Just picked up a brisket @ my local Wal-Mart. This is something Ive never done, and to be honest, always kinda avoided.



Priced one earlier this week at a local butcher shop @ $6.50 a pound. Plus they had to order it in. While in my local Wal-Mart this morning I figured I'd do a quick looksee at their meat counter, and when I discovered this baby at dang near half the price I was quoted earlier in the week it seemed like a no brainer to me!





Yep, it's official ... I'm about to pull up my BIG BOY pants and be running with the Big Dogs!

..... Im open to any suggestions

Use the dry rub of your choice and set in fridge overnight. Get your egg to 225 and put it in with whatever smoking wood you like. When temp stalls about 150-160, pull it and wrap like ribs, let it go till it hits 200-205. Let it rest for half hour or more and then enjoy. Should be about a twelve hour ride.

Post up pics.
Good luck.

If a flat wrap it, if a packer no wrap. RB I bought one of those high $$ briskets from a butcher shop and in reality the el cheapo I got at the local grocery store was better.

Not to sound too stupid but I gotta be honest ... I know nothing about brisket. How do I know if it's a flat or packer? Also, what grade it is? Also, what are you guys using your leftovers for? I was thinking about putting whatever is leftover into a chili.

A whole 12 lb packer is more than enough for several meals. Since it is just my wife and I we have a great meal then let it cool , cut it into a couple pieces, vac seal and freeze for later.

A aacker has the point and the flat. You will pay more per pound for a flat. That looks like a whole or packer to me.

Grade doesn't matter to me..worst brisker I had was a sub prime. Yours is most likely a choice or select.

It has "USDA Select" stamped on package in several places

It will be fine. Pretty much a standard store grade. Just put it on like Sean said and cook it. I used Dizzy Pig Cowlick rub and cooked mine for 13 hours at 225� F. I put some apple wood chunks in this time and it was great!

That's a "packer". Full size cryopac. Points and flats are half that size. Just look at your pic, the "pointy" end is the point, and is one muscle on top of another. The flat is just that. Select grade is just fine, if you start doing a hundred or more a year you can look for one from the left side of the steer. I kid you not, competition guys will go to that much trouble because cows apparently lay on that side and use the right side muscles to stand up.
As to left overs, sandwiches, tacos, hash, breakfast, etc.
Want my addy? I will properly dispose of it if need be.

It's a packer alright.

Nothin' to a brisket. They're a crowd pleaser too.



Travis

I've ate lotsa brisket ... just never done one up myself. Just always seemed like the holy grail, so to speak, in the outdoor cooking world to me. Im good and ready for the challenge. Thanks for your info fellas!

Do you guys think Im fine keeping it in the fridge until this coming weekend? I hate to freeze the thing! A during the week cook is outta the question for this workin man.

I cook mine at 250, but it's completely up to you. I also like oak or pecan on brisket as it's a tad stronger than the fruit woods and the beef can hold up to it. Throw a small chunk of cherry in to help give a nice color to the bark. I don't wrap my packers, but I do separate the point from the flat once the flat hits 205 and the Thermapen goes in like butter.

I cut the point into cubes for burnt ends, put them in a pan with a little beef broth and they go back on the cooker until they are bbq marshmellows.

Mike

Know a guy that does competition and he looks for the left side.

I did my first a while ago, little scary but worked out just fine. I vac sealed and froze leftovers. No problem.

According to the date on it I would just refrigerate it.

+1

here is some reading bobby......20079 pages from the best of the best = http://www.bbqsearch.com/bbqboard/results.asp?searchstring=Brisket%20 >> I've taken many a #1 with my briskets.....thing is I've also taken 2,3,4th ...and dead last to ,so what do I know !

Well, today is "the day". Got up this morning and grabbed that packer out of the fridge and cut it open, rinsed & patted dry, and began trimming.

Here it is Fat Side Up after my trimming



Here it is Meat Side Up after my trimming



I decided to use Worcestershire sauce for my bonding agent when applying my rub. I made a homemade rub that consisted mainly of fresh ground black peppercorn and sea salt, but also used both brown and white sugar along with a bit of granulated garlic and a pinch of paprika and cinnamon. Just kinda threw something together. Rubbed it down and wrapped it back up in some Cling Wrap and back into the fridge it went.



I'm planning to put this packer on the Egg around 9 or 10 o'clock this evening. Im going to set it up @ 225 degrees and use Pecan and a little Cherry for extra smoke.

Now the big question ..... Fat Side up or down??? I'm leaning to Fat Side down and it's probably what I'll run with. We'll see!

Fat up I'm thinking.

Brisket is my next conquest, I'll take as much info as you can provide.

I'll be watching here.

How long of a cook time you expecting?

Im hoping for a 10 to 12 hour cook but will deal with whatever it throws at me.
Also, since I'm doing it over night I'm doubting I will foil it at all. Prolly set the Pitmaster and insert meat probe and close lid and walk away type thing. Wake up in morning and pray like hell it's not over cooked.

Fat up but I never trim it off like that. Always depends on temp but mine always take longer than 10-12 hours. I don't foil.

Egg is lit, PitMaster plugged in, and brisket currently coming up to room temperature! Brisket is going on in about half an hour. It's sink or swim time!

Good luck.

Thanks! After seeing your post, Im thinking that I may be waaaay over thinking this.

Either method will work just take it until it is probe tender as BOWHUNR suggested and it will be good.

She's on and I don't plan on opening the lid until my Food Alarm rings on my PitMaster

how long........ between fridge......... and smoker......... is key here....

looking forward to its done.....but I'll be off moose hunting ...will check in Monday late.. .... or early

Only time I enjoy my backyard neighbors is when I have a brisket or pork roast on at sunrise!

Looks like you put that fat cap down. Good choice. You need to remember that when cooking on an egg your heat source comes from below so use that fat cap to protect your meat. Beef fat does not render like pork fat so you get little if any benefit from it.

Mike

Just getting up and going around here this morning. Went down to the garage to check on the Egg and this is what I found after 10 hours into the cook:

Pit Temp



.... pegged on 225. Right where it was set!

Food Temp



.... still have not lifted the lid to peek. I have my Food Alarm set for 195 degrees. Figured I'd try probing it then for checking it's tenderness. Or should I maybe check it before that? I have lots of moisture/condensation dripping from bottom vent so I'm hopeful that this thing will not be dry.


I'm going to just keep riding this thing out. If we can't eat brisket for lunch, we'll eat brisket for dinner.

I want to tell all my Fire cooking friends, if you don't have a Temp Controller for your low & slow cooks .... you have gotta get one. RIGHT NOW! Seriously, it makes an all-nighter so dang simple. I caught a lot of flack about how ugly my PitMaster is but it just plain works! Not saying the others don't; I only have experience with mine. It is always pegged exactly on the temp I set it. It just amazes the heck outta me that a charcoal cooker can hold such a constant, steady temperature @ these long lengths of time. Pretty cool! My controller is so simple to use too. If you don't have one ... get one!

Just pulled the brisket! It was roughly a 13 and a half hour ride in the Egg from start to finish; and that's hitting 195 degrees IT according to my food probe on my PitMaster. I decided to mix up some beef broth (probably not necessary) and dump it over the brisket while foiling. Really wanting this thing to be moist!

Here it is right before the wrap job. You're looking at the fat side which I placed down on the grill. Other side had a little more bark with a bit darker color to it.



Placed it in my trusty Coleman and wrapped with a bunch of heavy towels to fill up all void space.

Here she is all FTC'd.






Now, when do I pull it and slice this sucker open?

was the meat like jello/done ???? its going to keep cooking in the cooler...watch out!! I would pull from cooler and rest in a foil pan ...inside a sleeping bag set up ... surf trhe web on "resting meat " ...as in the cooler u are still cooking....

It felt pretty firm. It didn't want to break apart or anything when I handled it. Kinda why I decided to set my Food Alarm for 195 to allow for a good rest period while FTC'd. I notice lots of folks cook them to 205 IT. I plan to go about an hour and half or so this way ... then it's chow time. Who knows??? Might be a total disaster!

Looks good in the picture. How was it?

..... lotsa room for improvement. I'm probably my biggest critic though.

Point was very tasty & moist! Flat .... not so much. It dried out on me. Makes me wonder if I should try foiling during my cook next time. Also, it had good flavor but there wasn't much of a visible smoke ring. I put a pretty fair amount of smoke wood and chips in before the cook and that has me kind of puzzled. I've always gotten good smoke rings with my cooks on the Egg up to this point. Oh well! Guess I'll have to try another one. Lol!

Anyway, good or bad I need to produce a money shot soooo here you all go! Happy Egging!

Looks pretty good. Foil are butcher paper will help retain moisture and shorten cook time.

I have done a few briskets on my Bubba Keg and never get a smoke ring like I do with a stick burner or pellet grill.

Sorry didn't read the whole thread but if you have dry brisket, try injecting first with beef broth/stock. I can do a hot and fast brisket and it never is dried out if I inject first.