Smoked Brisket (May 24th, 2009)

Smoke Date: May 24th 2009 (Memorial Day Weekend)
Smoke Time: 7:40 p.m. -11:15 a.m. (16.42 hrs) (1.27 hrs/pretrim lb)
Smoker: Weber Smoky Mountain 22 1/2"
Fuel: Kingsford Competition Briquets
Smoke Wood: Hickory Chunks
Target Smoker Temperature: 250 degrees
Brisket Brand: Certified Angus Beef
Brisket weight: 12.92 lbs
Techniques used: Injection/Mustard Slather/Rub/Pan w/Rack @ 5 hr
Weather: 80 degrees & slightly breezy


Introduction

As stated in the "About Me" section of this blog, I am searching for the perfect barbecue. For competition reasons this mainly includes beef brisket, pork spare ribs, and chicken halves. This is due to the IBCA sanctioned contest rules. In this post I will be writing about my first brisket that I have cooked since seriously considering competing. It is also the first brisket that I have cooked on my new WSM smoker. Now, I must be honest, brisket is my passion. I love to cook brisket and I love to eat it even more. In fact, that is usually how I judge if a barbecue joint is worth a second visit. Well, brisket and ribs. If it has great brisket and/or ribs, I will be back. Since I have become more serious about my barbeque, I have been trying and critiquing different places, well, my wife and I. She also helps with the critiquing, and she can be harsh. Not just with other peoples food but with my own! But, with that said, when she tasted this brisket, she just kept saying "wow" and she said that this was my best brisket yet! So, let us get on with it. The following Recipe is my "current" way of smoking a brisket. The reason that I say current is that there are a ton of different techniques, rubs, marinades, and so on, and I am still trying to find that competition worthy recipe. Is this one worthy? Well, so far this is my best, so until I come up with a better recipe, this is it.


How I Smoked the Brisket


Step 1: Meat Selection

This is a step that I did not pay much attention to when I first started. Sometimes I lucked out and chose a decent piece of meat, other times I got a big ol' tough clump of cow. Something that I have learned through reading and experience is that not all meat is created equal. I can go on and on about selecting meat, but I will try to keep it short and to the point.
I have recently read in several books and forum threads about a particular brand of meat, Certified Angus Beef. They went on and on about how great it was. So, one day I was checking out the meat section in a Kroger's Signature grocery store, like I usually do (I can't help it, it is a sickness) and I noticed that they had their briskets on sale for $.99/lb. So, I started digging through them and I noticed that they carried different brands, mainly Rancher, but a couple of others too. Then, to my surprise, there it was. A nice 13 lb Certified Angus Beef choice brisket. Beautiful. Thick blade, nice white fat cap. Nice marbling and a nice pinkish red color. "I can't believe it!" I thought to myself. Then I thought, "I am such a dork" Then I threw it in the grocery cart and made my way to register. While in line, the guy in front of me kept staring at my brisket and finally said "that is one big piece of meat". I just looked at him with a slight grin and proudly replied "yes it is!" Then I gave the cashier my loyalty card, payed, and giggled the whole way out the door. Don't ask me why. I guess I was like a kid in a candy store, except my candy weighed 13 lbs. I am not sure if Certified Angus Beef is the best brand, but it sure made for a great end result. So, for now on when I am hunting for the perfect brisket, I will shoot for a 12 - 14 pound Certified Angus Beef choice whole packer with a nice rich pink or cherry color and even marbling. I am also looking for a thick blade (flat) with a good white fat cap. If I can't find a CAB, I will just try to find the best looking choice brisket.



Step 2: Aging

Some people may be apprehensive about aging their brisket, afraid of spoiling a good piece of meat. Well, if done correctly, aging is both easy and safe. Since the brisket was still in its original cryovack packaging and the seal was not broken, I was able to age it. The package clinged to the meat and there was not any air or large bubbles of air in the package. Next, I kept the brisket in my refrigerator at around 34 degrees. It helps that the fridge that you keep the brisket in does not have much traffic. Not very many people have a spare fridge to store their brisket, nor do I (yet), so I kept mine in my normal fridge and it seemed to be just fine. I aged mine for about two weeks, but I am not sure how long it was aged before I bought it. I have read where someone ages theirs up to 60 days after the packaging date, but it is more normal to go 30 to 45 days after. This is why it is important to know the pack date if possible. This date is printed on the box that the brisket comes in. As the brisket aged, I noticed a few tiny bubbles start to appear, this is normal, as long as the bubbles are small pin size not large bubbles as if the packaging seal broke. If the seal did break I would have went ahead and cooked the meat. I feel that the aging process made a huge difference in the tenderness of the brisket, so if time permits, I will keep aging my meat.

