SMOKED BRISKET

DUB EGBERT

Cooking beef brisket has traditionally been a lesson in compromise. Nature supplies the cut with a hearty taste, so producing flavor is not difficult. The tricky part is the delicate balance between toughness and moisture - you can have one or have the other, but it is very difficult to get both in the same piece of meat.

Because the brisket is cut from a load-bearing portion of the steer, right next to the foreleg, this cut has a much higher concentration of the connective tissue protein collagen than is found in a less active section of the steer. The collagen is what makes the meat tough, but if it is cooked long enough, the connective tissue will break down into gelatin, causing the meat to become tender. Collagen begins to convert to gelatin at about 150 degrees. As the internal temperature increases beyond 150 degrees and even though the collagen is being converted to gelatin, moisture is being driven out of the brisket. As the brisket gets drier it actually starts to toughen again even though the collagen is being converted. This is true as the internal temperature rises to near 200 degrees. But at approximately 210 degrees a dramatic reversal occurs. The brisket becomes remarkably (fork) tender and the rapid increase in the gelatinization of the collagen at this temperature outpaces the loss of moister thus producing a texturally pleasing brisket. An ideal situation.

A full, untrimmed beef brisket can weigh as much as 14 pounds, of which about 10 percent is surface fat. During the cooking process the brisket will lose up to 35% of its weight and will shrink in size.

If you are not cooking a whole brisket, then chose the "point" end to BBQ. The "point" end is the thicker end and contains more ribbons of fat. Even though the "flat" end is considered the better cut, the "point" does an great job of BBQing because the ribbons of fat help keep the brisket moist during the cooking process. Generally the "point" end is not readily available at the meat counter - ask your butcher for an untrimmed "point" that is 5 or 6 lbs. If you do the "flat" or a whole brisket instead, be sure to ask the butcher for an untrimmed cut.

Apply your favorite rub prior to putting the brisket on the BBQ. Cook the brisket for about 14 hours. BBQ the brisket with the fat side up. Adjust the BBQ for a grill level temperature of 225 degrees. Apply heat and smoke (Hickory, Oak, Mesquite, etc.) for the first 3 to 5 hours of cooking; apply only heat beyond that. Too much smoke can impart a bitter taste. 

When the internal temperature reaches 205 to 210 degrees remove the brisket from the cooker and let rest for a half-hour so. Slice the brisket across the grain. The brisket should be fork tender and quite moist.

NOTE: Generally the temperature gages on a smoker do not measure the grill level temperature and can vary widely from that at the grill level. The smoker temperature gages can be calibrated by placing an oven thermometer on the grill and noting the difference in the readings. (This test should be done while burning charcoal since wood smoke will cause the oven thermometer cloud over to the point the thermometer can not be read.) An alternative is to use a Volt-Ohmmeter that can electronically measure temperature. The BK VOM model 2706 is one such device.  Podler also makes a very nice electronic thermometer.

Visit the Purple Smoke web site for more smoking.