Various Adventures... and Brisket Results

Gordon · August 01, 2005, 02:40:11 PM

Friday night I cooked some abts using just cheese to fill them, and the turned out pretty good. I don't think the peppers got as done, and they were so hot, my gums swelled. That is hot. Corn was nothing special though.

I brined the chickens as per the instructions on this forum (thank you very much), using Durkee's Chicken and Rib Rub. I just dumped it in my Home Depot bucket along with the salt and sugar that I had heated on the stove until it was disolved. Soaked them for 6 hours, and let them dry for another 6.

ASIDE: My wife watched me and said, "If you've ever watched your husband dump two chickens in an orange bucket, and put seasoning in, then put 3 of your good plates on top of them - you might be a redneck."

Smoked with hickory for a puck or two over 4 hours. I had mesquite, and I wanted to use it, but the chickens were for the church, and I did not want to ruin them. I got the chickens out after 7.5 hours and they looked so freakin' awesome that I seriously considered out bidding the church on my chickens. I really wish I was kidding. PLUMP is the only word I can use to describe them.

BRINING CHICKENS WORKS!!

Ok, I got the aged, trimmed, brisket flats in the smoker at 4 am on Sunday. I had two briskets that I had to trim to make sure they did not touch the sides. I put the trimmings on the top rack with some bacon, and two (brined) chickens on the second rack, the smaller of the two briskets on the third rack, and the larger on the bottom. I seasoned the brisket with just salt and fresh cracked pepper, as per the various results I have read here. After the same 4 hours of hickory the chickens got, I wrapped the briskets with foil and waited for the magic 190.

17 hours later....

At 9:00 I figured out that I have to work on Monday morning, and took the brisket out at 185. I let them rest for an hour, and then opened the foil......and the brisket fell apart. I could not pick up a single piece. Juicy, but not as smokey as I would like, and not as flavorful. No way was I slicing this. Maybe if I had used different seasoning? I am eating more brisket today (and for the next week) and seeing if the smoke permeated a little more after sitting the frige overnight. It is good with sauce ( I LOVE Bulls Eye), but I did want more flavor from the meat alone. Really, really, juicy and tender though.

Any thoughts?

What a piece of work is man!

Habanero Smoker · August 01, 2005, 03:30:04 PM

I must have been replying when you deleted one of your posts. Glad to hear about your results.

I don't want to sound like "chicken little", but it is not adviseable to brine in a plastic container that is not rated as "Food Grade". If it is not a food grade plastic, chemicals from the plastic can leach into the brine and food.

MallardWacker · August 01, 2005, 03:41:39 PM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">I had mesquite, and I wanted to use it, but the chickens were for the church, and I did not want to ruin them.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">AMEN BROTHER, PREACH IT-YOU HAVE SEEN THE LIGHT-ANOTHER LOST SHEEP HAS COME HOME. Don't you know that Mesquite is the Devil's[}:)] wood.
<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">I wrapped the briskets with foil and waited for the magic 190.
17 hours later....
At 9:00 I figured out that I have to work on Monday morning, and took the brisket out at 185. I let them rest for an hour, and then opened the foil......and the brisket fell apart. I could not pick up a single piece<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Just my suggestion here. I would go and cook the brisket with out foil to 183-185 then FTC for 2 hrs. If you like the pot roast effect stay with what you are doing. But if you like a sliceable, fork tender version like you see on your favorite Q show try with out the foil. I'm sue you have read, when you FTC it put a chug of apple juice in with it.
<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Maybe if I had used different seasoning? <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"> As far as seasoning. I am the school on brisket is that making simple is best. I use an Italian Seasoning named Cavender's. Basically it's salt, pepper, garlic and various other little seasonings. It just smells right for brisket.
<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">I don't think the peppers got as done, and they were so hot, my gums swelled.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">This was actually god's judgment for "thinking of" using Mesquite. Well anyway, I have done plenty of ABT's, there are some you will never get the heat out of. But I will tell you this you need to take care on how you clean them out, take your time clean them out completely. I have seen (I have not bought one yet) a small apple corer, something like a melon baler but smaller, this looks like a great tool for doing this. I have smoked/cooked ABT's for up to 7 hrs. May I suggest also, I use a long metal skewer and line them up side to side then place whole long bacon strips across the top. I can usually have two skewers to a rack, I don't spare the bacon on top. For two reasons; first is the fact the bacon comes out quite tasty and makes great BLT's and second is that it keeps the ABT's moist on a long cook.

