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How To Smoke Brisket, Step by Step!
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How To Smoke Brisket
Before you learn
, I need to let you know that it takes a
certain amount of patience. A true, traditional brisket smoke takes many hours to
complete, and that doesn't include any of the time it takes getting the brisket ready
for the smoker.
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Briskets are big cuts of meat, weighing up to 16 pounds or more for nice ones. A
whole brisket includes two different muscles, the flat and the point. The grain of each
section run different directions, which is something to keep in mind when it's time to
slice 'em. The flat runs the entire length of the brisket. The point lies on top of the
flat, when the fatty side is up, and to one end.
The meat contains a lot of connective tissue because the chest muscles are used a
lot. Gentle heat applied over a long period of time softens and melts the connective
tissue, releasing juice and flavor. Great flavor. And that's what makes a traditional
smoked brisket such a thing of beauty.
Purchasing a Brisket
Most grocers always have the trimmed brisket sections on hand; the points and flats
that have been trimmed of most of their fat. But that's not what you want. The type of
brisket needed for smoking is called a packers cut brisket. You'll find those in the
cryovac packaging...that snug-fitting thick and tough plastic wrap. Larger grocers
carry them, and the big discount stores and big box stores have them too. If you're
lucky, your corner grocery store has 'em. If they don't, ask the meat cutter to order
one or two for you.
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Recipes Worth Trying
-- You can start with this collection of
made-for-the-smoker brisket recipes.
-- A few recipes for cooking indoors,
in the oven or crockpot.
-- All of these are barbecued on gas or
charcoal grills.
-- Marinating brisket add loads of great
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How To Smoke Brisket, Step by Step!
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taste. Here you'll find a few good marinades that'll beef up your beef
brisket flavor.
-- Several recipes for crockpot cooked
briskets.
-- You'll find all sorts of brisket recipes
here- for the smoker, grill, oven and crockpot.
Bigger stores will usually have better prices. It really pays to shop around, since a
difference of one dollar a pound can mean sixteen dollars difference. If you find 'em
at a good price, buy several and freeze a couple. They'll keep frozen for a year in the
cryovac package.
Choose briskets that show some fat marbled through the meat fibers. A brisket that's
too lean won't taste as good. There will be a fat covering on one side, which is
known as the fat cap. When you trim the brisket, the fat cap will be thinned down to
1/8th to 1/4 of an inch thick. Try to find one that has close the right thickness of fat if
you can. The whole brisket has internal fat too. Pick the cold brisket up by one end.
If it's stiff, it has more internal fat. If it's loose and flexible there's less internal fat.
That's how I test 'em.
Look a the overall thickness of the brisket, too. A brisket that is about the same
thickness overall will cook evenly. How is it cut? Does it look nice and even?
Items Needed For a Day (or Two) of Brisket Smoking
Meat Smoker
Large food grade container for marinating and refrigerating
One or two remote cooking thermometers
Basting brush or mop
Smoking wood or pellets
Marinade
Dry rub seasoning
Basting liquid
Aluminum foil
A whole packer cut brisket
Trimming the Brisket
Remove the plastic packaging and rinse the brisket. Inspect the fat cap to determine
its thickness. Shave off anything over 1/4 inch thick. Inspect the entire piece of meat
and trim off any loose flaps of meat or fat. What directions does the grain run on the
two sections? Make a mental note of the grain direction so you can slice it across
the grain when the time comes.
Marinating Brisket
A large food grade container six inches deep and with a lid is what you need for
marinating brisket. The closer the container matches the length and width of the
brisket, the less marinade you'll need to make.
If the marinade is highly acidic, the brisket should be in it no more than 12 hours.
Vinegar, lemon juice and orange juice are all acidic. Over long periods they start to
break the meat down to the point it loses flavor. This will only affect the surface, but
it still should be prevented if possible. If the marinade has very little or no acid, the
brisket can stay in it for up to three days, refrigerated. Turn the brisket over twice a
day to ensure an even marinade.
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How To Smoke Brisket, Step by Step!
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Seasoning a Brisket With Dry Rub
How much brisket rub do you use? It depends. How big is the brisket? How much
flavor or heat or salt is in the dry rub? Use your good judgement on this decision.
With most of the dry rub recipes you'll find here at BBQ-FYI.COM, use about 1/4 cup
per brisket. Use more on a really big one, less on a smaller one. The flavor of the
rub won't penetrate very deep. It will be mostly at the surface.
I put the rub on in two applications. Rub in half the dry rub, wait a few minutes, then
rub on the rest. Place the seasoned brisket in that plastic marinating container to
rest for a few hours, overnight, or even for two nights. The longer the rub is on, the
deeper the flavor will penetrate. It won't penetrate deeply, but it will penetrate.
Brisket is almost always seasoned with dry rub before smoking. Marinating is
optional, as is injection flavor.
Injecting Flavor Into Brisket
You might want to experiment with this technique. Some swear by it. If you're
marinating the brisket, try injecting some of that into the meat. Depending on the
juice, try about one-half ounce per pound of brisket. Insert the needle completely,
then slowly inject as it's pulled out. Distribute the liquid flavor evenly throughout the
meat.
Smoking the Brisket
The ideal temperature range for smoking brisket is between 220 and 240 degrees
Fahrenheit. Within this range figure on smoking the brisket 1 to 1-1/2 hours per
pound. Don't overpower the great brisket flavor with too much smoke. It's easy to do,
I know. Using a charcoal smoker, mix a few chunks into the charcoal so the brisket
gets smoke at the beginning. In an electric or gas smoker, two or three small
additions of chips or pellets during the first two or three hours is plenty. I prefer
milder flavored woods,like apple or pecan. If you're using strong woods like hickory
or mesquite, use less to prevent a bitter taste.
Place the brisket on the smoker grate with the fat side up. Insert the probe of a
remote cooking thermometer into the center of the point section. When the internal
temperature reaches 180 to 190 degrees it will be good for slicing thin, across the
grain for sandwiches plate served. At 195-205 the brisket will reach that falling apart
tender stage. It can be shredded easily. Slicing should be done with the grain so the
pieces hold together.
But don't go slicing that perfectly smoked brisket just yet! If you cut it right out of the
smoker, much of the juice will run out, carrying flavor and moistness with it. Here's
what you do:
When it's reached the desired temperature, carefully remove it from the
smoker and wrap it in two layers of heavy duty aluminum foil. Then
wrap it in a nice heavy towel. Place the little bundle of joy in a cooler
and shut the lid. Let that perfect beef brisket rest for at least an hour.
During that time the juices will be absorbed back into the meat, making
it the juicy and flavorful piece of meat it was meant to be!
So that's how to smoke brisket the traditional way. From start to finish it takes at
least one good day, maybe two. An overnight brisket smoke is a fun way to spend a
Friday night. Start one up right after coming home from work, and if you're lucky
you'll have smoked brisket for breakfast. If not, it will be ready by lunchtime!
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How To Smoke Brisket, Step by Step!
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Brisket Tips and Information
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