So I’ve cooked several briskets on my 18.5 WSM. The flat always turns out tender and flavorful, but very DRY. I have separated the point and flat every time (the point has ALWAYS turned out good…I usually use it to make burnt ends). I start with my water pan full, cooking at about 237 throughout the whole cook. I wrap with butcher paper once the bark looks good. Once the temp hits 203 on the flat, I put it in the cooler to rest until the temp drops to around 150ish. Anything I can do to make my brisket flats NOT come out DRY?
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Couple of questions: Are you brining overnight? Injecting? What is the temp usually when you get the bark you like and wrap? -
If you are comparing it to the Point it will always be "dry."
I would start checking for probe tender before 200, just by chance you could pull it off a bit earlier than 203.
Cooking cooks the oxygen and water out of meat, what's left for moistness is melted collagen and FAT, the flat is very, very, very, low in fat. So leave a 1/4" fat cap, dry brine as mentioned above, try to collect some juices or make a mop for serving, and stop comparing it to the Point.
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I keep my briskets whole until I am ready to slice, but I agree with Jerod Broussard. The flat does not have any fat/marbling like the point does, so comparing the two is apples and oranges. Your best bet is to take it off at 190 or so and let it rest longer. It will still climb to 203+, but you will keep a little more moisture in the meat and still have very tender brisket.
If it is the tail end of the flat that is too dry, chop it up for sandwiches or use it in your baked beans, tacos, chili, etc. The possibilities are endless.Comment
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Are you buying Prime,Choice or unmarked ?Comment
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I usually inject the flat with melted butter just before I wrap it...Comment
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Buying the highest grade you can is key. Starting out with a lot of marbeling helps a ton!
I take the flat out at 195 f and let it rest for a couple of hours in a warm oven, while wrapped in foil , not butcher paper.. That will tenderize it the rest of the way.
Also, I use foil to wrap and then I slice and drizzle the drippings back on the flat slices to add moisture back in. If you use butcher paper, it sucks up al the amazing fat and you can't use it to add it back to the brisket. I know it looks cool and it is more fashionable to use butcher paper, but IMHO, foil is better.Comment
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I inject briskets with beef broth.Comment
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I'm with Spinaker here. As stated, a few key points:
1. Get the best brisket you can. The flat is very lean, so any and all marbling you can get is better. "Best" brisket simply means the one with most marbling (intramuscular fat). Also, try to pick a brisket with a thicker flat.
2. Check for probe tenderness in the flat, don't just judge blindly by temp (203). It may be done sooner.
3. I too use aluminum foil. It let's me keep and re-add juices that collect in the foil package. Always a win.
4. The hold is important. You can take it off at 195 (if probe tender) and hold it for 3 hours easily. The rest/hold is part of the cook, and cannot be underestimated.
Overall I think your strategy is just fine, and so is the cooker. Just a few tweaks and you should get a tastier brisket.
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My advice.
Stop shooting for 203.
Long hold at 150ish. Long hold. 4+ hours. I'm going to pull mine at 190ish from now on and let them rest a long long time. Last one we even rested down to lower temp, maybe 120-130, then wrapped in foil OVER the butcher paper, then put in fridge overnight. Next day, heated in oven for a couple of hours, back up to temp, it was the most amazing brisket I've done.
No more shooting for 200+ and ready to eat for me. For me it's 190ish and a LONG hold. That's it.Comment
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+2 after many years of trial and error I have found that the rest is just as if not more important then the cook!
Also agree that 200+ mark is just too high for consistent less than prime samples. The last 3 I did were choice packers cooked in 1 piece. Wrapped at 160ish, pulled at 190-196 and 4 hours rest. Couldn’t ask for better brisket -
Especially when cooking at altitude, things dry out fast so pulling about 190 works for me.
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When wrapping your brisket Flat add some melted down beef tallow on the butcher papper..Rendered down beef fat will help keep it moist and glistening in appearance..Comment
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Thank you for the great responses - sounds like checking it at a lower temperature and resting it longer are the changes to make next time! A couple of questions:
1. So if you start checking it at around 190, how often do you take it out and keep checking for that probe tenderness?
2. If I decide to cook the brisket whole (instead of separating the two muscles), where do I need to have my probe to keep track of temp?
Thanks again for the great responses!Comment
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Anymore when I cook a brisket I cut it in half, straight down where the point and flat come together. The flat that's left under the point is IMO some of the best brisket out of the whole packer.
This gives me the chance to cook them separate and hit the proper doneness for each one.
As far as checking for doneness, i'll go and check it at 195 and if it's not where i like it i can pretty much judge how much longer it will need but just check it as often as you feel like you need to. You'll get to be a pretty good judge after smoking a couple.
I would place a probe in both but if you only have one probe it needs to go in the flat IMO. That point can take a heck of a lot more abuse and still come out really good.
Like others have said in prior posts, I like using foil so I can keep all the juices and use them later if I need too. I like a good bark but to me it's not the be all - end all of the brisket world. I'll form a really good bark then wrap in foil, sure I'll lose some of the texture but i've found I gain more in moistness and tenderness wrapping in foil.
Once I've got the brisket finished where I like it i'll set in on the counter, open the foil and let the steam out until the meat gets below 180 then wrap it back up and hold it in a cooler for a minimum of 2 hours.
Anyway, everyone has their personal way of cooking a brisket.......that's half the fun, researching different methods and figuring out what you like and always trying to master the cook!!
I've attached a couple pictures showing where i like to cut my brisket apart and the good marbling of the flat on one of my past cooks. These were prime briskets from Costco I believe.
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