Attempting injected brisket tomorrow

[nitrofish420]

I've got a 6lb flat going on the WSM tomorrow, and I'm trying a simple injection. I've never really been satisfied with briskets I've cooked before, so I thought I'd give it a shot.

1/2C apple juice
1/2C Worcestershire
1/2C water
2T TX BBQ rub (#1)
1t olive oil

I dunno, I just sorta threw it together. Rubbed down with Brisket Blend afterwards, and in the fridge it sits till tomorrow morning. Wish me luck!

[HFD26]

Good luck. I have never injected a brisket because they don't need it. Injecting brisket adds an odd flavor. If you smoke it low and slow using Bill's method you will get the true taste of tender smoked beef brisket.

[PitBull]

I've never injected a brisket either and with a couple of recent exceptions (new pit) they've been great. What about your briskets don't you like? If you tell us, maybe we can suggest something. HFD26 is right about Bill's method, except I do it fat side up. D'oh, here we go again. :lol:

[nitrofish420]

Well, I've cooked about 4 of them. The first one came out the best I think, but it was a tad on the dry side. The second was pretty tender and juicy, but kinda bland. The last one I did was pretty dry and chewy. Tasted great, but bad texture. This time I found a flat in cryovac with the fat cap intact on it, so maybe that'll help. The previous ones were butcher-packaged and well trimmed. I'm cooking fat side up on my WSM.

For internal temps, I've pulled them off at 195, 200, and 205 twice I think. I could always get a fork to slide in and out with almost no resistance. Is there anything else I could/should be doing?

[Texana]

Well, I've cooked about 4 of them. The first one came out the best I think, but it was a tad on the dry side. The second was pretty tender and juicy, but kinda bland. The last one I did was pretty dry and chewy. Tasted great, but bad texture. This time I found a flat in cryovac with the fat cap intact on it, so maybe that'll help. The previous ones were butcher-packaged and well trimmed. I'm cooking fat side up on my WSM.

For internal temps, I've pulled them off at 195, 200, and 205 twice I think. I could always get a fork to slide in and out with almost no resistance. Is there anything else I could/should be doing?

Cook fat side down .. this will put a buffer between the meat and the heat and give you outstanding results.

[HFD26]

First of all start with a whole packer brisket. You don't want a brisket with the fat trimmed off. Rinse it off with cool water and pat it dry. Wet it down with Lea & Perrins worcestershire sauce. Rub the brisket down until the rub turns into a paste. Place a remote thermometer into the thickest part of the flat so that you can monitor the meat temp without opening the pit. Keep your pit temp between 230 and 250. Place the meat on the pit. Fat side up or down, it's your choice. I do fat side down because there have been times when the meat side has dried out and became hard and stringy. Don't open the pit if you can avoid it. When your meat reaches an internal temp, of 165 wrap it in heavy duty foil and put it back on the pit. Continue cooking until the meat reaches 195 and remove it from the pit. Place it in a ice chest for about an hour. After an hour remove it and open the foil and let the brisket rest for about another hour. Trim most of the fat off and slice against the grain. Good Luck.

[nitrofish420]

First of all start with a whole packer brisket. You don't want a brisket with the fat trimmed off. Rinse it off with cool water and pat it dry. Wet it down with Lea & Perrins worcestershire sauce. Rub the brisket down until the rub turns into a paste. Place a remote thermometer into the thickest part of the flat so that you can monitor the meat temp without opening the pit. Keep your pit temp between 230 and 250. Place the meat on the pit. Fat side up or down, it's your choice. I do fat side down because there have been times when the meat side has dried out and became hard and stringy. Don't open the pit if you can avoid it. When your meat reaches an internal temp, of 165 wrap it in heavy duty foil and put it back on the pit. Continue cooking until the meat reaches 195 and remove it from the pit. Place it in a ice chest for about an hour. After an hour remove it and open the foil and let the brisket rest for about another hour. Trim most of the fat off and slicw against the grain. Good Luck.


That's pretty much my routine. With the exception of foiling, I'm gonna try that today. Only this one and the last one had Brisket Blend on them though. Whole packers seem to be hard to come by around here, or I'm looking in the wrong places. This is the first flat I've found with the fat intact, so hopefully that helps. I'm cooking fat side up, since the airflow in a WSM would seem to put more heat at the top. I'm using the water pan filled with mostly water and one beer. The lower grate has lower temps than the higher, so my logic tells me to put the fat up.

This "brisket" fellow seems to elude me. I've made some damn good butts and ribs and tenderloins with TX BBQ rubs, but the brisket seems more finicky than pork products. A couple of times, I'd cover the trimmed flat with bacon for more moisture and fat. The first time, it worked pretty good, but the last time I tried it, I got pot roast. I'm hoping that hard, white fat does some good on this cut. Worst case scenario, I'm making a couple sasusage fatties stuffed with aged English cheddar, so there's a good backup for dinner!

[Papa Tom]

Well you're right about briskets being harder to do than pork, but they ain't that tough. Bill's method works I don't see any reason to deviate until you are satisfied with consistent results then make changes. Make sure temps are correct but with a water pan they should stay low enough. I know lots of folks have switched over to sand in the pan but since I don't have a WSM I can't give any detail on that. Foil as directed and adding a little liquid sure won't hurt, beef broth, beer, some folks add fruit juice but I believe Bill's mix gives brisket all the sweet it needs.

[nitrofish420]

I think I finally made a winner! It came out really good, tender and tasty!

[TexLaw]

Congratulations!


TL

[Papa Tom]

Cheers Nitro good to hear....:cheers: