It’s easy to take for granted that brisket actually comes from the muscular chest area of the animal, which gets worked hard and carries a lot of weight.  Because of that, it’s actually a pretty tough cut of meat to work with.  If you aren’t careful with how you prepare a brisket, you could easily end up with dry and tough results.

One of the ways you can increase the moisture levels and tenderness of your cut is by using a brisket injection recipe.  Brisket injection is actually pretty easy, and can most definitely lead to more tender and juicy BBQ brisket vs only using a dry rub.

In this post, we’ll go over everything you need to know for how to do a beef brisket injection.  After that, we’ll share a few different brisket injection recipe ideas and go over some FAQ about the process!

Brisket Injection – What Is It?

Brisket injection is a way to infuse flavors, seasoning, and other nutrients deep into the core of the beef.  It’s a way to distribute flavor and moisture across the entire cut of meat, as opposed to just the outer portion that’s seasoned with a traditional brisket rub (but you should do that too!).

Remember, brisket is typically cooked low and slow – it will be on the smoker for a long time.  So the extra moisture that comes from injection helps for it to remain juicy, tender, and moist as the smoking process plays itself out.

Injecting meats is a practice that is fairly common, and the basic principles apply to lots of different meats – not just brisket.  Ham, turkey, and pork are some other common meats that are prime candidates for injection to name a few.

Brisket injection is equal parts art and science.  There are a few things about the injection process and technique that are pretty unanimously agreed upon in the cooking community.

Some other things have a little more opportunity for variation and personal preference – like which recipe to use, or how long before cooking you should do the actual injection.

As we give our brisket injection recipe and tips, we’ll be sure to point out which is which.  Now let’s get into the how of brisket injection!

Brisket Injection – How To

Things You’ll Need

If you’re going to get the job done right, you’ll need to make sure you have the correct equipment.  Thankfully, you won’t need to break the bank to get everything you need.

First, you’ll need a quality meat injector.  Stainless steel is the ideal material of choice because it is sturdy, long lasting, and won’t retain flavors or smells after the fact like plastic injectors tend to do.

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For home use, you just need a syringe style injector.  As far as the needle size goes, you’ll want to make sure you get something big enough to handle your injection liquid of choice.

If you plan on injection recipes that have pepper, herbs, or other sediments – a thicker needle will probably be necessary.  Or, if the consistency of your injection fluid is more pasty – a thicker needle is the right call.

Many kits on the market come in packs with multiple needles to handle different needs.  Each needle for injection should have a sharp tip with multiple holes on the side of the needle where the liquid gets distributed throughout your meat.

You’ll also want to make sure your injector holds 2 ounces of fluid or more.  Anything less than that will cause for you to spend too much time refilling!

The second piece of equipment you’ll need is a bowl or large vessel to contain the injection fluid.  It should be big or deep enough to accommodate your injector’s needle easily.  I’ve also seen people use a tall drinking glass for this part.

Last, you’ll need a workspace you don’t mind getting messy.  For some that could mean a countertop.  If you have an extra large pan that can contain the juices, that works too.  Brisket injection gets pretty messy, and you can 100% count on some sort of juice clean up process after the fact.

Injection Overview

Remember, the overall purpose of brisket injection is to add moisture and flavor to the insides of your cut.

It’s important at this point to quickly note the two main sections of a brisket.  The “Flat” of a brisket has more meat, is lean, and has relatively little fat.  The “Point” (or Deckle) of a brisket on the other hand has more fat.

As far as moisture goes, the most benefit will be seen in the leaner brisket flat portion of your brisket.  By nature, the lack of fat means there will be less moisture and tenderness in the flat.  This will probably be the most beneficial area to inject because it will enhance both moisture and flavor.

The point portion of a brisket will also be enhanced by injection.  But it’s less of a benefit in terms of moisture as the fatty part of a brisket typically stays pretty moist.  It’s more for flavoring when it comes to the point.

It’s also worth pointing out that this article assumes you’ve already trimmed your brisket.  If you need some guidance on how to trim a brisket, check out this article before you get started.

Step by Step Guide

The goal is to completely and evenly inject your brisket.  The best way to do this is by utilizing a checkerboard pattern of injections across your meat – on both the brisket point and/or the flat.

1. Fill your injector with your injection fluid.
2. Puncture the brisket with your injector’s needle between fibers.  Be sure to puncture with your needle at a slight angle, not perpendicular to the meat.  There’s some debate on whether it’s better to inject against or with the grain.  Personally, I think it’s better to inject with the grain, but it’s completely up to you to experiment with this.
3. Press the plunger of your injector as you withdraw your needle.  Press the plunger too hard and the liquid will squirt everywhere.  You also don’t want to inject too much into one spot – if liquid begins to pour out you’ve done too much.  You’ll get the hang of this part with some practice.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 in a 1-2 inch checkerboard pattern across your entire brisket.  Refill your injector with fluid as needed.
5. Clean up any liquid that is leftover once done.  And I can promise you, there will be!  It’s just the nature of the beast when it comes to any brisket injection recipe.

