less than successful week on the grill

[cccq]

I grilled hamburgers on Thursday night and wound up serving hockey pucks. Charred black on the outside and well done on the inside (no pics). I ate one as I am on a low carb diet and could not eat the pizza that the family had.

Went to costco and got a 12lb prime brisket to try on my weber kettle with the slow n sear. Noticed some prime New York Strip steaks for $10 a pound. Got three of them and the brisket. Reverse seared the steaks and they were great (no pics). Instantly felt better about myself.

Today tried the brisket on the weber kettle. The briskets I buy from costco are prime and usually $3.59/lb. I also normally inject and wrap in foil before the stall. I also rest em in a faux cambro for at least 2-4 hours. Today was different. I did not inject and I wrapped in foil at around 178ish IT. Took it off when the point probed like butter but the flat was not as buttery (soft but not as soft as the point). I let it rest an hour in the foil. The flat tasted OK but I thought was a bit firm. Not tough, just not like the other two I have done. Maybe a bit drier too. All in all I was a little disappointed in the brisket. I would have given it a 5 out of ten.

I cooked it at around 240-290 for about 10 hours which was very similar to my other briskets which were more tender. While cooking this one it I swear the flat was always at a slightly lower temperature than the point.

I have two theories (well 3 really).

1. Just a weird cut of meat that wasn't gonna work out. (I am leaning this way)

2. I needed to let it rest longer in a faux cambro (I literally had not eaten all day, saving myself for the brisket, plus the low carb diet. I know poor excuses for poor execution.)

3. Sometimes the bear eats you.


I will inject on my future briskets though.

And here are the pics. (I sprinkled some kosher salt as I thought it needed a little extra seasoning)

[RonB]

If it still neede salt after brining, maybe you didn't use enough salt for the brine. Also, how long did you brine it? I like to go 2 or 3 days for a brisket.

And sorry about your less than optimum cooks. We all have those days...

[Spinaker]

LOL! I am no stranger to the Hockey Puck Burgers, my friend. ​ (Bad experience with an infrared grill.)

Nice work on the steaks! Have you checked out Meathead article on "Better than Steak House Steaks?" Shhhhh....the secret is "Beef Love", read the column on the left, in this article. (if you are interested.) Anyway, on to the brisket.

I cook Costco briskets almost exclusively. I used to inject, but I stopped doing it when I realized it made little to no difference. (And it made a huge mess.) I usually don't wrap at all, until I let them go in the cambro. The flat is usually a little bit tougher than the point, when I am taking it off the smoker. Many times, the flat needs to be taken up to at least 203 F to become butter. In my experience, I will let the point go higher in temp [205-208] so the flat can catch up and render down. The point has a ton of fat, especially in those Prime Costco Briskets. So, they can take the extra heat. If the point is getting close to 210 F, I take it off regardless of where the flat is.

As you said, the Faux Cambro time in another thing that might be contributing to your issue. IMHO, the more FB time, the better.

Just keep in mind, briskets can be weird and finicky. The bark on that brisket looks great. Very nice color.

Keep the smoke rollin'!!

[cccq]

I also forgot the drip pan on the weber kettle for the brisket. It was a first for many things.

[Mr. Bones]

That is, indeed, tragic...
Please, send me th leftovers in some dry ice.
Looks like great food, from where I sit, brother!
Mebbe jus an ornery brisky.... It do happen, to us all...
Fine Job, there!

[FireMan]

Quit yer whinin & complainin, ya liked eatin it didn’t ya. We know ya did. So it wasn’t perfection. Well the hocky pucks sucked but what do ya want, they’re hockey pucks. You’ll do even better next time & you will like the eatin part of things more.

[Donw]

FireMan Could have just been from an ornery beast; say, similar to FireMan! 😀

[Livermoron]

I submit you were a victim of items 1 & 3. Happens to all of us...

[FishTalesNC]

I hear ya, I’ve had plenty of days like that too. They’re usually called "Saturday" around here. Still beats the hell out of going to a restaurant and paying way too much for THEIR disappointing brisket! 👍🏻

[Steve R.]

That last sentence, especially, is so true!

[jecucolo]

That is so true.

[Troutman]

Like you, I often succumb to #3 Look at it this way, there's always another day and another cook. But just when you are about to put on your Jacques Pepin robe and slippers, in walks the bear .....

[ecowper]

Turn the leftover brisket into chili!

[Pirate Scott]

Trial and Error, at least you can eat the mistakes.