Successful Holiday Brisket

[Mat_M]

Realized my last post was over 2 years ago. Wanted to share the success of the brisket. Started with a 14 lb packer at 4PM yesterday. Very simple rub with mustard. Used 8 hours of smoke. Took it out today at 11:30, 195° internal temp, FTC for 2 hours. Pictures are below.

[cherrybergher]

beautiful

[TedEbear]

Looks pretty tasty.

8 hours of smoke???  The general consensus is that after the first 4 hours the meat absorbs very little smoke.  I suppose it wouldn't hurt to apply more smoke but at the cost of 3 pucks per hours is it really doing all that much more?

[Habanero Smoker]

Your brisket looks good. Eight hours is a lot of smoke for my taste, but if you like that much smoke flavor and you like the end results; that is a successful cook.

[Edward176]

Looks real GOOD!!!

[Big_Easy51]

A thing of beauty.

In your middle photo, the meat looks medium rare. In the bottom one, it looks well done.  With the internal temp you mentioned, I assume it was more well done. Is there any reason these cannot be hot smoked to a medium rare internal temp?

[Habanero Smoker]

A thing of beauty.

In your middle photo, the meat looks medium rare. In the bottom one, it looks well done.  With the internal temp you mentioned, I assume it was more well done. Is there any reason these cannot be hot smoked to a medium rare internal temp?

Brisket is a tough cut of meat, with a lot of tough connective tissue. You need to cook it slowly until it reaches a temperature where the connective tissue breaks down into gelatin, at this point the meat should be tender. This could be anywhere from 185°F - 205°F. If you try cooking it to medium rare the meat will be like chewing on leather.

Most use a cooking temper of 225°F - 250°F; but in my charcoal cooker I used Myron Mixon's hot and fast method, and cook at a temperature of 350°F, and it was one of the best briskets I've ever had.

[Mat_M]

@TedEbear: You're right, but I was on my last pack of pucks, threw them in there for the heck of it :) Flavor came out great actually.

@Big_Easy51: The "real" color was somewhere in between the two pictures. A very very light pink. And what Hab said above, you have to get a brisket very well into the high temps to have it tender. This one was my best yet. My guests were cutting it with their forks!