What Goes Into Brisket Injection Fluid?

A brisket injection recipe can be a plethora of different flavors, consistencies, and styles.  Part of the fun is experimenting and figuring out what you like best in your recipe.

With that said, there are quite a few ingredients that are pretty common.  You’ll see these staples as a base or component of almost any brisket injection recipe.

• Butter and/or Olive Oil – we mentioned earlier that part of the purpose of all of this is to add moisture to your brisket.  Melted butter and olive oil are both commonly used in lots of recipes to soften things up and add that extra moisture to your meat.
• Beef Stock or Broth – is probably the most common ingredient found in any brisket injection recipe.  You can actually inject either on it’s own without anything extra and still achieve nice results.  Beef stock and broth intensifies the beefy flavor and adds moisture to your meat.
• Various Types of Alcohol – whether it’s beer or distilled spirits, you’ll very commonly find alcohol as elements in various recipes.  Alcohol is added purely as a flavor compliment to your brisket and is incredibly delicious when used properly.  Think about it, there are hardly better pairings than beer or whiskey and BBQ!
• Worcestershire Sauce –  the more I’ve learned about cooking, the more impressed I am with the versatility of Worcestershire sauce.  It’s a fermented liquid condiment that is savory, sweet, a little vinegary, and a definite value add to almost any injection project.
• Fruit Juices – apple juice and pineapple juice in particular I’ve seen in multiple recipes.  Both of these fruit juices have properties that seriously tenderize meat (which is why they’re also staples in smoked ham injection recipes).  You need to make sure that your brisket doesn’t sit longer than 4 hours after injection if your recipe includes any fruit juices.

Some of you might have used other ingredients for your brisket injection recipe.  The ones we’ve listed above are just the staples.  At the end of the day, it’s all about flavor and your personal preference – so you should try something else out if it looks good and if it will be beneficial in the cooking process.

I’ll also add that you can most definitely add seasonings, herbs, or other solids to your solution.  Just remember that your fluid will end up exiting the needle through fine holes, and everything must fit and flow well!  Otherwise you’ll be set back quite a bit with time and headache associated with cleaning and unclogging.

Where possible, ground solids into very fine powders, or at least put some extra effort into getting them into the smallest pieces that you can.

Best Brisket Injection Recipes

In no particular order, here are 5 of the best recipes for you to try at home!

Malcom Reed Brisket Injection Recipe

Source: howtobbqright.com

Our first recipe is simple, super easy to make, and a perfect compliment to your brisket.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tsp Beef Base
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
• 2 Cups Water
• 1 Tsp Kosher Salt

Instructions:

Warm the water in a small pot or sauce pan.  Add the beef base and whisk until combined.  Then, add the rest of the ingredients and whisk those in.  Once combined, remove the pot from the heat and allow to cool completely.  From there, you’re ready to inject.

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If you want to keep things easy and trust the professionals, then give the Butcher BBQ Prime Barbecue Brisket Injection recipe a try.  It couldn’t be simpler and the pre made combination is delicious.

Ingredients:

• 3 Scoops of Butcher BBQ Prime Barbecue Brisket Injection
• 2 Cups Water or Beef Broth (Depending on Your Flavor Preference)

Instructions:

Mix the 3 scoops and water or beef broth in a bowl, and stir to combine.  That’s it!

Savory Beef Stock Brisket Flat Injection Recipe

Source: smokingpit.com

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Kitchen Basic’s Beef Stock
• 1/4 Tsp Thyme
• 1/2 Tsp Rosemary
• 3 Cloves Coarsely Chopped Garlic
• Pepper to Taste
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Bay Leave

This recipe is designed specifically for the flat portion of the brisket, although it would be fine to use on the point too!

The concoction is actually prepared and then refrigerated overnight too, so plan ahead if this is the one you want to try.

Instructions:

Pour beef stock into a pot.  Next add all of the other ingredients.  Turn heat on high, and stir contents of the pot occasionally until the solution reaches a boil.  Once it reaches boiling temperature, reduce heat to simmer.  Simmer for 1 hour, removing the bay leaf after 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to cool after the 1 hour simmer.  Strain the liquid stock into a container, then cover and refrigerate overnight.  Use as your injection the following day!

Sweet and Savory

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Beef Broth
• 2 Tbsp Black Pepper – Freshly Ground
• 1 Tbsp Onion Powder
• 1 Tsp Kosher Salt
• 2 Tsp Brown Sugar

Instructions:

This one’s pretty straightforward too.  All you have to do is combine all of these ingredients in a bowl.  Stir until completely combined, and voila, you are ready to inject!

Beef Marinade Injection

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Beef Broth
• 2 Beef Bouillon Cubes
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

Instructions:

Place beef broth in a pot, and set heat to high.  Add beef bouillon cubes and Worcestershire sauce.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.  It’s ready for use after it has cooled.

