PitCast Episode 106 - "The Brisket Round Table" Interview - May 10, 2018

[realdocBBQ]

Awesome show, absolutely loved it! I have a couple of questions, I hope ya'll will expound on it a little bit.

1. Probing. Everyone always talks about "probe tender". I get that concept, but when you wrap... do you unwrap a tiny corner to poke your thermometer, or do you just poke a random hole through the paper or foil? Do you probe at specific points? Obviously, the point will usually get softer than the flat (in my experience), do you look for BOTH the point and flat to get probe tender, or pull when the point is jiggling (the jelly-jiggle test?) or what?

2. Looking at injecting - making your own injection, I've used broth with some rub in it, maybe a little vegetable oil, but seems like a lot of guys these days are using MSG and/or phosphates. I've found MSG pretty easily on Amazon, 1 or 2 pound bags or whatever, but for the phosphates... you just using sodium phosphate powder or what? I phound PhosThis! brand on Amazon which is about $1/oz. Butcher BBQ brand is about the same, and KosmosQ version is a bit higher at around $21/lb. Any other suggestions, or is that just essentially the right stuff?

[texastweeter]

1) i use the same hole the probe is in just pull the probe out almost all the way and angel it a different direction. If it passes there, I then remove it and poke though the foil in other areas.
2) I use home made broth, salt, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, accent (MSG), and Butchers BBQ phosphate.

[bardsleyque]

I probe through the foil,my cooker is a rotisserie so I can't leave a probe in.I think I mentioned on the show I want to try butcher paper but not till I get a dispenser.

[Troutman]

This has been my experience and 2 cents worth realdocBBQ . On probing, I have been placing my briskets of late in foil pans covered with foil so I simply remove the foil and probe and temp the meat with my Thermopen. As you say I probe several places and see what the temp is. You're not always going to have each probe be ideal, it's kind of a general feel for the meat overall. I know that's somewhat of a nebulous response but it's a feel and a temping exercise that over time you get to know. There are no set rules or instructions.

As to injections different strokes for different folks. There are a lot of injection solutions on the market, Kosmo Q and Butcher's BBQ come to mind. I keep mine simple, I use beef bone broth mixed with some phosphate. Phosphate helps the walls of the protein keep moisture within the meat. MSG is another flavor enhancer you can try. Both are available on Amazon, here is the phosphate I use....

Phosphate

[JoeInTX]

Will have to listen to this soon. I have a 5 lb brisket in the freezer.

[Eugene A]

Timely that I listened to this episode. I purchased two pieces of brisket flat, and maybe I cut 'em down too small; but, I'm going to give brisket another shot later in June, AND I'm going to try corned beef for the first time.