Step 3: Trimming

When researching "prepping a brisket" you will find people who do not trim at all, people who will go as far as to separate the point from the flat, and then you have the people in between, such as me, who will trim as much fat as possible while still leaving the point intact and a 1/8" to 1/4" fat cap on one side. I feel that the smoke and rub will penetrate better if it does not have so much fat to go through. 1/8" should be plenty thick enough to keep the brisket moist and add flavor. Of course, just like everything else in this post, this is just my opinion. You will have to practice and find what works best for you.

I usually start by trimming as much fat as I can from the side that does not have the fat cap. After that, I cut a "v" out of the fat vein that separates the point from the flat. This way I remove some of the extra fat but not enough so that the point separates from the flat. Next I remove all but about 1/8" from the sides and the fat cap. If you accidental cut into the meat, don't worry, you will be o.k. You will get better as you gain experience. Heck, I still cut into the meat, but it does not seem to effect the outcome. Once all of the unwanted fat has been removed, I score the fat cap to allow for better penetration of smoke and seasoning. I usually make a 1" by 1" square pattern (approximate, but sometimes I get in a hurry and they are not so even), this also comes in handy if you are going to inject your meat with a brine or marinade, you will see what I mean later. Also some people will tenderize their brisket with a Jaccard Tenderizer. They usually hit it before applying the rub and then again after applying the rub to get it down into the meat.


Here are some different resources on preparing and smoking a Brisket:

Virtual Brisket
Prepping using a Jaccard Meat Tenderizer
Virtual Weber Bullet Brisket Selection & Preparation

Step 4: Injecting

There is a lot of people that do not inject their brisket. As for me, I do. I feel that it adds more flavor. In fact, this is why I do it. Not to tenderize or moisten the meat (if the brisket is prepared and smoked properly you shouldn't have this problem), just to add "flava". I also try to stay away from flavors that do not compliment beef. Some people add some crazy things to their injection liquid, but my goal is to keep it simple and compliment the beef flavor, not over power it. First off, you want to make this "flava brew" far enough ahead so that it has time to cool.

Injecting Liquid:

4 Cups beef broth
1 package Au Jus Gravy mix
1/4 cup soy Sauce
1/4 cup of Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp hot sauce (I used Frank's, but you can use your favorite)

I brought the beef broth to a boil and stirred in the au jus mix. I then took the broth off of the heat and mixed in the rest of the ingredients. Then I put the liquid in a bowl with a lid and placed it in the fridge to cool. After the magic concoction had cooled, I set aside 1 cup for the mop sauce.

To inject I layed cling wrap over a large broiling pan (disposable pans work perfect) Next I placed the brisket, fat cap up, on top of the cling wrap in a pan (note if the brisket is small enough I use a Jumbo size storage bag, I just open this inside a pan so that I do not make a mess). I injected the brisket on a 1" grid, this is where the scored pattern comes in handy. (I injected where the two scored lines intersected). I Made sure that I pulled the needle out slowly as I injected the meat, keeping an even flow of juices. If there is a spot that is not scored such as where there is no fat, I still injected that area every 1".

After I finished injecting the brisket, I poured the rest of the liquid over the brisket and folded the excess cling wrap over the brisket, sealing it well and pushing out any air that may form under the plastic wrap. If I was using a large storage bag, I would zip it up, pushing the air out as I went. I still left the wrapped brisket in the pan because it can, and did, leak. I usually let my brisket soak over night, but I will go as far as two days (this one actually soaked for two days).

There are tons of marinade and brine recipes out there, so I will keep experimenting. With that said, I am careful with what I inject. I try not to use a recipe with a high acid content because this may make the meat mushy. Also beware that some marinades, especially dark colored, will stain your meat. When you slice it, you will see where the needle penetrated leaving a trail of colored flavor. This is not appealing to the eye. My liquid has a dark color, but it does not stain the meat. I have also noticed that injections with powdered spices in it such as chili powder, will leave a trail, my guess is that it does not soak into the meat well. Not sure? You may find this not to be true in your case, but this has been my experience so I stick to only liquid in my injections.



Step 5: Mustard Slather

I feel that this step helps create a good crust. When the brisket is done, you will not taste the mustard, so if you do not like the taste of mustard then do not worry, the taste will go away. Some people pass this step and some people will use something completely different. Then you have people who create complicated blends of mustard and other seasonings. If you read Paul Kirk's book "Championship Barbecue" he has a whole chapter dedicated to mustard slathers, as well as rubs, marinades, and brines. As for me, I just use plain ol' mustard. What ever I have in the fridge. If you choice to skip the injection part, then you may benefit more from a complex mixture. Or, if you just want to add more flavor, go ahead, experiment.

Mustard Slather:

Plain ol' Yellow Mustard

Next time I may try rubbing with Worcestershire sauce instead, or a combination of the two.

To apply the slather, I removed the brisket from the broth liquid and dried thoroughly. I just squeezed over the brisket and rub in thoroughly. I did this to both sides of the brisket.

Now that I have slathered my brisket, I am ready to season with my rub.



Step 6: Barbeque Rub

A rub can be any thing from salt and pepper to a blend of 20 different spices and herbs. This is where you add your personality. If you are a beef purist, then you might just want to add a little salt and pepper. If you want a little spice in your life, then a good mixture of chiles and maybe some cumin will do the job. Did I mention sweet? Oh yes, add some brown sugar or maybe some pure cane sugar. Now we're talkin! The rub I used was just some left over magic dust from Mike Mills' book "Peace, Love, and Barbecue" and a few other things in the cabinet. But, since this was not my most favorite concoction, I am going to give you a brisket rub that I have used in the past that was better, but feel free to adjust it to your liking, or go out and search for your own rub. Also, don't be afraid to substitute ingredients, if there is an ingredient that you can't stand, then leave it out or replace it. For example, I do not like star anise, it tastes like licorice.........and I hate licorice, no, hate is not the right word, maybe despise. In fact, when I eat assorted candy that has licorice flavor mixed in and I accidentally stick one in my mouth......it really ticks me off, it's like stumping your toe on a piece of furniture in the middle of the night while getting up to use the bathroom. You just want to scream profanities into the air while jumping up and down. Yep, don't speak to me for at least an hour after I have eaten a piece of licorice........or stumped my toe. So, if you feel this strongly about a spice or herb, then, by all means, leave it out. You may also choose to use a store bought rub, hey, go ahead, knock yourself out. There are no rules that you must make your own rub, I just get the satisfaction from creating a delicious coating for my smoked meat. Another tip is to use the freshest and best quality spice that you can find. If you have a dehydrator, then you can make your own onion or garlic powder. It makes a difference!

Beef Rub:

4 tbsp paprika
2 1/2 tbsp kosher salt (if you are able, grind this down a bit finer in a spice or coffee grinder)
2 tbsp turbinado sugar (raw cane sugar, this also has a higher burn tolerance)
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp granulated garlic powder
2 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp black pepper (fresh, course ground or cracked)
2 tbsp cumin powder
2 tsp cayenne pepper (this can be adjusted for your heat preference)
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp dried oregano

I Blended all of the ingredients together and sprinkled liberally over the brisket. Yes, I said sprinkle, not rub. I have read where some people believe that if you "rub" it clogs the pores and does not allow for a good penetration of smoke and seasoning. I am not sure if this is true, but World BBQ Champions such as Mike Mills and Paul Kirk speak against actually rubbing in their books. Ever since I read their books I tried to avoid rubbing the seasoning mixture into my meat. Some people disagree with this, so if you feel the urge, then go ahead, I won't stop you.
Now that my brisket is "rubbed", I could either let it marinade over night to two days or just go ahead and throw it on the smoker. Since I injected my brisket, I will put it back in the fridge just until I get my smoker up to temperature. I do not leave it out to come to room temperature because I have read that you will get a better smoke ring because the nitrogen dioxide that causes the smoke ring will only form while the meat temperature is below 140 degrees. So, if this is true, then I try to keep it below 140 as long as possible. Why? Well, because even though a smoke ring has no effect on flavor, it is visually appealing.