Have fun and I HTH's. Bring it on....

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...

nsxbill · August 01, 2005, 04:03:53 PM

In the absence of a fancy small apple coring device, the round sharpened end of a standard potato peeler also works well to get down into the ABTs to clean out the seeds and innerds of the Jalapeño peppers. Also something most have on hand.

Always curious on consensus on how most folks do their ABTs.

Do you cut the top off and stuff from top, or split and fill halves?

Bill

There is room on earth for all God's creatures....on my plate next to the mashed potatoes.

Gordon · August 01, 2005, 04:44:09 PM

I have been splitting them, but I tried a few hollowed out this time as well. Removing the top and splitting them makes it a little harder to keep the cheese inside, but with a well-placed bacon wrap, you can do it. All said and done, I like the halved ones better. (and clean, or scrape, the sides well - that is what is killing my mouth.)

I don't like the pot roast version. I was hoping for better. It is still good though. Lunch will give me more info on the matter.

and what do you use to brine a chicken if you have more than one. Instructions say "non-reactive" which I took to mean a simple iron pot. I have a big stock pot that I use for everything from canning to frying turkeys, would that work? I have the smaller, but titled "large," stainles stove-top pot for cooking, but what should I use for 4 chickens?

What a piece of work is man!

Oldman · August 01, 2005, 05:03:17 PM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">I got the aged, trimmed, brisket flats in the smoker <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">If these are points IMO you are better off corning them.

For years I did brisket in the oven, and just in the past couple of weeks did my first one in the Bradley. I smoked the point this past Friday and IMO it just does not work as smoked beef. I'm going to stay with corning the point until I find something better to do with it.

Olds

Phone Guy · August 01, 2005, 05:58:30 PM

I have yet to do ABT's that were very hot. I have thought about leaving some of the vein in but then thought 'what if these are hotter than the last' so I removed it but every time... no heat. [V]

Gordon · August 01, 2005, 07:01:15 PM

My advice is to not leave any of the vein. They taste good and not offensively hot either.

This link will help with the plastic question.

Gordon

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/plastics.html#foodgrade

What a piece of work is man!

Oldman · August 01, 2005, 07:22:20 PM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">I have yet to do ABT's that were very hot. I have thought about leaving some of the vein in but then thought 'what if these are hotter than the last' so I removed it but every time... no heat.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">What pepper are you using?

Olds

bsolomon · August 01, 2005, 07:43:42 PM

Gordon,

As to it not being "smokey" enough:

1) Brisket is about the only thing I will apply smoke to for longer than 4 hours. I typically do about 5 hours. They key here is that the meat pores remain open up to about 140 degrees, and then they close off, at which point you are adding smoke onto, but not into the meat. Monitor the the internal temperature, and keep the brisket away from the heating element as much as reasonably possibly during the smoking pahse to ensure that you are not passing the 140 degree mark until the smoking has completed.

2) When doing a long smoke, it is likely that your palette becomes desensitized to the smoke smell/flavor because you can immerse yourself in the smoke while you work in and around the smoker. Smoke will tend to get in your hair and on your clothing. I often find that my initial instinct that something isn't quite smokey enough is untrue. You need a independent taster who hasn't been around the smoker to help you decide (or better yet, let someone else do the smoking an you decide). when tasting the second day, this effect is usually gone, and the smoke gets a better chance to permeate the meat. The combination of both of these effects leads to something that tends to be smokier tasting the second day.

3) I would ditch the foil during the cooking process. By sealing it up, I think you end up kind of steaming the meat, rather than letting it slow cook and have the fat drip off. I think this helps make it fall apart (like pot roast as MallardWacker said). Trust me that even after 26 hours for a 14+ lb. whole brisket, it will be plenty juicy after removing from the smoker and then applying the foil for at least 2+ hours of FTC.

4) Seasoning with just salt and pepper probably also reduced the overall flavor of the finished product. Since brisket is a thick cut of meat, the result is a lot of volume relative to surface area. In short, this is a cut that really benefits from a very generous amount of seasoning. Pick your favorite rub and coat it well. Also, if you can prepare your own, rather than using a pre-mixed blend, you will tend to get more flavor as well. To help it stick to the surface, use the mustard trick: slather the cut with cheap yellow mustard, which acts kind of like a glue to hold the rub in place and help make a crust. don't worry about your choice of mustard - you won't taste it in the finished product.