Brisket Injection FAQ

Injecting a brisket can seem like quite the overwhelming process if you’ve never done it before.  Naturally, you might have a few questions that weren’t answered so far in this post.  In this section, we’ll answer some of the most frequently asked questions about brisket injection.

Marinade vs Injection – What’s the Difference?

Marination is a process that happens on the surface of your beef.  While the flavoring will certainly soak in, it will only do so to a point.  With marination, only the outer most portion of your brisket will absorb flavors and moisture.

This unfortunately leaves the bulk of the meat without any flavor or moisture enhancements.  The problem result that often comes from a marinade is a delicious outer bark with a less than stellar inside of the brisket.

Injection on the other hand gets flavor and moisture deep into the inners of the brisket.  When done properly, the entire brisket will have a flavor and moisture enhancement that will immensely help the pit master create a BBQ masterpiece.

Do Professionals/Restaurants Inject Their Briskets?

The answer to this question depends completely on the individual chef.  It’s totally personal preference.

I mentioned earlier that I’m from Texas.  More specifically I grew up in Austin, Texas and for those of you BBQ gurus out there – you’ll know that Austin is also home to Franklin BBQ.  Franklin has arguably the best beef brisket on the planet, and I can tell you from experience that’s not an exaggeration!

You’ll notice in that video that nowhere does Aaron Franklin inject or even mention injecting his brisket.  He simply goes with a rub on the outside and uses a spray to keep the brisket moist while it cooks – he also wraps his brisket in pink butcher paper to achieve a bark and keep the insides moist simultaneously.

On the other hand, you have an award winning pit master like Malcom Reed who always injects his competition briskets.

Those are just two easy examples – but the point is that it’s different strokes for different folks.  There is no one dead set way of doing things.  At the end of the day, the goal is to make sure your brisket tastes delicious and has enough moisture to cook properly.  As long as that is all happening, you can’t go wrong.

How Much Injection Should I Use?

Meat is already almost fully saturated with water, so you really shouldn’t need a ton of fluid.  A good rule of thumb is to prepare 1 ounce of injection recipe for every pound of brisket you have.

How Long Before Cooking Should I Inject My Brisket?

This also largely comes down to personal preference.  Some folks prefer to inject a brisket and let it rest overnight.  Personally, I don’t think letting an injection sit for a long period of time gets you much.  Part of the appeal of using an injection is that it’s almost instantaneous moisture and flavor addition.

Also, if you’ve used some more acidic ingredients like apple or pineapple juice, you don’t want to let the meat sit for more than a couple of hours.  Anything longer you’ll run the risk of breaking down and ruining your meat.

So, it doesn’t necessarily matter how far in advance you inject – but I’m unsure that there’s any benefit to doing it more than an hour or two before cooking.

Can I Also Season My Brisket?

Yes!  You most definitely should also season your brisket in addition to using an injection.  Proper seasoning is key for a couple of reasons.

First and most obviously, seasoning the outside of your brisket with a rub will enhance the flavor.  Everything that we do with a brisket is done with the goal of complimenting and enhancing the meat, and a rub seasoning is a key part of this.

Second, a good rub seasoning will lead to that signature, crispy bark on the outside of your brisket when everything is done properly.

Feel free to use your rub of choice or keep it simple with a 1 to 1 mix of salt and pepper.

Are Pre Made Brisket Injections OK To Use?

Absolutely.  In fact, pre made commercial brisket injections are often just as good as what you could make yourself at home, and they are much more convenient.  The “catch” is that on a price per ounce basis, you’ll pay a little bit more for the commercial stuff.

You can find most reputable pre made powder brisket injections in your local grocery store or online at places like Amazon.

Here’s a list of our favorite commercial brisket injections:

• Butcher BBQ Prime Barbecue Brisket Injection
• Kosmos Q Original Barbecue Beef Brisket Injection
• Butcher BBQ Liquid Brisket Injection Base Flavor Barbecue Seasoning
• Lethal Injection Beef

Plastic Injector vs Stainless Steel vs Injector Gun – Which Should I Get?

The answer to this question comes down to your budget and how often you think you’ll be injecting meat.

Right off the bat, I’ll tell you that you should not get a plastic injector.  They are usually cheaply made, and are prone to absorbing flavor over time.  The flavors and smells will begin to contaminate future foods you wish to inject.

Stainless steel meat injectors aren’t much more expensive and frankly are way higher in quality.  They are easier to keep clean and won’t ever absorb flavors over time.  Most come with all of the necessary accessories and interchangeable needles.

Injector guns are the most expensive, and the highest quality when it comes to meat injectors.  Most injector guns have extra features – like the ability to choose how much liquid to release on each pull.  As you’d expect, a well made injector gun should last you a lifetime.