Step 7: Barbeque Mop

A mopping sauce is used to help keep the brisket moist as well as add some extra flavor. It gets its name from the actual mop that pit masters use to sop their large amounts of meat. You can actually buy a miniature mop to baste your meat, which works really well. You can also use a basting brush or turkey baster. In fact, a turkey baster would be more efficient for the application that I use. I placed a cooling rack inside a disposable pan (you could also use a broiling pan) and put my brisket in that after about 5 hrs on the smoker, so that the crust had time to set (next time I may put the brisket in the pan in the beginning and maybe wrap it in foil after the meat temp has reached 165 degrees). I poured the mopping sauce inside the pan. So, what I ended up with was an extra barrier between the heat source and my brisket and the cooling rack kept the brisket up out of the liquid so a good crust was formed. The drippings from the brisket was captured by the pan and when I mopped the brisket, I just dipped my brush into the juices and basted the brisket. (I did not do this, but this step is often done in competitions to help moisten the slices, it would also help out at home as well: When it was done, I could have poured the juices into a bowl, threw it in the fridge and waited for the fat to solidify and float to the top. Then, scrape it out and I would have been left with a good juice to pour back over the brisket after slicing.)

Mopping Sauce:

1 cup injecting marinade (the cup that you saved from above)
1 cup apple juice
1 cup beer (a strong beer works best)

I mixed the ingredients and poured into the pan. I kept the liquid below the rack. Also, I waited about 5 hours before I placed the brisket in the pan and started basting (so that a crust could form onto my brisket). I hit my brisket with a sprinkle or two of rub to replenish any that may have been washed off. I done this about every other time that I mop my brisket.




Step 8: Get the Smoker Started

How you prepare your smoker depends on the type of smoker that you have. Basically you just need to create an indirect heat. So, if all you have is a small kettle grill, then just build a fire one end and place a water pan on the other. If you have a single chamber barrel grill, then just do the same thing. If all you have is a gas grill, then light one burner and place the meat on the other side. You will need to place wood chips in a foil pouch or smoking box to get a smoke flavor. If you have an offset or water smoker then you will just build a fire in the charcoal chamber. I know that this general and non-descriptive, but you really need to do the research to find how other people are smoking using your type of cooker. Just google the name or type of your cooker along with smoking and see what you can come up with.

I used my new Weber Smoky Mountain (WSM) 22 1/2" smoker, so I used a charcoal base with hickory chunks for flavor. In fact I tried Kingsford's Competition Briquets for the first time. They are 100% all natural and burn hotter and create less ash than the normal briquets. They did burn hot and created less ash, but they did not burn as long as the normal briquets. Also, they are expensive. I think that I will stick to using lump charcoal. I love hickory, so that is what I used for the smoke source. I just used hickory chunks that I bought at Wal-mart. The next time that I smoke a brisket, I think that I am going to try pecan. I also enjoy apple, cherry, and oak.

I used the Minion Method for creating my fire. I dumped a bag of unlit Kingsford Charcoal in the charcoal ring along with several wood chunks skattered throughout the charcoal. Then I lit 3/4 full of my Weber Charcoal Chimney and scattered this on top of the unlit. I then assemble my smoker and filled my water pan and put the lid on. After the temperature reached 300 degrees, I put the brisket on and closed the inlet dampers down to about half open. I think that I lit too much charcoal to start because I had a hard time bringing down the temperature. I ended up closing the inlet dampers all the way and the temps finally came down. The temperature stayed close to 250 degrees through the entire smoke. There were times that it spiked up to 275/300 degrees, but it did not last long. Also the temps dropped down to 200 degrees a few times. All in all, it averaged around 250 degrees and the finished product was great, so I guess I can say my first long smoke on my WSM was a success. I did learn a lot and with more practice I should be able to keep a more consistent temperature.



Step 9: Smoking the Brisket

Like I said above, once the temperature reached 300 degrees, I placed the brisket in the smoker, fat cap down. I also put a couple of turkey legs on with the brisket, for a bit of a snack. Hey, I can't help it, cooking brisket makes me hungry. I left the brisket alone for about 5 hours. After 5 hours, I placed the brisket, fat cap down in the pan with the mop. I then brushed a little on top and shut the lid. I checked on the temperature of the smoker every 30 minutes to make sure the temperature stayed close to 250 degrees. I checked the brisket temperature every hour or two until it got close to 185 degrees, then I checked it every 30 minutes or so. I was mainly checking for tenderness rather than internal temperature. The temperature is just a guide, the brisket is done whet it's done (when I stick the probe of the thermometer into the side of the thickest part of the flat and it goes in and out easily, "like butta!"). Some people will wrap the brisket in a double layer of foil when the internal temperature of the brisket is 165 degrees. This helps keep the brisket from drying out and speeds up the cooking process, you could also ramp the temperature up to 300 degrees or put the brisket in the oven after wrapping. Once the brisket "gave up the ghost" or was tender, I wrapped it in foil and put it in an insulated cooler and let it sit for about 4 hrs.




