Brisket flat turned out sub par. Once cooled definitely resembled jerky more than brisket. Followed standard practice of smoking at 225, wrapping once it hit around 160 and poured fat that I trimmed off on it. Increased temp to 250, smoked till it hit 200 then pulled and rested in a cooler. Where did I go wrong?
by gronkygronk69
34 Comments
Well, one obviously didn’t do their homework.
These BBQ & Smoking subs are a goldmine of free knowledge and pitfall avoidance. But one actually has to put forth the strenuous effort to scroll up or type some relevant phraseology into the search bar…
Brisket flats are finicky and difficult to cook. Did you allow the flat to cool before putting in the cooler did you go straight to the cooker hold? If you do that it’ll keep cooking and dry out
I mean it doesn’t look bad to me. I still never understand why people just cook the flat it is always going to be a bit dry but for me personally it’s just a whole packer or nothing
Looks like a cheap select grade brisket.
Bruh, u need to pull it when it gets into the 190s and start probing it to check for it being done. 200 on a lean flat is usually overdone.
One thing I can see is that once you take on BBQ it needs to rest on counter to stop the cooking before wrapping and putting in cooler.
I’m sorry…
My brisket ain’t perfect, but you can also go wayyyyy heavier on the seasoning. Basically don’t want to see the meat any more. Grade of meat matters a lot more than you’d think too.
So unfortunately when Costco cuts it’s flat separately they usually trim a decent amount of fat from it also. Most of the time when just smoking the flat I’d make corned beef or pastrami and not like a full brisket. It also looks as though you wrapped before you had a decent set bark, personally I stick to a full brisket rather than just the most lean part of the cut.
Ive purchased the flat before from Costco. I butchered it so badly just threw it away. Anyone on this thread have some insight on how to cook it?
Was it probe tender when you pulled it?
I know this is a sensitive topic, but your grill looks very clean and perhaps electric powered.
The tradition of brisket is very simple and basic but wood and fire is time consuming and trial and error. Pellet grills and “set it and forget it” may equal the tradition if perfected. But it is the journey that males the destination.
I tried a flat alone and miserably failed even though I treated it the same as any of my other cooks. All the recipes ive seen of people doing flats along with success involve babying it with tona of tallow, injections, and more or less braising it at the end in a pan, which I cant imagine doesnt turn it pot-roasty. I honestly dont think there are any fool proof ways to get a brisket flat to cook well on its own unless the cut has a crazy amount intramuscular fat.
Flats on their own are a bitch. I’d recommend just injecting next time. Theres just not enough fat in the muscle to keep it moist.
I’m not sure what temp you wrapped at but the common advice to wrap at 165 is usually never enough for good bark formation to me. I honestly don’t know how people are wrapping at that temp and getting decent bark. Sometimes I’ll go to 180 before wrapping. Foil boat is also worth a try.
Most do. It’s the chicken breast of BBQ and beef
Its the quality of the meat the method was correct. Also flats have very little marbling. Especially below prime or wagyu they’re gonna be really lean.
If it’s chewy like jerky then it did not over cook. You undercooked it. If you over cook a brisket it crumbles when you slice it will not hold together.
You might get lucky here and there cooking to temp but that’s not a repeatable process unless you are active holding for 8 hours after it comes off the cooker. Figure out that probe tender feel. I like to think is like probing peanut butter. Barely any resistance when you pull the probe out.
For flats I ditch any thought of bark in favor of tenderness. You wrap early and and start probing around 190-195. Do NOT take it off the cooker until it’s tender. Believe me… overcooked is so much better than under. This is not a steak. Cook until you think it might be way too long.
If I smoke just a flat I’ll use Meat Church’s beef injection during the prep
Going forward, my advice for newbies will be, never start with a flat. They are so hard to get the combination of good bark and juicy
If it’s just the flat, it probably didn’t need to be cooked all the way to 200. Next time start probing earlier and let it carry over and rest.
Okay, there’s no hard fast rules. I honestly believe it depends on the fat content of the meat your cooking. I think yours didn’t have a whole lot of fat in it. I think you cooked it like everyone recommends as if it did have a lot of fat content. There’s such thing of a shake/wiggle method that could come in handy. Basically shaking the meat when you periodically check the meat. When it’s jiggly, it’s time to remove.
One thing I’m not seeing be commented on, where’s the rub at? Don’t be shy with the rub
What elevation are you at? Looks dry. Ive started pulling at 195ish at 3000 ft. Probe tender is the key, not temp.
Kept cooking. Let it rest a little before cooler
Pic 3 looks like what my last girlfriend left me for.
Perfect for some chili con carne
I mean to me it looks like it didn’t go long enough. When I see distinct lines going through the slice like the flat here it usually indicates the fat wasn’t rendered enough. I take flats only to probe tender but that usually ends being ~204-205ish
Pull and wrap at 180-190 (or wwhen the bark sets) and keep in an over for 6-10 hours at 160.
Did you spritz? And how long did you let it rest? Personally for flats, I like to spritz with apple cider vinegar and water mix every half hour and then wrap with aluminum foil around 150 and then put it in the oven until it reaches 205. Aluminum foil will keep it tender but will soften the bark a bit. It’s kind of a trade-off with flats. And don’t worry your next cook will be better.
I also learned the hard way the brisket flat by itself is a recipe for failure .
Few things. No bark. No counter rest. Stop cooking under 250. It goes by feel and not temp PROBE TENDER
Flats alone tend to dry out and each hunk of meat is different. Probably needed to wrap much earlier than you would a full packer, which is what you should try cooking next time. BBQ is a journey, try something, learn from mistakes, try again.
It is nice to see someone cooking with a clean smoker/grate.