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    More brisket help

    A less detailed post this time. Need a little more quick guidance before attempting to cook for 40 people this weekend.

    How do you trim fat and only leave 1/4 to 1/2 inch left. I trimmed too much in a few spots. I tried making small slits in the fat to see how thick it was in various places, then leaving about 1/4 inch. I know some folks leave it all on there, but I find that a little too fatty.

    How much rub do you typically use for a full packer? Last one I did was 13 pounds after trimming off 3.75 pounds of fat. I have seen folks use 1/2 cup of rub for a full packer (salt and pepper only). I used 1/4 cup with no salt and the feedback was that no one coudl taste the rub.

    For pepper in rub, do you grind it yourself? How coarse?

    If you follow Meathead's article on dry brining (1/2 tsp per pound after trimming 8-12 hours before cook) - do you also add salt to your rub? Feedback on last brisket was that it was undersalted. Last time I added ~ 1/2 tsp of coarse kosher salt per lb and did not add salt to the rub.
    For those who wrap when it hits 155 to 165 - how long does that usually take you for a full packer at around 250 smoke temperature?

    Do you finish the brisket with the wrap on or remove it to re-crisp the bark exterior? How do you re-crisp it (if at all)?

    I noticed the flat under point gets probe tender first for me around 200F. Seems to stay moist while the rest comes of the brisket comes up to temp. Can this become over done or dry (I have not been getting the flat as probe tender as I like and want to leave it in longer)? This seems to be most marbled part.

    Thanks!

    -matto-

    #2
    I've not Cooked a bunch of Meat for a group yet. The person you need to get feed back from is Jerod Broussard he cooks for groups all the time. I've not really ever done more than 2 at once. I do know that ideally you would not want more salt in your rub if you per-brined. Not a problem if you mix up your own but if you use off the self stuff their 1st ingredient is always salt. As for the bark there are a bunch of ways to go. Some folks dont wrap until they have the bark they want others wrap once the meat hits the right color (and then crisp up a little at the end) if you're not under a time restraint (say you put on your meat at midnight and plan on keeping the meat warm in a cooler) you dont have to wrap at all. Good luck hope you will hear from Jerod Broussard or Huskee or CandySueQ or fzxdoc or...Well you get the idea pretty much anybody but me lol.

    Comment


      #3
      Let's see if I can help with a few of your questions.

      Fat trimming: it takes practice :-) The first thing you do is trim off the long edge where the brisket has been attached to the sternum (breast bone). You see which side it is by looking at the meat. It has been blasted with hot water after the cow carcass was cut open, to kill bacteria. Therefor is looks less 'raw' than the other side. Trim this side along the entire length of the brisket, making one long straight cut. you want to trim off about 1/2 inch.

      Now that you've done that, you can see easily how thick or thin the fat layer is on top of the brisket. It is usually relatively even. That should help. If you accidentally made 'bald spots' by cutting to deep, just leave it, and improve on your next cook.

      The point(y) end has thicker fat, so you can trim just a bit more.

      Salt/rub: I apply the dry brine, which means I don't add salt in the rub. As for the black pepper: freshly ground pepper can be a bit too harsch almost, so grind it a few days in advance if you can. To get an image of how much pepper to apply, see pictures in this thread I created a week ago. I can't really tell how much it was in cups. I use coarsely ground black pepper, but I buy it already ground, don't know what granularity it is. As for type of salt: I have never used kosher salt, don't know if the amount differs compared to regular table salt (which I use). That could be the reason for lack of saltiness. Not sure.

      Wrapping: If I wrap (not always), I leave it wrapped until it is done. I don't unwrap at the end.

      Probe tender flat: If you wrap the brisket I wouldn't worry about the flat becoming dry, the wrapping should protect you from that.




      Comment


        #4
        aldaeron My 2¢
        What Henrik said about trimming is accurate and If I am trimming a whole packer I trim as much fat as I can between the flat and the point just leaving enough to hold them together. That way when you are serving slices with both flat and point you don't have that big band of fat between them.

