On third try - a terrific brisket! Here's how...

[Ernie_in_NC]

I'm from Texas now living in North Carolina. Where I come from, bbq is beef - not pork. So, I bought a Bradley primarily so that I could smoke beef brisket from time to time. Have tried twice with marginal results at best. Today I smoked a mighty fine brisket that my whole family agreed was worthy of our Texas roots. I know some others of you have had disappointing results with brisket, so thought I'd share what I learned through good ol' trial and error.

First of all, you must know that I am originally from the Austin area. Beef brisket in central/south Texas does not typically have overpowering rub flavor. You taste the meat, not the rub or sauce. In fact, where I grew up, good brisket doesn't even need sauce. Some of the best joints won't even sell it!

My point of reference is brisket from Louie Mueller bbq in Taylor, TX which is about 30 minutes northeast of Austin. I graduated from Taylor High School in 1984. One of my classmates, and later college buddy at UT Austin and Texas State, was Wayne Mueller who is now the third generation proprietor of said restaurant. From them I learned the following:

1. Use oak wood, not mesquite. I've always thought Texas bbq used mesquite because it's so plentiful. Not so. Oak.

2. No fancy rubs. At Louie Mueller, they use a rub of course ground pepper and kosher salt. That's it. About 2/3 pepper to 1/3 salt ratio. And it is applied just before cooking. No marinating overnight.

3. I cooked on the very top shelf of smoker mostly with fat side down to act as barrier to bottom located heating element.

Louie Mueller is regularly included in best bbq in Texas. Has been in Texas Monthly magazine, countless newspapers, and even a TV show I really enjoy called "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" with Guy who has spiked bleach hair and drives a sweet '67 Camaro.

Also, one of my complaints in my first two brisket attempts was the dryness. So, this time, I pulled the brisket when it reached 180 degrees and let it rest wrapped in foil inside a cooler for an hour. This is about 10 degrees lower in temp than my last try. Meat was juicy and tender as can be!

I was very pleased. If your brisket has been coming out dry, do the obvious. Don't cook it so long. I've seen people recommend 190 and even 200 or higher internal temp. 180, then wrap in foil to allow continued cooking during "rest" in cooler. But my brisket probably reached 185 or so at its max. Which was just fine with me.

[pensrock]

Sounds good and I'm glad you are now able to make brisket you and your family loves.  :)

[classicrockgriller]

Nice post.

That's what it is all about, making the Family happy so they will

eat what we do and we can keep doing it.

Just might have to try a lower IT.

Wish we could have seen some pics.

[BuyLowSellHigh]

Ernie .. good to hear it.  You'll love this thread from a couple of weeks ago.  Check out both videos.

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=16109.0

[Ernie_in_NC]

Hey! Yes, the one video is the Diner's Drive-ins and Dives episode I referred to. The other I have not seen, but is really good. Bobby Mueller, featured in both videos as owner of Louie Mueller BBQ, passed away a few years ago. It was at that time that my old friend Wayne took over the business. They lived a few houses down from me when I was in high school.

Wayne hasn't changed a thing, except expanded into catering and added on to the dining room. Food is exactly the same. If it ain't broke...

Vincil Myer BBQ, also featured in one video, is memorable to me because it was the only place in town where whites still sat on one side of the small dining room and blacks on the other. No kidding. It wasn't officially segregated, but simply custom. Being Hispanic, I was never sure which side to go on!

I definitely recommend watching the videos, especially the Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives episode. Shows a great example of simple, yet VERY good Texas style beef brisket.

[StickyDan]

Sounds good, think I'll try your method next time I do a brisker.
Cheers

[OldHickory]

Good post Ernie,  I am with you on the rub.  I use garlic salt and course ground black pepper.  There are folks on this Forum who know their smoking and know their cooking and have developed and posted some wonderful rubs.  We all have our own taste, and at my place the guests have to put up with mine-----unless of course my Wife tells me different. ;D ;D

[Up In Smoke]

Thanks for the info and taking the time to post it for us
Ernie.
I have always been intimidated by brisket so i do not do it
often at all, now that i am a little better prepared i am gonna
try another one.
I only have one question, what temp were you cooking at?

[Mr B]

Glad to hear it worked out for you.  third time's a charm.

[FLBentRider]

I will definitely try the 180F finish IT.

[DTAggie]

Ernie, I agree.  After watching the vids BLSH posted, I did my next flat with salt and pepper.  Only I think I added was a little Grub Rub.  Family loved it and no one touched the sauce.  I did mine fat up but I also use a foil shield to keep direct heat from the element drying out the beef.

[hal4uk]

Ernie, I'm a Kentucky (read: PORK) guy, and just started doing briskets...
Now, I can smoke a mean prime rib, but duhhh...
Just because brisket is cooked "done" (not bloody) - I reckon it's still beef...
Beef = Oak+Salt+Pepper (and some Gahhhhhhhhhhlic for most of us).

(EVERYTHING ELSE = HICKORY!)