Wrap Up

Now you’ve got the how and why when it comes to injecting brisket!  It’s up to you from here to go and try it out for yourself and see what your results are like.

Remember, just try to keep things simple.  At the end of the day, the goal is to compliment and enhance the flavor of your brisket.  We aren’t reinventing the wheel.  In fact, many successful chefs make delicious brisket without using an injection recipe at all!

Let us know how it went in the comments section below.  Did we miss something in this post?  Let us know about that in the comments section below too.

If you’re short on time but still want BBQ brisket for your next cookout, check out our hot and fast brisket recipe next!

The post Brisket Injection Recipe & How To Guide appeared first on Own The Grill.

However, if you’ve never prepared a brisket before, you might be wondering: Where do you probe a brisket?

In this article, we will cover some key information about cooking a brisket, including where to probe a brisket. So, next time you’re cooking your BBQ, you know exactly when it’s done.

Let’s get into it.

Where to Probe a Brisket

To probe a brisket, you will need to take your meat probe and insert it into the thickest part of the brisket point, which is the thicker section of the brisket found next to the flat. You can read more about the anatomy of a brisket here.

If you happen to have multiple probes – you should stick the second one in the thickest part of the flat section of the brisket.

The thickness of the meat is measured by the brisket fat cap. The fat cap is the layer of fat that surrounds the muscle tissue in the center of the brisket.

When it comes to cooking the perfect brisket, you need to be aware of the fact that the point and the flat reach a safe internal temperature at different times, which often catches inexperienced cooks out. This simply comes down to the fact that the flat is thinner than the point.

The internal temperature of the brisket should be between 190 and 205ºF before it comes off of the smoker. The majority of people try to achieve a temperature that lands in the 200 to 205ºF ballpark.

That being said, the exact temperature that you are targeting will entirely depend on your personal preferences and how you like your meat cooked.

However, you will want to make sure that you aren’t taking your brisket out too soon, which is usually indicated by how tender the meat is.

What Tools Do You Need to Probe a Brisket?

So, what are the best tools for probing a brisket? You’ll want to use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature of your brisket. There is a wide range of meat thermometers on the market, and you can find them online or at most kitchen stores.

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Many of these meat thermometers are known as digital instant-read thermometers that have a digital display, so you can easily read the temperature.

This means that you don’t have to guess how long it took to reach the desired temperature. Some of them also have a handy auto-shutoff feature. This means that it automatically shuts off once the desired internal temperature is reached. 

Other meat thermometer choices include leave-in thermometers. These thermometers are great for pieces of meat that take longer to cook, such as briskets.

They are safe to keep inside the meat whilst the brisket is cooking, allowing you to track the progress of your meat literally as it cooks. This can be super handy towards the end of the cooking process.

When choosing the right meat thermometer, make sure that you do your research and opt for a durable one that will withstand the test of time.

How Do You Know When a Brisket is Done?

While the temperature is a great guide for checking when your brisket is done, tenderness is also one of the biggest indications of whether the brisket is done and ready to remove from the oven.

Brisket is a tough cut of beef, but if it is cooked correctly, it will become super delicious and tender. The meat needs to be cooked low and slow for many hours in order to achieve this melt in the mouth tenderness, so you have to remain patient while the meat is in the oven.

For the best results, you should wait until the brisket is incredibly tender to the slice, and the outside is sticky with a nice barky color around the edges.

Most of the time, your brisket will be wrapped in either aluminum foil or butcher paper when it comes off of the smoker. It will need a couple of hours to rest, ideally in a cooler, before you slice and serve your BBQ.

When you transfer your brisket from the smoker to a cooler is a great opportunity to double check that your brisket is a proper tenderness. It should have something of a jiggle to it and be tender to the touch at this point in the cook.

How Do You Clean a Temperature Probe?

For the maintenance of your temperature probe, it is essential to clean it regularly. This is important because, over time, bits of food and grease can get stuck to your temperature probe, which can lead to inconsistent cooking times as a direct result.

To clean a temperature probe, all you need to use is a sponge and a bowl of soapy water. The water should be hot, so make sure that you are wearing a pair of kitchen gloves to ensure that you don’t accidentally burn yourself during the cleaning process.

To begin, you will first need to dip your probe in the soapy water and allow it to soak for a few minutes. The soaking process will help to remove any stubborn bits of meat and grease, especially if you’ve been using the temperature probe throughout the cooking process and the meat juices have dried on there.

Once you have allowed your temperature probe to soak, dip the sponge in the soapy water, and begin scrubbing the end of your temperature probe. The dish soap will help to cut through any grease and grime leftover on your temperature probe. 

If you’re still struggling to remove any stubborn bits of meat, use a scouring pad to help you along the way, and this should remove any last little bits.

Once you have thoroughly cleaned your temperature probe, make sure that you dry it properly with a clean dishcloth before you put it away again.

This will ensure that you are keeping your temperature probe in the best condition possible and that it’s ready to go next time you need to use it.

