wooo-Pig-Soooie

If a man says he knows anything at all, he knows nothing what he aught to know.  But...

<font color="green">Man O'h man, I am glad my mother doesn't see my spelling.  It almost looks like I graduatred from one of Bill Clintton's shools in Arkansas.</font id="green">

[Fuzzybear]

One sounds like its made for smoking (no flame) and the other sounds like over a grill - (flame) - typically any sauces/sugars will burn with fire....IMHO....

"A mans got to know his limitations"
Glendora, CA - USA!

[trout]

The only way to really find out is to try both recipes.  I did a brisket last week.  It was trimmed some, but still had some fat on top. I used a rub from smoke and spice, smoked it a few hours and finished it in foil as they suggested.  It was great.  However, at least when it comes to things like pork butt, I like a thick bark on it.  Wrapping in foil softened the bark too much for me so next time I will forget the foil business.  It is just a preference thing.  Look at it this way all you have to do is eat your mistakes and learn from them.[;)]

Let your trout go and smoke a salmon instead.

[Curtis Jackson]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by trout</i>
<br />The only way to really find out is to try both recipes.  I did a brisket last week.  It was trimmed some, but still had some fat on top. I used a rub from smoke and spice, smoked it a few hours and finished it in foil as they suggested.  It was great.  However, at least when it comes to things like pork butt, I like a thick bark on it.  Wrapping in foil softened the bark too much for me so next time I will forget the foil business.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Ah, thanks for the info. So from this and a previous post where you talked about it taking a bath in the marinade, it is obvious that you made the Dallas Dandy Brisket. I'm going to make the Braggin' Rights Brisket a few pages beforehand. It has a dry rub with no marinade (just a mop while cooking), and it isn't cooked in foil. I'll let you know how it turns out, especially the bark.

I went to my favorite meat market today, had them bring out a 15 lb. brisket, and watched them trim it down to 12 lbs., leaving about 1/4 inch or so of fat cap. It gets the dry rub tonight, and I'll smoke it Saturday. Stay tuned...


Curtis Jackson
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[Curtis Jackson]

Well, I typed in a very long description of my brisket smoking experience, and then apparently I had a typo in my password, and when I clicked the link to go back and fix it this stupid website lost the entire post. I am just not up to typing the whole thing again, so I'll hit the high points.

1) Brisket came out PERFECT after 10 hours, richly dark and flavorful outside, well-done yet very juicy inside, lots of smoke flavor, although due to mopping it did not have the dry thick bark that some folks like. If you are making the Braggin' Rights Brisket from Smoke & Spice, and you want a thick dry bark, just don't use the mop at all. It really isn't needed in the Bradley because it seals so well.

2) Thanks to everyone for their info and advice.


Curtis Jackson
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