FYI---I was at "Fat Willie's Fish Camp" (Valrico, Florida), one of my favorite places one earth (it's a dump!)...
I wuz eating the "shrimp special", but for some reason, my sister decided she wanted a STEAK (at a "FISH" camp?  Huhhhh?)...
They cook their steaks over an open OAK fire.  I had a bite---OMG---I'm sold on OAK for beef.

Thanks for the post!  I'm gonna try it just like you said  ;)

[Ernie_in_NC]

Thanks for the kind comments. To add a few more details:

1. Question was asked about cooking temp. I just have the stock thermometer on the smoker to use for now. I've tested it and find actual temp is usually a few degrees higher than what shows on dial. Of course, also depends on WHERE your meat is placed with the closer to the heating element the warmer it is. I tried to keep it around 225, but I was probably ranging between 210 - 240. Many sources have said 225 is a good target and I would support that.

2. Yes, I kept the brisket on the top rack because in my first two attempts I used second from the bottom as another forum member suggested. I also put the fat layer on top as suggested. I found, at that rack level, the bottom of the brisket closest to the heating element cooked considerably faster than the top. That's why I went ahead and moved the brisket to the top and also put fat on bottom to act as a natural shield. I did rotate the meat at the two hour mark to put the fat layer on top for more even cooking, and then flipped it back over to fat side down at four hour mark where it remained until done. Seemed to work well.

3. I like the idea of perhaps using some garlic salt in the future. But I must say I was so pleased with this one, I may just stick to this recipe. I don't know. To each his own.

If others of you try this, let me know how it comes out. I'm going to try another next weekend for Father's Day. Hope to get the same results.

[Caneyscud]

Ernie,  congratulations on the success - ain't much better in life than a good brisket. 

Transplanted From Central Texas also, and have eaten at most of the biggies in the Brisket Belt - including Louie Mueller.  That's too cool to know the family.  Mostly the last trips in the last 20 years or so, I've kept to the joints in Lockhart and Luling - more on the way between Seguin and Austin than Taylor is.   Sausages were mainly in New Braunfels (Krauses) until Krauses closed then even that is Lockhart now.  Oak in the Brisket Belt with Mesquite in most other parts, with Hickory sneaking in the East.  I also used to know a few places that did some mighty fine brisket with Pecan.  Seguin is the home of the World's Largest Pecan - so you would expect Pecan smoke.  (oh and Hickory is mighty fine on brisket also - smoke what ya brung)

Indeed 180-190 is the slicing temp for brisket.  Depending on where you test.  A 180 temp in the flat would not usually equate to a 180 temp in the point.  So to get a 185 in the point, the flat will naturally be higher.  Also some guys are cooking to pull the brisket, so a higher temp is necessary for that.  Also some really like burnt ends - I've seen guys purposefully overcook the flat so they can use it for Burnt Ends.   

Only thing you have to be cognizant of when using the top rack with a brisket, is that there can be a cool spot right under the vent.  Mine does, especially on a windy day.  Generally why I put brisket on the rack one down from the top. 

Fat on top/fat on bottom - pretty constant debate with staunch supporters on both sides.  Your success is proof that fat on bottom can be just as successful as fat on top.  I think largely a confidence thing.

Salt and pepper and maybe some cayenne go on mine usually. I love garlic, but not usually on a brisket - at least not on one done like my ancestors taught me.  But sometimes a rub also goes on.  Then there are the times that a Cowboy Style will find it's way into the smoker.  No sauce touches mine, but my favorite mop sure does.   One of the things I do not care about the KCBS comps I've been around is the brisket.  Too many rubs, too much injection, too moist, not enough smoke, sugar, foil, weird flavors, sauce, etc... on the briskets.  But of course you would expect that from KC.  If the comps were Brisket Belt Barbecue Society (wish there was such a thing), then the expectations would be different. 

All said because like most of bbqdom I have found there are not any hard and fast rules needed to obtain great bbq.  Now there may be hard and fast rules to obtain a certain regional or local style, but not just to get some great eats.  I have several Jewish friends that swear that the best tasting brisket is the ones their Mom's do in the oven.  I won't say it is the best, but I will say it's mighty good.  I would have in the past, say that the only rule for brisket is for it to be cooked at or near 225.  But then I taste some of the fine brisket from the Brisket Belt that is cooked at a much higher temp.  That shoots even that. 

[Smokin Elvis]

Another Texas boy here...raised on good barbeque from Junction to Houston....you are doing what I have been doing as well...trial and error has me lowering the IT each time I make a brisket.    Last version, pulled it at 185 and was moist and fork tender.  As for the smoke, I like a bit of mesquite so I use both oak and mesquite on mine and I smoke for the duration.  As for the rub, I agree simpler is better but add a little cayenne pepper as well to the Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.   Also do a foil barrier now above the heating element to stop the direct drying of the meat and use the next to top rack for the brisket which I try to keep at 6 lbs.  Top rack is for the baby backs I usually make at the same time...ya gotta have snacks with your beer while waiting on that brisket.... ;D


elvis