You should make sure that you are cleaning your temperature probe after every single use so that it is clean and ready to go the next time that you want to use it.

Final Thoughts

You should probe your brisket probe and insert it into the densest part of the brisket point at least, and ideally the flat as well if you have two probes.

Knowing where to probe your brisket will lead to consistent results, meaning that you minimize the risk of overcooking your brisket. After reading this article, I hope you have a better idea of where to probe your brisket.

Good luck cooking your delicious brisket!

The post Where To Probe Brisket appeared first on Own The Grill.

BBQ smoked brisket is one of those foods that always will have a special place for me.  I grew up in Texas so I was spoiled with an abundance of delicious Texas style BBQ brisket just about everywhere I turned.

Eventually I started making it on my own at home in my smoker.  Over time I’ve come to appreciate just how much work, preparation, and love goes into making a legendary brisket.

One of the most talked about aspects of smoking a brisket is whether to wrap it, whether to smoke it bare (with no foil or brisket butcher paper), and if wrapping, which type of wrap to use.  Personally, I’ve used all of the methods at different times to achieve different results.

Knowing why some pit masters wrap and how to do it can make a huge difference to help you reach your desired result.  Each method – or combination thereof – will lead to quite different results.  How you wrap your brisket changes cook times, moisture levels, and the bark exterior of your brisket.

In this article, we’ve made a complete guide for wrapping brisket.  We’ll go over each method, how to do it, and talk about the implications of each on your final result.

Wrapping Brisket – What Are Your Options?

Brisket comes from the lower chest area of a steer, and it’s a muscle that’s used to support huge amounts of weight throughout the life of the animal.

Because of this, it’s a pretty tough cut of meat to work with – which is why it’s best cooked on a smoker for long periods of time.  Cooking brisket this way allows the meat to tenderize and come out moist and delicious.

When it comes to wrapping brisket, you really only have 3 options that are used by pit masters.  You can wrap the brisket in either foil or butcher paper, or you can smoke it bare (also referred to as naked).

Each technique yields a different end result, and also has implications in terms of how long your brisket should stay on the smoker.  Here’s a breakdown of each technique of wrapping brisket!

Wrapping Brisket in Foil

Using foil to wrap your brisket is on the opposite end of the spectrum from smoking it bare.  Foil is less breathable than butcher paper and will create a bit of an oven effect for your beef.  A foil wrapping will retain heat really well and essentially braise your brisket in addition to smoking it.

As you can imagine, smoking a brisket in foil takes the least amount of time out of these 3 methods for wrapping brisket, and you can skip the infamous brisket stall if you don’t have the patience.  Expect cooking times to be approximately 5-10% less compared to a brisket wrapped in butcher paper.

Foil also is a great choice for beginners or hot and fast brisket – since the foil retains heat so well your brisket is less likely to be negatively impacted by fluctuations in temperature.  So if you’re not comfortable with your abilities to maintain a consistent fire, foil is a great choice to alleviate some of those worries.

Flavor wise, expect a lot of the beefiness to come through.  Since the foil makes the brisket cook and braise in its own juices, don’t be surprised if the eating experience has semblances of a pot roast or something similar.

The downside of wrapping brisket in foil is that you’re blocking off the direct heat from your fire almost completely.  Because of this a foil wrapped brisket is less likely to develop a signature crunchy bark, and you’re also less likely to pick up smokey flavors and notes in your end result.  Of course, if you prefer beef forward flavor and aren’t crazy about smokiness, that might be perfect for you.

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Wrapping Brisket in Butcher Paper

Brisket in butcher paper is the way most of the professional pit masters and competition BBQ teams do it.  Wrapping brisket in butcher paper truly gives you the best of both worlds and takes the best parts of wrapping in foil and smoking bare.

Using butcher paper to wrap your brisket decreases your cooking time – typically about 10% less time compared to smoking one bare.

As your brisket cooks low and slow on the smoker, your paper wrap gets soaked and absorbs moisture.  The paper then is essentially a warm blanket of moisture that perpetually braises your brisket cut – which helps tremendously to keep it from drying out.  The end result is often has a perfect to near perfect moisture level.

It’s also a little better than foil in the sense that the butcher paper will breathe a little bit.  What this means in practical terms is that the smoke from your fire will still be able to get to your beef.  So you don’t have to choose between smokey flavor and moisture in your end result.  With a paper wrapped brisket, you get both!

Butcher paper also doesn’t completely block out direct heat, so it’s quite possible to achieve an impressive BBQ bark that has a really nice crunch to it.

Wrapping with paper is probably going to lead to the most happy eaters and is a perfect medium between bare and foil.  The end results are equally moist, smokey, beefy, and with a crunchy bark.

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Naked (Bare) Brisket

If you’re in a rush or forgot to pick up supplies at the store, sometimes cooking a brisket naked is your only option.

While most experienced pit masters wouldn’t necessarily do it this way, it’s a viable method of cooking brisket and can still lead to some tasty results.