        I use Tones Restaurant style black pepper from Sams club. It is ground slightly courser than regular ground black pepper, without any dust and I really like this on brisket.

        As for salt, I have found that 24-48 hours is better for dry brine time for the salt to penetrate a little deeper and then I'll add a lite dust on the surface when I put the BBBR just before throwing on the smoker.
        Henrik 1 teaspoon Morton's table salt ≈ 1.25 teaspoons Morton's Kosher Salt per http://amazingribs.com/cooking_weigh...s_conversions/

        Wrapping, If I run hotter like 250-275 I try not to wrap and do only if the bark is looking like its drying out before its probe tender. Also I am using a stickburner, so more air flow than maybe a kettle or pellet cooker.
        Last edited by Powersmoke_80; August 25, 2016, 03:07 AM.

        Comment


          #5
          If you are slicing and you are serving adults then you almost need to purchase 1/2-1 pound per person.

          Purchasing a half a pound per person in the store with a 40% yield we'll give each person about 3.2 ounces of meat.

          Comment


            #6
            All good info above. Agree completely on the Tones Restaurant Grind from Sam's!!! Good stuff! Kosher salt is larger grained so easier to apply evenly. I mix it 50:50 with the pepper & that's my "rub" of choice (aka Dalmatian rub). Usually apply rub 12-24 hours ahead of cook. I may give meat a quick rub with hot sauce before the S&P rub to help it stick. Do you really want to taste the rub or the beef??? I usually wrap with paper AFTER I'm happy with the bark, which is usually after the stall also. Once wrapped, it stays wrapped. I may peek at the end but re-wrap before the faux cambro. Make lots, and start early! Leftovers are better than hungry guests and brisket "holds" better and longer than hungry guests! Good luck & enjoy!

            Comment


              #7
              unfortunately experience is the only thing that will help with trimming. i did much better on my second one than my first. i also had a lot of bald spots in my first but pretty much none the second time.

              if you want more of salt taste you can always add a little bit of salt to your rub just for flavor. a lot of people do this, just don't add much. what i do is no salt in my rub but i do (right before i put it in the smoker) sprinkle a little salt over the rub to give it that salted taste on the outside. it seems to do the trick for me

              and i always separate the point and flat and cook them separately.

              Comment


                #8
                One additional thing to add, as far as probe tenderness goes, i would probe the flat until it's probe tender. i dont really worry about the point since (from my experience) the point is always probe tender once the flat is.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Another option on the salt is to decide how much salt you want on the meat and divide that up. Part, (1/2 to maybe 2/3), for brining and the rest in rub. That way the salt has a chance to penetrate, and your just adding the rest before smoking for flavor without over salting.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Watch one of the videos on trimming a brisket. Arron Franklin has a 20+ min video on YouTube. There are other videos too

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by aldaeron View Post
                      A less detailed post this time. Need a little more quick guidance before attempting to cook for 40 people this weekend.

                      How do you trim fat and only leave 1/4 to 1/2 inch left. I trimmed too much in a few spots. I tried making small slits in the fat to see how thick it was in various places, then leaving about 1/4 inch. I know some folks leave it all on there, but I find that a little too fatty.

                      Great question. Practice. I try to gracefully filet down some spots that looks obviously thicker than other spots. I too had the problem of removing way too much, but the more I do the better I'm getting. I am not a very talented person with a knife

                      How much rub do you typically use for a full packer? Last one I did was 13 pounds after trimming off 3.75 pounds of fat. I have seen folks use 1/2 cup of rub for a full packer (salt and pepper only). I used 1/4 cup with no salt and the feedback was that no one coudl taste the rub.