Step 10: Slicing the Brisket

When the brisket was ready to serve, I took it out of the cooler, unwrapped it and let it sit on the cutting board for about 10 to 15 minutes. If the brisket was fresh out of the smoker, I would have waited closer to 30 minutes, but since it was in the cooler for about 4 hours, the brisket had cooled a bit. Of course, with that said, it was still good and warm. After the brisket rested, I started by separating the point from the flat. This was simple, since I removed a bit of the fat that separated the two muscles, it was easy to find the starting point. I just followed the fat vein through with a sharp knife until the brisket was separated. Next, I chopped the point into about 1" chunks. I could have hit these with a little more rub and threw them back on the smoker to make burnt ends, but I chose not to do so. Then, I sliced the flat against the grain, this is important to have a more tender slice. I made my slices about 1/4" thick, but I cut a few at 3/8" to 1/2" thick because I like a good thick slice. This is where me and my wife began to argue, she likes her slices thin and when she saw how thick I was slicing she, started barking....and I barked back! .........Thick! Thin! Thick! Thin! Then, I just shoved a piece of brisket in her mouth and she shut up! OK, maybe I am exaggerating a bit, but this is my story and I'm stickin to it. Also, sometimes the tenderness of the brisket determines the thickness of the slices. If the brisket turns out a little tough, then you want to slice it thinner to help make it easier to bite into. If the brisket turns out "too" tender (it wants to fall apart when you pick it up) slicing it thicker helps it stay together better (some people like their brisket this way while others consider this over cooked). I like my brisket slices to barely hold together when sliced 1/4" thick.

Well, that is how I slice my brisket, although, the next time I might try something different with the point. I will probably make some burnt ends. Also, it helps if you have a long sharp slicing knife or a decent electric knife. You will see what I mean the first time you try to slice a tender brisket with a dull knife....UUUUGLY!




Conclusion and Observations:

Well, another successful brisket smoke. Some people call brisket the Mt. Everest of meat, I feel that if you can successfully smoke a brisket then you should be able to smoke about anything. So, the fact that I survived the overnight battle with the mother of all beef and still turned out a nice juicy, tender piece of meat, I feel costitutes as a success.

But......even though, it was a successful smoke, there was a few things that I observed, both, good and bad. Such as the charcoal. I tried Kingsford Compitition briquets for the first time and basically, well, they did get the job done. They did not have an "off "smell like the regular kingsford. They pretty much had no smell. They also lit fast in the chimney. As far as burning hotter like Kingsford advertises, they do that too. In fact, I started the minion method with too many briquets and so I had a hard time bringing the temperature down. Also, I don't think that they burned as long as the typical kingsford. They did produce a lot less ash than the typical briquets. But, at the higher price, I think that I will stick to using lump charcoal. So far, the best lump that I have used is B & B, although Royal Oak is more convenient. Of course, I will use Kingsford when in a pinch, but, for now, B & B is my top choice. Also, next time, I think that I will put the brisket in the pan at the beginning so that it will catch more of the juices. I may also try wrapping the brisket in foil when the internal temperature of the brisket reaches 160 -170 degrees. Some people are against foiling while others win the American Royal using foil. Foiling is often refered to as "The Texas Crutch". Well, anyone that thinks that can kiss my Texas @#&*! OK, so now that I got that off my chest. Foil is a tool, it's not cheating, and anyone who says otherwise is just being close-minded. I can't stand it when someone starts preaching about how their way of barbeque is the only way or that it is better than everyone else's. The truth is........wait for it...........believe it or not.............THERE IS MORE THAN ONE WAY TO BARBEQUE a brisket, or ribs, or what ever else that is on your menu. If anyone ever tries to say that my way is not authentic barbeque, then I will ask to see his wooden stick with a sharpened rock on the end that he killed his dinner with, oh, by the way, where is your hole in the ground, I don't think that fancy metal smoker existed when barbeque was first invented? Barbecue has advanced since the prehistoric days, so get over it. You don't see me hitting my wife over the head with a club and dragging her back to the cave.......although the hitting the head with a club thing, I often feel like doing. OK, OK, enough already. Time to sum things up........ the brisket was great, had a decent smoke ring and great flavor. The texture was perfect and it was moist, although it could have been more moist - I could have taken the brisket off sooner, but I was sticking my thermometer probe into a hard spot in the brisket. When, I finally stuck it in the opposite side, it slid in and out like butter. But with that said, it still had a decent moisture. So, I'll keep on truckin....trying new techniques and different flavors until I find the perfect barbeque.