Basically, when cooking a naked brisket all you do is season it and put it on the smoker.  That’s it!

Since brisket is such a tough cut to work with, and also because you don’t have any material to help keep moisture in – you’ll be looking at about a 10% longer cooking time for a naked brisket compared to a wrapped one.

You should also be careful of smoking your meat dry.  With no wrapping and the longer cook time, you have to be extra careful to not over do it and end up with a dried out end result.

Compared to wrapping brisket with either foil or paper, this method will end up with the least amount of moisture in the final product.

There are some good things that come from not wrapping brisket!  Since bare brisket is more directly exposed to your heat source, it will absorb and retain more smokey flavor.  It’s also much easier to get a signature crunchy bark on the outside of a bare brisket.

So if your ideal brisket has a crunchier outer bark and a more distinct smokey flavor, smoking it bare just might be your best way to cook brisket!

For all of my visual learners out there – here’s a great video from the legend Aaron Franklin himself testing the difference between these 3 methods:

Brisket is one of those foods that can take a lifetime to truly master.  Our advice?  Change only 1 thing at a time each time you smoke a brisket.  Pay attention to how the result was different, and tweak something else the each next time until you perfect it.

No matter which method of wrapping brisket you choose, you should look to take it off of the smoker once it’s reached an internal temperature of 190°F.  You can measure with a probe smoker thermometer to make sure you get it right!

Remember, smoking bare will lead to less moist, less beefy, and smokier results with a crunchy to very crunchy bark.

Smoking with paper leads to moist, beefy, smokey results with a somewhat crunchy to crunchy bark.

And smoking brisket with foil leads to super moist, super beefy, less smokey results with a non crunchy to somewhat crunchy bark.

There’s no “wrong” way to do it – although in my experience butcher paper results tend to work for the most types of eaters.

Which brisket wrapping method did you try out first?  How did it affect your brisket rub?  Let us know how it went in the comments!

Looking for more information on brisket?  Check out our brisket ultimate guide right here.

The post Wrapping Brisket Guide: Foil, Butcher Paper, or Bare – Which is Best? appeared first on Own The Grill.

The key to avoiding dry meat, and making sure your brisket stays moist, is all in the extra steps.

A rub before cooking, wrapping at a certain temperature, and a spritz can keep your brisket perfectly tender. Talented smokers will keep a brisket spray on hand, to regularly douse the meat as it cooks.

Barbecue experts and smoker enthusiasts all have differing opinions on the best way to keep a brisket moist. Finding the right brisket spritz for your favorite cut of meat might involve some trial and error, but the juicy end results are totally worth it.

Take a look at this guide to find the best brisket sprays around, and how to use them.

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Why Use A Brisket Spritz?

The first use of the brisket spritz is to increase the humidity in the smoker, and stop the brisket from drying out. By using the brisket spray, it’s easy to control the amount of moisture on the meat.

The second use is all to do with the brisket bark. The bark is the hard outer layer on the brisket, formed by the rub, meat, and fat. Spritzing the brisket can help the rub stick, and prevent it from drying out and becoming chewy. The right spritz can give you a dark and rich bark.

Smoke sticks best to cold and damp surfaces, which are lost during the cooking process. With added moisture from the spritz, more smoke will stick. Some even think using the spritz can give your brisket a better smoke ring.

You can also use a brisket spritz to create different flavors in your barbecue. For example, if you want to make a spicy barbecue sauce, you can add a little bit of hot pepper flakes to the spritz. Or, you can try something with sugar, to help caramelize the rub. 

Finally, using a spritz can slow the process if your brisket is cooking too fast. When brisket cooks quickly, the meat goes tough. A slow cook gives the connective tissues a chance to break down, and go tender. This slowing spritz will also help prevent the bark from going chewy.

What To Spritz Brisket With

There are plenty of options for brisket sprays, depending on what effect you hope to achieve. Below are some of our favorites.

Apple Juice

Apple juice is one of the most popular brisket sprays because it adds both moisture and flavor. The sweet and sugary apple juice also helps to caramelize the rub, and get it to stick to the surface.

To use, simply mix one part apple juice with one part water. Other fruit juices can also be used as a brisket spray. Try using pear or pineapple, for a tender brisket.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Another option is apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar, otherwise known as ACV, is inexpensive, and can create a crunchy and tangy bark.

For a simple apple cider vinegar spritz, mix two parts ACV, two parts apple juice, and one part water. Some mix ACV with beer, for a tenderizing brisket spritz.

Other chefs prefer to use red wine vinegar. It has a less powerful tang than ACV.

Beef Broth

If you’re looking for a safe brisket spritz, broth is the way to go. It adds liquid, making for a moist brisket, but doesn’t overwhelm the flavors. Broth can be a simple savory flavor, or incredibly complex, so you can have some fun experimenting for an amazing taste.

