Got a huge (16#) "packer" to smoke sometime this weekend. Although there will only be me & my wifey eating it……. for months to come, I'm looking for tips for cooking and also freezing it. Been reading on the "meat" forums and it sounds like other than your personal (seasoning) tastes, cook it until a toothpick can be pushed in easy and "resting" in foil & towels in a cooler for a few hours. I'm leaning for a simple salt, pepper, onion & garlic powder for seasoning. Cooking with fat cap up to start then flipping over at some point, 1/2 way? I'm confused about the foil or foil pan thing. I'd like to have some "juice" for later use. For the freezing part, I do have a vacuume packer. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.
Oh yeah, and about those "burnt ends" do they just happen? Gotta get my carbon credit's you know, they are delicious!
It sounds like you have it covered. Yes the burnt ends just happen if you do not wrap it in foil, if in foil you still get them, just not as crispy. You can also take some of the ends and other small pieces to mix into beans. I set the temp of the pit at 240 and when the remote thermometer reaches 200 - 203 I pull it, wrap in a towel and put it in a cooler for about 1 hour before dismantling it. I remove the fat cap, separate the point and flat, remove the fat in between them, stack them to slice (across the grain) so you get a piece of both. As far as drippings you want to capture as much as possible, it can be put in a glass and drank warm....just kidding about that but you definitely want to save all you can. Like you I vacuum seal and freeze the leftover chunks.
burnt ends come from the point end of the brisket, after you finish cooking the "packer" you separate the point from the flat and chop up the point into bite size pieces and put into a foil pan, add more seasoning and some bbq sauce and put back on the smoker for a couple more hours I am doing a 10 pound packer this weekend as well here is some good reading on brisket http://www.patiopitmasters.com/brisket.html
Alittle late here on my part, but the drippings, how do you catch them. Cook on the smoker for a few (3-4) hours then put them in a foil pan for the rest of the cook time?
Charcoal with some wood chunk's. This is only me second smoke, but the butt turned out real good. And those ABT's!!!!!! Picked up a dozen of those little green beauties today along with the cheese smokie's and bacon.
I dont worry about catching drippings as for cooking its all about the I/T (internal temp), looking for about 200 to 205 or so.got to have a good thermometer for a brisket that size probably at least 15 hours here is an easy guide that I use Remove brisket from package, rinse, pat dry, apply rub . Put into 200 degree cooker for 3 hours, fat side down, at refrigerator temperature. raise temp to 240 degrees Cook till I/T is 175 degrees Place brisket into aluminum foil pan, add 1/4 cup beef broth to bottom of pan, cover tightly with foil and put back into 240° cooker. Remove when I/T is 200 to 205° (about 2 - 2.5 hr). probe tender Remove from pan, separate point from flat, wrap flat and let rest Chop point into cubes, add more rub and some sauce, back on smoker for 1to 2 hours that looks awesome
I kinda feel like tomorow is graduation day, or getting married or something big like that. At least we don't have anyone coming over to eat! I just don't want to screw up $60 worth of meat
I overcooked the 1st one I did, my pellet grill was running hotter than I thought, i have since bought a Maverick et733 to monitor the grate temps and I/T of meat http://www.bbqequipmentstore.com/Maverick-Remote-Smoker-Thermometer-ET-733-ET-733.htm
Elder it seems that what I've read at the smoking forums that either cooking low & slow or 300* and a little shorter cook time, that they all say it's done with the toothpic test say's it's done. The other "proof" of a good cook they speak of is while bending a sliced pc. of meat, it seperates or cracks meaning that all the small connective tissue has rendered out for a good soft "chew". I'll be fine, just a little anxious and excited. I'm sure it's (smoking) one of those things that you can't "book learn" and it just takes getting a bunch of smokes under your belt and learning your smoker. Thanks for your help, and I'll take some pics. I better to see some of your's as well.
Briskets can be a little intimidating, i am still learning on how to do them briskets myself as I've only cooked 3 my pics well be on this thread http://firewoodhoardersclub.com/forums/threads/purchased-my-memorial-day-meal-today.12356/
It turned out delicious…... for my first one. Seemed to be cooked properly, not rubbery or chewey, and not dry, although it was on it's way there. I need to learn how to deal with the "point" better. I ended up "pulling" it for leftovers. I've (eating wise) have either been a pulled pork or sliced "pit" beef sandwitch guy, and most of the brisket that I've eaten has been either corned beef or pastrami. Gotta learn what good, well prepared smoked brisket should taste like. Cooking seemed to go smooth, on the smoke at 9:30 am, hit 175 I.T. in the point and it got foil wraped at this time. When the I.T's hit 205 at around 4:30, I cut off the flat and foilwrapped it with a towel and into a cooler till 6:30. The point got sliced and put into a foil pan and wraped and back on the heat until 6:30. The ABT's went on at this time also.
