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My brisket doesn't look like the pictures...

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    My brisket doesn't look like the pictures...

    Hey everyone. So I've just got my brisket out to salt it up in preparation for a cook this weekend. I've been trying to compare it to other pics on here and can't work out what I have. It's not the whole packer but it's a reasonable hunk of meat at 9lbs. I would like to carve it up correctly when it's done but not sure where to start! Also I'm guessing this is a 12-12 hr cook at 225f. Would that be accurate? Thanks in advance!

    #2
    Maybe those Aussie cows are built different I think it's just a squared-up brisket. Hopefully others will chime in.

    I would trim that fat cap off the top of the first pic so it's less than 1 cm thick, and trim off any other lumpy hard fat, salt 'n pepper that thing and smoke it! Or if you're going to dry-brine it first, then go at it with a salt-less rub. Meathead's Big Bad Beef Rub (BBBR) is great for brisket. Make note of which way the grain of the meat runs for each part, and maybe cut some small notches so you can re-orient yourself after it's become a big black lump. You'll want to slice across the grain.

    Comment


      #3
      In the first picture, it looks to me like you have the point on the upper left and the flat on the lower right. After the cook you should be able to separate them right along that line of separation. When carving you want to cut across the grain on each piece. This page should help too: http://amazingribs.com/recipes/beef/texas_brisket.html

      Comment


      • BruceB
        BruceB commented
        Editing a comment
        That's what I though too.

      #4
      Thanks for the info guys. I'm glad it wasn't just me and it looked a little "different" to you too. I will trim the fat cap as you suggest and I was planning on dry brining with BBBR which I made for my last cook. I will most definitely by following the Texas brisket recipe I found on here. One other question I had was with the cooking time. Is 10-12 hours fairly accurate and does that include 1-2 hours of resting before serving? Thanks!

      Comment


      • Jerod Broussard
        Jerod Broussard commented
        Editing a comment
        No, that does not include the rest. Always better to start too early. Briskets can rest a long time.....

      #5
      Ouch, that's going to be a early start then! So I'm looking at 14-15 hours from start to finish with a 9lb brisket?

      Comment


      • Jerod Broussard
        Jerod Broussard commented
        Editing a comment
        Possibly. The best way to tell how long it will take is to stop the stop-watch when it gets done. Could be shorter, but you never know until you get done.

      • LA Pork Butt
        LA Pork Butt commented
        Editing a comment
        If your cooker is a set it and forget it type cooker, you can plan to start the night before and serve at noon. No sleep loss there.

      #6
      My general rule-of-thumb is an hour and a half per pound. A brisket can rest for a long time if you finish early so for 9 pounds i would allow 13 - 14 hours and not worry if it takes less. A 12 hour cook sounds right in the ballpark if you are lucky. I've had a 7 pound brisket take 12 hours to hit the right temp. All that said, that looks like a nice hunk of beef.

      Comment


      • Spinaker
        Spinaker commented
        Editing a comment
        good to see ya around here again. Been a while. boftx

      #7
      I agree with Jerod and boftx. The thing is, it's ok to rest an early brisket in a faux cambro an extra couple hrs waiting until dinnertime, but it's quite another for dinner to wait a couple extra hours for a stubborn brisket. Always start earlier than you think you should!

      Comment


        #8
        Thanks for the advice guys. It's funny you should mention about waiting for food... The last time I had the guys round for a poker night I cooked a Boston butt and got my timing wrong so we ended up eating about 10pm. The fact that it was so good or they were so hungry by that point saved my ass but I don't want to go through that again!.

        Comment


          #9
          Originally posted by Sydney Simon View Post
          Thanks for the advice guys. It's funny you should mention about waiting for food... The last time I had the guys round for a poker night I cooked a Boston butt and got my timing wrong so we ended up eating about 10pm. The fact that it was so good or they were so hungry by that point saved my ass but I don't want to go through that again!.
          Been there more than I'd like to admit. In fact I'll humbly admit on my last rib cook this past Saturday we ate at 745pm when I told everyone hopefully 6-630. Ugh, sometimes I eat my own words. But the great news is we're not alone, we all do it.