Hot Sauce

One of the easiest ways to spice up your brisket is by adding hot sauce. Hot sauces come in many varieties, including Tabasco, Sriracha, and Cholula. They all work well, but we recommend starting mild and building up, because hot sauce adds a punch of flavor. Mix with water for an easier spray.

Butter

Make sure to melt it before using, but butter is fantastic as a brisket spray. A tablespoon of melted butter mixed into a half cup of water makes an excellent brisket spritz. It adds richness, without diluting the flavor. Keep the bottle warm, so the butter can’t solidify.

Beer

Yes, you can add beer to your brisket. Dark ales are ideal, adding moisture, sugar, and a complexity of flavoring. Beer can be sprayed on as is, or mixed with water, ACV, and a dash of hot sauce.

Olive Oil

Mixing olive oil with salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and onion powder creates a flavorful coating for the brisket. Olive oil isn’t the most popular brisket spray, but it’s a fun one to experiment with.

Worcestershire Sauce

A classic choice, mix your Worcestershire space with water so it sprays better. Barbecue sauce is another obvious, yet still delicious, choice.

Water

Sometimes, simple is best. Water alone works great as a brisket spritz, adding moisture and nothing else.

Mopping Versus Spritzing

Spritzing applies a mist of liquid to the brisket. The spray has to be thin enough to get through the nozzle on the bottle, and only a light amount will be added each time.

Mopping is applying a liquid using a brush, keeping the rub in place so the bark can form. While a spritz needs to be thin to work properly in your spritzer, a mopping liquid can be a thicker sauce.

Some choose to baste their briskets, but this method will often cause the rub to drip away.

With spritzing, it’s very important that you choose the right spray bottle. It should spray evenly, with an easy-squeeze trigger. It must be made of food-grade materials, and accommodate a slightly thicker spray.

How Often Should You Spritz A Brisket?

You should only spritz the brisket a few times, or you’ll slow down the cooking process, and cause the bark to lose integrity.

When you start cooking, leave the brisket alone for at least 90 minutes, preferably 2 hours. In this time, the smoke will start to penetrate the brisket, and the rub can stick. 

Aim to spray your brisket roughly every hour. It might not even need this much! With a really flavorful spritz, every 90 minutes will be enough. In this case, less is often more.

Do You Have To Spritz A Brisket?

Ask any barbecue expert about the brisket spray, and you’re likely to get back some hotly debated opinions. The brisket spray is a controversial topic.

The consensus seems to be that if you want a good bark, then yes, you should spritz. If you don’t want a good bark, there’s no reason to spritz.

Spraying the brisket will slow down the cooking time, as heat is released and the smoke has to combat the added moisture. If you intend to do an overnight smoke, the spritz isn’t really necessary.

While some grill masters such as Aaron Franklin think the brisket spritz is an essential, others have their own chosen method.

Final Thoughts

Brisket is one of those meats where everyone has their favorite methods. Some prefer to spritz, while others like to mop, and others just cook without anything added.

If you’re new to barbecuing, try out the spritz, and see what it can do for you.

The post What To Spritz Brisket With [9 Ideas] appeared first on Own The Grill.

You can find it on the menu in just about every single BBQ joint, and over the last decade it’s become increasingly popular for backyard pit masters to perfect their own brisket recipes.

But what is brisket exactly?  It clearly tastes good, but where does it come from and how does it get to its delectable form on your plate?

In this article, we’ve created a guide for everything you could ever possibly want to know about brisket.  We’ll answer the question – “What is brisket?” and much more.  Read on to learn more about this delicious cut of BBQ!

What is Brisket and Where Does It Come From?

So you know that brisket is one of the best types of smoked meat, but where does it come from exactly?

Where Is the Brisket On a Cow?

Brisket is a beef cut that comes from a cow or a steer.  If you’re looking at a diagram of a steer, the brisket is located in the lower chest area of the animal.  It’s just above the front two legs of the cow.

The brisket itself is actually the muscle that supports about 60% of the of the animal’s body weight while it stands and moves around.

Your average full grown steer can weigh upwards of 1,200 pounds – so as you can imagine the brisket section of the animal gets its fair share of strain and work.

Because of this, the brisket cut is one of the toughest cuts of beef that comes out of a steer.  The muscle grows strong, tough, and firm over the course of the animal’s life as its constantly worked.

How Many Briskets Per Cow?

Each animal carcass produces two whole briskets – one from each side of the breast.  A whole brisket typically weighs between 10 and 16 pounds, so that’s up to 20 to 32 pounds of potential brisket per animal, depending on its size!

The Anatomy of a Brisket

A brisket is a lean, tough muscular cut that doesn’t consist of very much fat marbling throughout the meat.  The pectoral muscle is full of connective tissues, elastin and collagen, that are incredibly tough.

As such, they require a long and slow cook on low temperatures in order to properly break down the connective tissue and tenderize the meat.