5) For the ABTs, make sure you get out all the seed and the veins. I find slicing them in half and using a little melonballer works great for this. Also, the longer they are cooked, the mellower they tend to get, but every no and again, you just get some hotter jalepenos. Now that you have some brisket left over, be sure to set some into the freezer for the next batch of ABTs. Very tender brisket will be easy to mince and will fill the peppers well.

MallardWacker · August 01, 2005, 08:06:44 PM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Phone Guy
 I have yet to do ABT's that were very hot. I have thought about leaving some of the vein in but then thought 'what if these are hotter than the last' so I removed it but every time... no heat. [V]
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Dude of Foam,
There will come day that heat will come. My wife can always tell when we have some hot ones. I usually clean them out then rinse them, in the rinsing processs the fumes from the hotter ones get me caughing and sneezing, at that point I know I might not enjoy them. I'm the type of guy that loves the "fruit" taste of the pepper and not the heat. That is why I love Pablanos so much.

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...

Habanero Smoker · August 01, 2005, 10:26:18 PM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Gordon
 and what do you use to brine a chicken if you have more than one. Instructions say "non-reactive" which I took to mean a simple iron pot. I have a big stock pot that I use for everything from canning to frying turkeys, would that work? I have the smaller, but titled "large," stainles stove-top pot for cooking, but what should I use for 4 chickens?

What a piece of work is man!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Rather then use that 5 gallon pail you got at Home Depot, go to a deli, or a fast food restaurant and asked them if you can have one of their 5 gallon food containers. They usually discard them anyway, so they may give it to you for free or at a minimal charge.

I try to avoid brining by buying kosher chickens, I just don't have the refrigerator space, at this time. When I am faced with a situation that I have to brine several chickens, I use my 50 quart Igloo Marine Cooler. I make sure the brine is about 34 to 38 degrees, place the brine and chicken in the cooler, making sure the chickens are submerged. Then I fill a couple of 1 or 2 quart Zip Lock bags with ice and throw that in, and monitor the temperature with a remote thermometer; making sure the temperature stays between 34 to 38 degrees (you may have to replenish the ice, depending on how long you brine).

Gordon · August 01, 2005, 10:55:50 PM

Well, fudge, I got one of them. I can use the same cooler I FTC in I guess. I have an extra fridge that my neighbor gave me when he left.

Thanks for the help!

Gordon

What a piece of work is man!

Habanero Smoker · August 02, 2005, 10:45:21 AM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Gordon
 Well, fudge, I got one of them. I can use the same cooler I FTC in I guess. I have an extra fridge that my neighbor gave me when he left.

Thanks for the help!

Gordon

What a piece of work is man!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
You're lucky. With the extra refrigerator, you don't have to worry about putting any ice in the cooler, since it can fit into the refrigerator.

psdubl07 · August 03, 2005, 09:35:31 PM

Gordon, are you saying it took 17 hours (in foil) after the 4 hours of smoke to get it to 185? What was your pit temp?
I like to foil wrap mine after the smoke, but I will set the pit temp at 250+ and 1 flat will usually only take a couple hours after the 4 hour smoke to get up to 185-190. At this point, you can slice it and it will be tender, but not quite falling apart. Even at low temps, when I start getting into 16 and 20 hour smokes, I have a problem with the meat drying out. A spritz of apple juice/cider vinegar, wrap of saran, and wrap of foil, at 250 should have you eating within a couple hours, again, this is on top of the 4 hour smoke portion.

As for the seasoning, use this, it's my absolute fave for brisket:
http://susan.rminor.com/forums/showthread.php?t=137

To answer Bill's question about ABT's, I started out halving them, filling, then putting the 2 halves back together and wrapping with bacon. I now leave them in half, and wrap each half with a piece of bacon. Why? 2 reasons. One it's easier, and two, more bacon per ABT![:D] The vein is the hottest part of the pepper, so if you scrape it out good when cleaning (this is I'm sure much easier halved then trying to do through the top), it shouldn't kick your butt when you eat it. I cough and sneeze like Mallard does too when cleaning them.

My 2 cents on Mesquite, it is the strongest flavor of the Bradley bisquettes, but it does have its place. It's very good on almonds for example, and I actually did ribs last weekend with 2:1 Alder to Mesquite and they were wonderful. Nobody thought they were overly smokey.