          Comment


            #10
            (Sydney) Simon, Contrary to all the Good Advice you are getting, You never want your meal to finish cooking before 1 1/2 Hrs. after your guests and family expected to eat! Best to time it to serve just before their Knees start to Buckle from Starvation! They will swear it's the best BBQ they Ever Had!
            I've used this technique for over 40 Yrs, Saved me from learning how to Cook! 👍👍😇👍👍
            Eat Well and Prosper! From Fargo ND USA, Dan

            Comment


            • Spinaker
              Spinaker commented
              Editing a comment
              Now, you can't buy advice like that my friend!! Danjohnston949

            • Sydney Simon
              Sydney Simon commented
              Editing a comment
              Lol love it Dan!

            • Thunder77
              Thunder77 commented
              Editing a comment
              So That's why everyone loved my last pulled pork! :-)

            #11
            that last picture shows where it was cut away from the ribs. i don't think part of that is brisket. i'm not certain what cut of meat you have there. i think you have a mix of 2.

            Comment


            • CandySueQ
              CandySueQ commented
              Editing a comment
              Believe you are right. First photo could be part of the point though. No flat on that chunk of beef.

            • Cheef
              Cheef commented
              Editing a comment
              Agreed!! It does look like it will cook up tasty though!!!
              I'd have a hard time figuring out how to trim it right but I am a minimalist when it comes to trimming fat.

            • Sydney Simon
              Sydney Simon commented
              Editing a comment
              Yes, I'm not sure what I have either but it's from a really high quality butcher so I'm sure it'll still be good. Carving it up is going to be interesting though!

            #12
            Well, I thought now that my head isn't feeling quite so delicate I should check back in and let you know how it went. Like a total rookie I forgot to take any pictures! Anyway, I followed the brisket recipe on here which was pretty fool proof. My brisket got up to 150F around 3 hours in but I didn't have a decent bark at that stage or smoke for that matter so I let it go. Not actually sure how to get a lot of smoke going when you are cooking low and slow and only have a few pieces of charcoal lit
            I was expecting the stall about then but it kept climbing up to 185F or so which made me think I had magically missed the stall. Nope! It sat there for 3 more hours before I eventually decided the stall was upon me and took it off and wrapped it in foil. It eventually hit the target temp at 7pm so that was a 13 hour cook in the end. I put it in the esky (faux cambro) for 2 more hours before putting it back on the heat to crisp up my bark. Carving was a little tricky due to the "unusual" cut I had but I did mostly get beautiful tender pencil thick slices cut across the grain.

            The guys at poker were amazed, as was I to be honest. It was the best piece of meat I think I've ever tasted, just incredible! My wife told me later it was a Wagyu brisket from Gundooee Farm near Dunedoo (I swear I have not made those names up!). Too good for my peasant friends I tell ya! Anyway thank you all for your sagely advice and apologies for the essay!

            Comment


            • Jerod Broussard
              Jerod Broussard commented
              Editing a comment
              That is so freaking awesome!!

            • Sydney Simon
              Sydney Simon commented
              Editing a comment
              Thanks Jerod :-) I read a lot of your comments about bark actually, in particular don't deal with the stall until you are happy with your bark!

            #13
            So you anticipated a 12-hr cook, and ended cooking 13 plus cambroing 2, for 15hrs total? This is exactly why it's always good to start much earlier than you think you should. Congrats on your success! BBQ always tastes better at 9pm than 5pm!

            Comment


            • boftx
              boftx commented
              Editing a comment
              Bull! It tastes best when you want it and having to wait only means you're grumpier and will eat anything at that point that can't outrun you.

            • Huskee
              Huskee commented
              Editing a comment
              boftx I know who gets grumpier the later it gets :-O

            • Sydney Simon
              Sydney Simon commented
              Editing a comment
              Yep, 15 hours total. No one seemed to notice as most of them didn't arrive until 8pm so a 1 hour wait was fine. :-) Ideally I would have liked an extra hour in the esky but all in all for my first brisket I ain't complaining!

            #14
            Sydney Simon Well you won at brisket, did you win at poker??

            Comment


            • Sydney Simon
              Sydney Simon commented
              Editing a comment
              I didn't win but I didn't really lose either. Finished even on the night. :-)

            #15
            Congrats on your success.

            Comment

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