Inedible brisket

[rligeti]

Hi Gang,

this is my first post here. I tried a 12 hour brisket yesterday and it came out TOTALLY inedible. The flavor wasn't bad, but the meat was sooo tough I had to apologize to my family for attempting to serve them something that may cause dental trauma...

I ran it at 200 deg for almost 14 hours and it was a 5 lb brisket. I got the time and temp online from reading several recipes. I think also, it may not have been the right cut. I've never tried a brisket before and my wife bought what I think is referred to as the flat part of the brisket.

If anyone would care to share a SUCCESSFUL brisket experience, i'd love to hear it!

Thanks!
Rob

[Ka Honu]

I don't cook flats much but it sounds like you just dried it out - probably would have been better cooking for about half that time. You can't cook briskets or pork butts/shoulders (or most big chunks of meat) by time; you have to go by internal temperature. Go to the beef section of the site recipe forum and read the brisket posts. Then get a thermometer and give it another shot. Pachanga will set you straight.

[beefmann]

Hi Rob ,

Welcome aboard, I can  see a  few   mistakes that you  may  have  made, Hopefully  we can  get  it  cleared up

1) you  indicate  you ran it at 200, Im  going to assume that the  smoker Temp was at  200F if  so  it was a bit low, your  smoker box  temp should been at  225 F or  so,

2) apply smoke for  no  more then 4 hours  of  smoke,,,  start  with  two  hours and add or  subtract for   smoke flavour

3) never  smoke /  cook in your  smoker  by  time..  go by  internal temperature of the  meat... if you  wanted  pulled brisket you are  looking at  195 - 205 F and  when it is done  it is some

( little trick  here  after the  smoking process remove the  meat  from the  smoker place in a  large  enough aluminium foil to cover  completely with a apple  juice or  some  other flavoured drink  then  completely cover.  place  in  smoker with a thermometer till an  internal  temp . of 195 F maybe a   bit higher for  pulled meats. )

4) keep the  top  vent on your   smoker  wide  open at all times.

5) be aware that your smoker box temperature will vary during the smoking / cooking  process dont worry about  it... this  is  normal with  the  amount  of  moisture in the box, ambient conditions, wind and  temps. along  with the draft in the box.

6) pre heat your  box  30   minutes  prior to  putting your  meat  in.

7) 14  hours to  cook a  5  lb piece of  meat seems way to  long to  me , and it  dried out.   im thinking it should have been  in the  4 to 7  hour  range my self

others  that  have  done  more  flats then  i  will  be  along

again  welcome  aboard and  enjoy,,,  do not  let this  discourage you were  here  to  help and  made similar  mistakes,  if you  have  questions ask  we will  help

[rligeti]

I don't cook flats much but it sounds like you just dried it out

Thanks Ka,

It was actually still really nice and moist on the inside, and a medium doneness in color, it was just remarkably tough. Thank you for the feedback! Will definitely try it again with the point and flat intact.

Best,
Rob

[rligeti]

Hi Rob ,

Welcome aboard, I can  see a  few   mistakes that you  may  have  made, Hopefully  we can  get  it  cleared up

1) you  indicate  you ran it at 200, Im  going to assume that the  smoker Temp was at  200F if  so  it was a bit low, your  smoker box  temp should been at  225 F or  so,

2) apply smoke for  no  more then 4 hours  of  smoke,,,  start  with  two  hours and add or  subtract for   smoke flavour

3) never  smoke /  cook in your  smoker  by  time..  go by  internal temperature of the  meat... if you  wanted  pulled brisket you are  looking at  195 - 205 F and  when it is done  it is some

( little trick  here  after the  smoking process remove the  meat  from the  smoker place in a  large  enough aluminium foil to cover  completely with a apple  juice or  some  other flavoured drink  then  completely cover.  place  in  smoker with a thermometer till an  internal  temp . of 195 F maybe a   bit higher for  pulled meats. )

4) keep the  top  vent on your   smoker  wide  open at all times.

5) be aware that your smoker box temperature will vary during the smoking / cooking  process dont worry about  it... this  is  normal with  the  amount  of  moisture in the box, ambient conditions, wind and  temps. along  with the draft in the box.

6) pre heat your  box  30   minutes  prior to  putting your  meat  in.

7) 14  hours to  cook a  5  lb piece of  meat seems way to  long to  me , and it  dried out.   im thinking it should have been  in the  4 to 7  hour  range my self

others  that  have  done  more  flats then  i  will  be  along

again  welcome  aboard and  enjoy,,,  do not  let this  discourage you were  here  to  help and  made similar  mistakes,  if you  have  questions ask  we will  help

Great tips Beefmann, thank you! Very much appreciated.

Best,
Rob

[steveshep8676]

When you say completely cover do you mean just to coat all the meat or submerge?

[beefmann]

When you say completely cover do you mean just to coat all the meat or submerge?

that has a two  part answer,

1) the  liquid of your   choice like beer,  soda, apple  juice or something  similar in nature would be  used, only a  cup or  so to add  flavour and steam the meat making  the  connective tissue loosen up and  adding  juiciness back  into the meat .

2) as for the  covering ...  only  item to be  covering /  wrapping the meat  should be the  aluminium foil... in this  process  lay  out the  foil... a  large  enough  piece to totally wrap the  meat all sides , top,  bottom front and  back...  fold up the  sides and  front and back,, add in the  liquid as above then finish  closing the foil,  place  back  into  smoker at the  same  box  temp of 225 F and insert  a thermometer ( if you   have  one , if not  please  get  one as  soon as  possible there a big  help ) into the  thickest part of the meat .. let  it cook till the  meat  reaches 195 - 200 F at this  point it should  be  ready to  be  pulled easily and be  juicy as well.


also  good  questions and am  happy to  point  you   in the  right  direction. don't get  discouraged  you  are  on a learning  curve 

[rexster]

An old cooker once told me "if the brisket ain't done, throw it back on the fire" . Brisket is one of the hardest cuts of meat to consistently cook correctly. One thing I have learned is the IT HAS to be at least 190⁰ and 195⁰ is even better. I don't like to foil and "juice" the meat as it destroys the bark you work hard to get. If I have to use the crutch, like I need the brisket now, I'll foil put in the oven at 300⁰ till I get to the target temp then open the foil up and let the brisket dry out getting the bark back.

[pensrock]

From what I read you said it was cooked till medium in color. If this is true then you way undercooked it. Possibly because the temp was 200. Now how do you know the temp was 200? If going by the door thermometer its difficult to really tell the correct temp near the meat you are cooking.  It may have actually only been 190 or so. Brisket like the others mentioned needs cooked to an IT of 190-195 or so. If it was medium in color you were not near 190-195 and therefore will have a tough brisket. You really need to get a portable thermometer so you know the actual temp near the meat you are cooking and also so you can check the internal temp to tell when it is done. there has been many great tips that have already replied to this post. Use them to do your next brisket and you will be happier with the results.

[TNRockyraccoon]

Great information here.

I was told to allow two hours per pound....but to cook to my desired internal temp.

I think pensrock hit it on the head. Your meat was cooked to a safe temp, but not to the 195 needed to break down the connective tissues.

I've made the same mistake myself. Still haven't made a good brisket....but I will this fall when I get out of the chicken every night phase of my life.

Anyway, follow these folks advice and you'll be in brisket heaven soon enough.