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PK Brisket experiment out of control

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    PK Brisket experiment out of control

    Since switching from propane to charcoal a year ago, I really have no desire to go back. But I don't have a "real" charcoal smoker yet - just a PK Grill and a Smokey Joe. I've been thinking for a while about trying a brisket on the PK. I was at Costco on Friday, and when I spotted their prime briskets, I realized that this would be the perfect weekend to do it. With holiday stuff and other family things going on, I'm home alone (just like the movie) for 5 whole days - just me and peace and quiet. So I figured it would be a great time to do an experiment - if I screw it up, no one else to disappoint.

    For some reason, though, I also made enough potatoes and coleslaw for a dinner party.

    Dinner for 1? Well...
    • 15.5 lb. brisket
    • 3 lbs of red potatoes
    • 1 large head of cabbage and 4 carrots chopped for slaw
    • Oops - I'm out of mayonnaise - make 1 jar of homemade mayo
    • Don't want to waste the trimmed brisket fat - render out 3.5 cups of purified beef tallow
    • 2 full loads through the dishwasher to clean everything up
    Anyway, back to the brisket. I used a cast iron griddle (foil wrapped) as a baffle, and also foil around 3/4 of the grate at one end, leaving just about 1/4 of the space for airflow. With top and bottom vents open at the baffled end, my hope was to get airflow going something like this:
    Click image for larger version

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    It sort of worked - and sort of not. I got the fire started late Saturday a little before midnight, and with my baffle system it took quite a while to get up to temp. Got the meat on around 1 a.m. By 8 a.m. on Sunday, the point (right where the hot air flowed up) was 170 F and the flat was 134 F. The fire was burning out, and with the baffle set up, I would have to pull everything off to add more coals. You might say I was (wait for it...) baffled. So I wrapped it in foil and put it in the oven to finish. Couple more hours and the thick part in the middle hit 205 F. I rested it for about 2 hours while I made the potatoes and slaw, during which time I started seriously to question my sanity.

    Result:
    • Flavor? Check!
    • Bark? Check!
    • Smoke ring? Check!
    • But the point was overdone to the point of falling apart
    • And the last half of the flat never got tender
    • While the middle part where point and flat overlap was just right - Goldilocks style
    I'm still enjoying it - a third of the way through the leftovers and starting to think chili!

    Here are some pics of the whole grand experiment:

    The "raw" materials:
    Click image for larger version

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    Right before I took it to the oven:
    Click image for larger version

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    The middle part of the flat that got cooked just right (check out the smoke ring):
    Click image for larger version

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    Aah - it was worth it (I think):
    Click image for larger version

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    #2
    A KBQ is calling out your name. Don't resist....

    Comment


    • radshop
      radshop commented
      Editing a comment
      I been thinking PBC, now you're trying to get me in that OTHER cult...

    #3
    On my Pk (360) if it doesn’t fit I just cut in half and stack so I still have a simple left vs right set up. Have to flip top and bottom halfway though of course but it works.

    Sounds like yours was good. Maybe flip left right next time. The flats on the Costco’s seem extra lean I’m thinking of cutting it off next time and using sous vide on the flat and just enjoying the smoked point separately. Click image for larger version

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    Comment


    • radshop
      radshop commented
      Editing a comment
      That's a good idea. The 360 is also bigger than the classic PK, right?

    • Polarbear777
      Polarbear777 commented
      Editing a comment
      The pk 360 is only slightly bigger than the original pk. The big difference is the vent controls and ash management make it easier to use.

    #4
    It sounds like a good experiment to me.

    Comment


    • radshop
      radshop commented
      Editing a comment
      Thanks. I don't regret it one bit, except I can't explain why I went crazy on the sides, too.

    #5
    Looks great!

    Comment


      #6
      I don't know if you have that kind of space, but I really like to separate the point from the flat while trimming. That way I get good all-over bark and I don't have to compromise on the "doneness" of either piece.

      Comment


      • radshop
        radshop commented
        Editing a comment
        If I do another packer on the PK, that's what I'll do

      #7
      Beautiful!

      Comment


        #8
        Looks like a darn good experiment to me. A whole brisket to yourself. What could be better.

        Comment


          #9
          Originally posted by jgreen View Post
          What could be better.
          Whole pastrami to yourself.

          Comment


            #10
            Nice job of innovation! Brisket looks good. Chili for the under cooked parts sounds perfect. I will sometimes purposely cook the flat into pulled beef and the point for slicing.

            Comment


              #11
              Nice work! Just got a PK myself. Only used it for grilling so far. You've given me few things to try out. Thanks for sharing!

              Comment


              • radshop
                radshop commented
                Editing a comment
                Don't hold back - use that PK!

              #12
              Great job. Really appreciate the effort on your write-up. I have a PK, but never tried this. Food for thought.

              Comment


              • radshop
                radshop commented
                Editing a comment
                I use mine for smoking more than grilling. My Thanksgiving turkey, lots of pork butts, you name it - it's a champ. But the surface area required for a whole packer is a challenge. Fun to try, though.

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