Using the Slow 'n Sear with a raised grate "research" result...

[Jerod Broussard]

Using the Slow 'n Sear as is I've always preferred starting fat cap up and then flipping (w/ brisket, butts got no fat cap). Then I started using a raised grate to put the meat on cause I feel there is a lot of heat going up and over that I could be taking advantage of. Problem is my sides were drying out something fierce cause it still took some time to develop bark on the flat after flipping, and no doubt some warm air was/is circulating under the grate attacking the sides. An attack I couldn't really monitor.

Fat caps darken up so much better/easier than the tops of flats since flats have all that moisture inhibiting Diffusion Reduced Irreversible Polymerization (yeah, I know someone named Dr. Blonder) aka bark development.

Wife needed a brisket for the gals and guy at the bank and got the dates mixed up so I probably pushed 45+ days on the wet-age. Thought I was going to do a Burnt Overall Point and sliced flat. They wanted chopped at the last minute. No problem, chopped be easy.

Weather was super humid Tuesday night and running fat cap down with a 250 pit temp on a raised grate, the top of the flat was 98%+ barked up at 190 internal after 12 hours. I was able to watch the sides, and those that were thinner and darkening early I pressed some foil against them to prevent too much drying on the edges. Being on a raised grate the fat cap still darkened up nicely.

Another hour in a pan (LOVE using pans rather than wrapping in foil) and that dude was ready to rest. Sleep took precedence over getting the flat 100% barked.


I have to cook another Sunday night and will include pics.

Things I would do differently.

1. Place some sort of wire rack in the pan to keep the brisket out the juice. I added a little water to keep it from sticking to the pan and that sucker made some AWESOME gravy. Using my fat separator there was very little waste, and it did well moistening up all that chopped meat. I didn't really care for the brisket to be "floating" in the gravy.

2. Not burn myself every time I opened the foil. Doing things half asleep increases injury two-fold. Talk about an inverse relationship one doesn't enjoy.

3. Not smell checking the brisket after chopping. Didn't smell that great to me. Wife said the bank folks raved about it and been eating it every day this week. Guess smelling it all night still does a number on me.



I need to get a good stainless hand grinder to chop/grind up the very fatty parts of the point. My electric is too big and too heavy to use for that little bit.

[Frozen Smoke]

The slow and sear is something that's always intrigued me but I have yet to buy one. I'm usually cooking too much stuff to fit on the Weber. Sounds like you are getting yours dialed in pretty well. I discovered using a pan rather than foil wrap awhile ago myself. I haven't looked back since. I like your idea of putting a rack in the bottom to lift the meat out of the juices. When doing brisket or butts I usually put some dark beer in the bottom of the pan instead of water.
I don't know what it is with me but every time water is used as a ingredient my mind instantly starts thinking of a substitute that will add another layer of flavor.
I see those hand grinders on CL every now and again.
Looking forward to your next slow and sear cook with pics!

[FireMan]

Maybe you need a bigger Weber.

[gcdmd]

or more Webers

[Dadof3Illinois]

When I’m going to put what I’m cooking in a pan to finish I just make some foil balls for the meat to sit on. This will keep it out of any liquid or you could use a bed of veggies, which will add more flavor to the gravy

[JCGrill]

Like this. Celery ribs do a fantastic job.

[Huskee]

Last time I used a raised grate (in summer weather) I got 12hrs on one load of charcoal on the 26 w/ SnSXL, which took care of the cook, the wrap, and the 'faux cambro' hold phase. I prefer to go fat cap up since yes there's more heat up higher.

[HouseHomey]

What is this "raised grate" you reference? I typed it in the search box and only got this thread.

[JCGrill]

Grate above the grate. Lots of options out there. Obviously the higher you go, the less horizontal space you have.

[Mudkat]

Looking forward to the next pics/cooks!

[fzxdoc]

Jerod Broussard What advantage, outside of convenience, does the pan (true braise situation) have over a tight wrap? I've always wondered. I've seen a lot of well-credentialed BBQers use pans.

Kathryn

[Jerod Broussard]

Just easier than messing with foil.

[JCGrill]

Gotta believe catching drippings is way easier, but I have no experience, so it's just a guess.

[Mr. Bones]

Not well-credentialed, but use pans...
Not covered, can use roastin' rack to keep proteins elevated outta th' ju...

[Frozen Smoke]

Jerod Broussard What advantage, outside of convenience, does the pan (true braise situation) have over a tight wrap? I've always wondered. I've seen a lot of well-credentialed BBQers use pans.

Kathryn

Not sure if Jerod Broussard is covering his pans but I do not because I am trying to avoid the actual braising effect. By not covering I am also continuing to add more bark.
To me the idea of the pan was as you stated purposes of convenience but to also be able to be certain I am going to capture every drop of juices and add my own such as dark beer to add more flavor.
Ribs I do not pan or wrap it is just for the larger cuts of meat like pork butts, chuckies and sometimes briskets.
Not sure if this answers your question Kathryn..

[Jerod Broussard]

I wrap with foil. I wrap so late, not much left to the cook. With typical cooks I don't wrap until 100% bark. 98% on this one wasn't all that bad.
​​​​​​

[fzxdoc]

So, Frozen Smoke , you start the cook with your meat in a foil pan, not just use it, covered, after the bark is formed, instead of the foil during a Texas Crutch? I seem to recall that DWCowles does the same thing?

Jerod Broussard , when do you use a pan then if you mostly wrap with foil? Or are you getting away from foil altogether? You're using the pan (when you use one) at the Texas Crutch stage, am I understanding that right?

Kathryn

[Jerod Broussard]

I use a pan when I have space, but mostly if the brisket is going somewhere I'm not. Foil is always available, pans are not. Yeah, Texas Pan Crutch.

[Frozen Smoke]

fzxdoc I don't pan until late in the smoke. Once the fat really starts to break down usually at a it of about 160 or so. When I start to hear the fat sizzling off the tuning plates I know it's time to pan. I don't cover at any time but always add some moisture usually beer to the pan.

[fzxdoc]

Thanks, Frozen Smoke and Jerod Broussard for clarifying your pan methods with me. I see a lot of well known folks pan their meat from the very beginning of the smoke, which I would probably never do because I'm a bark hound and want to build maximum bark. I can see the value of an uncovered "Texas Pan Crutch" as you call it, Jerod and Frozen Smoke, if you want to catch juices and continue to build bark.

Kathryn

[HouseHomey]

Thank you for asking all the questions. I was too lazy today to do that.

[fzxdoc]

Any time, HouseHomey.

K.

[jfmorris]

I’m with you on this fzxdoc - I panned stuff 20 years ago, and my dad still does. I cringed to see him ‘smoking’ ribs in a pan recently (I wasn’t staying for dinner). I like bark, so let it ride naked on the grate.

[Jerod Broussard]

Rolling. 232-240 pit temp. Smoke probe up top is a bit higher than the Auber probe. On the Smoke read out the bottom probe (probe 2) is 4" below the top probe. Bottom probe is on the regular cooking grate.

[Jerod Broussard]

Top grate is 232, bottom grate is 211.

[Huskee]

That's why I like the second-tier grate method, you utilize so much more of the available heat by placing the meat up in it, thereby running the "normal" temp (main grate level) much lower, and extending the firepower of the coal load so much more.

[Jerod Broussard]

Yeah, the fat cap is now getting a tad more heat running down than it would running up on the main grate.