                      I add whatever looks right. I don't portion out an amount of rub to use, as we do salt when dry brining. For instance, make up a batch of Meathead's Big Bad Beef Rub (or whatever rub you use). Use a tablespoon, or a shaker bottle if you have one. Sprinkle it on carefully to cover the meat 360 degrees, but not so heavy that it covers the meat and is caked on, it's seasoning not batter. It's sort of an instinctive application, and you'll learn with one taste if you can up it or if you overdid it. Again, practice. Great advice on watching Aaron Franklin's videos on brisket. In one video he mixes up his Dalmatian rub and shows you how to apply it to the meat, so you can have a good visual.

                      For pepper in rub, do you grind it yourself? How coarse?

                      Personally I use what's called "restaurant grind" which is a standard coarse ground pepper. Not the powdered pepper we often think of from a pepper shaker. I don't grind my own, unless I'm adding pepper to individual pieces of meat. For a batch of rub, measurable amounts from a jug are more helpful for me.

                      If you follow Meathead's article on dry brining (1/2 tsp per pound after trimming 8-12 hours before cook) - do you also add salt to your rub? Feedback on last brisket was that it was undersalted. Last time I added ~ 1/2 tsp of coarse kosher salt per lb and did not add salt to the rub.

                      I find when dry brining a brisket it needs a bit more than the standard 1/2tsp/lb of Kosher. Also, IMO it benefits from a light shake of salt on top of the rub after it's applied, so the bark itself has a bit of salty balance, "sparkle" as I call it. I don't add salt to brisket rub. Aaron Franklin does, I believe 50/50 S&p. But he doesn't dry brine. Pick your poison.

                      For those who wrap when it hits 155 to 165 - how long does that usually take you for a full packer at around 250 smoke temperature?

                      I can't answer this question specifically as asked since I wrap after the stall, at, say 170-180 when the bark looks better. This adds more time that wrapping at the start of the stall. But, even so doing my main smoke time is ~10hrs, my cambro time is ~2 hrs, and this total of ~12hrs has worked well for me on the last several packers & flats that I've done (Choice, Prime and Wagyu alike). I don't shoot for 203, I average 197-200 and call it good. I've never once said "if only I'd taken it to 203!"

                      Do you finish the brisket with the wrap on or remove it to re-crisp the bark exterior? How do you re-crisp it (if at all)?

                      I leave the wrap on until slice time, fat cap down so the fat cap is in the juices, not the surface bark. However, I've noticed it dries and firms slightly as it sits unwrapped while I'm slicing it.

                      I noticed the flat under point gets probe tender first for me around 200F. Seems to stay moist while the rest comes of the brisket comes up to temp. Can this become over done or dry (I have not been getting the flat as probe tender as I like and want to leave it in longer)? This seems to be most marbled part.

                      This could likely be because of the large fat band between the 2 muscles, perhaps that's what you're actually probing? I trim that away completely, stopping just short of separating the muscles. Flats will always be drier than points, it's their nature.

                      Thanks!

                      -matto-
                      I can't add a whole lot to the great advice already offered. But my attempts at helping are in red above in your quote, in case anything I've said helps.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Use sharp knife, make sure your brisket is super cold for trimming the thick fat off. By the time you've taken care of that fat, it will have warmed enough to get the point easily separated from the flat (I always do that too). Keep your knife handle clean. The beef grease can make it slippery enough to lose grip and cut yourself (been here, done this!).

                        Comment


                          #13
                          I think feeling the fat to see how hard it is usually gives you a idea of how thick it is too

                          Comment


                            #14
                            I have to say that in love these forums for the great (and quick) replies!!

                            ​​​​​​Three quick follow ups

                            Where do you place the probe to monitor internal temp? I have been doing the center of the thickest part where the point and flat meet.

                            Is the probe wrapped in with the meat and pushed all the way flush to allow a tight wrapping without tearing? I use the Maverick dual wireless thermometer Meathead recommends.

                            Once the meat is wrapped how do you test that the flat is probe tender? Puncture the foil? Unwrap a little?

                            Thanks again for the awesome feedback!!

                            Comment


                              #15
                              I put probe in middle or thickest part of flat Not near point or band of fat.
                              just tip of probe needs to be inserted.
                              unwrap to check.

                              Comment

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