Retired, living in Western Mass. Enjoy music, cooking and my family.
Current cookers Weber Spirit 3 burner with a full insert griddle added. A 22" Kettle with vortex, SnS and a Smokey Joe. The most recent addition is a Pit Barrel Jr with bird hanger, 4 hooks and cover. ThermoWorks Smoke 2 probe, DOT, 2 ThermoPops and a Thermapen MK4. A Thermoworks RFX Gateway 2 probe meat thermometer.
Awhile back I mentioned I was going to do a 2 plus pound flat. It was Memorial Day weekend. Never did it. So sunday is the day. I've been struggling with method. Being so small and MH's technique is really not a match. So I looked at Steven Raichlen's Project Smoke. He leads with an 8 pound flat which like MH's method would not match the cut I have. He goes into variations which includes 18 pound packer to a 3-5 pound flat. So, I'm going to go with the latter. I've taken a picture of the variation. I do not know if you can access the recipe on line.
Here's what I'll be cooking and the variation. Anyone do this? Thoughts and opinions welcomed. Please be kind.
I'd smoke that sucker HOT (350-400) as is with the fat cap taking the brunt of the heat. At bark:30 pan it and take to tenderness and serve with juice collected in the pan.
Stick it in the freezer and then start smoking it at just above frozen 34F /1c. Cook 225F until it hits 145f or has taken on some good color. Wrap tight in foil with some juice/stock/whatever you have. Crank the pit up to 325 -350f and spank it all the way home to 203F. You can add bacon if you like or some other fat is ok. My 2 cents
That piece is to small for smoking, there is no fat on it or in it.. It was meant for a small Jewish grandmother to make Sunday dinner with vegetables and a long braise in the oven. LOL Do you even know what grade of meat it is. If it is not at least choice forget the grill. If you insist on smoking it add smoke for two hours at 225 wrap in foil with your favorite liquid and vegetables, take the grill up to 300 and braise for another 3 hours or until tender.
Retired, living in Western Mass. Enjoy music, cooking and my family.
Current cookers Weber Spirit 3 burner with a full insert griddle added. A 22" Kettle with vortex, SnS and a Smokey Joe. The most recent addition is a Pit Barrel Jr with bird hanger, 4 hooks and cover. ThermoWorks Smoke 2 probe, DOT, 2 ThermoPops and a Thermapen MK4. A Thermoworks RFX Gateway 2 probe meat thermometer.
I did the mini-brisket last night. I'm going to give myself a C+. I did use the method I noted from Project Smoke. With a couple of twists. I dry brined for about 12 hours. And I used MH's Big Bad Beef Rub. That worked well as you see a nice bark. Other than that I followed the method and timing other than I left it in the cooler 2 hours rather than the suggested 1. Reason, wasn't ready to eat. I did use a probe with the smoke. It did stall at 165 and after it pushed through when at 175 (4.5 hours) I placed it in the pan and covered with foil. When it got to 200 (7 hours) I placed it in the cooler. Where I went wrong is I over smoked it. I used 2 large hickory chunks. Should have used 1 medium piece. So a bit smokey. It was a Choice cut, but from a grocery store? It was moist but not a tender as I would have liked. Was it me or the cut? I won't know till I do it again. I'll go Prime and get it from what I believe will be a more credible source.
Agree with you on the smoke, that is a small piece of meat so it doesn't need much. I smoke a full 16-18lb packer for only 4 hours. As far as the tenderness, I believe it is where you got it and the cut of meat. Even a choice center cut brisket like that should have had a nice even layer of fat over the top layer and a good layer of fat running through it. There are various levels of choice and grocery stores tend to get the lower levels. If you do get a nice prime piece with a good fat cap trim off all but 1/8-1/4 of it.
Well good luck with your next one. There is nothing better than a good piece of brisket.
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