This is precisely why brisket is an ideal meat for low and slow cooking on the smoker.  Grilling a brisket on high, direct heat simply wouldn’t work.

When you go to pick up a brisket at the butcher counter or your local grocer, you’ll see them cut and prepared for sale in one of three different ways:

Packer Brisket

The term “packer brisket” refers to a full, whole beef brisket.  It’s a HUGE hunk of meat and can weigh anywhere from 12 to 18 pounds.

For most backyard pit masters, a whole packer brisket is by far the largest cut of meat you’d ever work with – and it can take half a day or more to cook completely on the smoker.

Many butchers will divide up their briskets into smaller cuts, especially for resale at grocery stores or to retail customers.

A whole brisket can be subdivided into two pain parts – the point and the flat, which are each smaller and more manageable to cook than a packer.

Brisket Point

The brisket point is the thickest section of the brisket, and compared to the flat it has more marbled fat and connective tissue throughout the meat.

In the world of smoking beef, more fat means more flavor.  Out of the two sections of brisket, the point yields slightly more flavorful results with that tasty beefy flavor we’ve all come to love about BBQ brisket.

The point has comparatively less meat in it than the flat, simply because it’s smaller in overall size.  A typical brisket point can weigh anywhere from 4 to 6 pounds.

Brisket Flat

The flat section is a long, lean section of the brisket that will be tougher than the point – but nothing that can’t be taken care of with a long slow cook on your smoker!

It gets its name because the cut is long, thin, and rectangular shaped.  The underside is relatively flat, and there is a thick layer of fat, known as the fat cap, that sits on top of the brisket.

The fat cap needs to be trimmed (your butcher might have already done this for you), but some of the fat should remain to help moisten and flavor the meat while it cooks.

Preparing Brisket To Go On the Smoker

Before your hunk of beef goes on the cooking grates, there are a couple of steps to take for you to prepare your brisket for the cook.

Trim the Fat

Some butchers and grocers sell brisket pre trimmed, but odds are you’re going to have to do some trimming yourself too.

Brisket cuts come with lots of excess fat, in the form of the fat cap and also in the form of hard or loose hanging pieces of fat.  You’ll want to trim and square the brisket up so that no little pieces of fat burn or cause problems during the cooking process.

The overall goal when trimming the fat is to get large chunks out of there but leave enough fat to flavor the meat and help tenderize your beef during the cooking process.

We’ve created an entire guide for how to trim a brisket right here, so check that out next if you’re planning on trimming brisket yourself.  Here’s also a great video from Meat Church BBQ outlining the process for all of you visual learners out there.

Rub It Down

After the beef is nice and trimmed, the next big preparation step is to rub down your beef with a BBQ rub.

What Is A BBQ Rub?

A brisket rub is simply a combination of seasonings and flavoring ingredients that are mixed together.  From there, the rub gets applied to the entire outside surface area of your brisket.

The purpose of a rub is to enhance the flavor of your food – a good rub will not only add an extra layer of flavoring, it will also bring forward and accentuate the excellent beefy flavor that naturally comes from a brisket.

Ideal Rub Types For Brisket

The rub you choose to use can be a dry rub or a wet rub.  Most every rub consists of a base of salt, and many have a sweet element to them as well, such as brown or maple sugar.

Of course one of the most famous BBQ pit masters on the planet, Aaron Franklin, uses a simple Texas Style rub that consists only of kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper.

The point is, you have options when it comes to choosing a rub.  No one rub is better than another per se – it largely comes down to personal preference.

But either way, you should definitely choose a rub to use on the outside of your brisket before it goes on the smoker to bring out that extra flavor.

Cooking A Brisket

Low And Slow Is The Name Of The Game

For the most part, once your brisket goes on the smoker you can sit back and relax while it cooks.

As long as your smoker maintains a consistent temperature, all you need to do is wait patiently while the magic happens underneath the lid. Save maybe spritzing your beef once an hour to add moisture, if needed.

Fat Side Up Or Down?

Most of the time you want to put the brisket on the smoker fat side down – but it really depends on the type of smoker you have.  You want to put the fat side of the brisket facing the heat source in your smoker.

It’s worth mentioning that there are other ways to cook brisket besides in a smoker.  You can get the job done sous vide or even in an oven or slow cooker – but for my taste I’m a BBQ purist, and the best way to do it is with traditional smokey flavor.

Smoker Set Up

Most of the BBQ pundits recommend setting your smoker’s temperature somewhere between 225°F and 250°F.

The hotter you set your smoker, the less time it will take to complete the cook – but also the less tender your end results will potentially be.  Setting your temperature in the 225°F to 250°F range is the way to go for proper, tender brisket.

To Wrap or Not to Wrap?

Depending on who you talk to, some people swear by wrapping brisket to aid in the cooking process.  Essentially, there are 3 different ways you can wrap (or not wrap) your beef to cook it on the smoker.

All of them are perfectly viable but lead to different end results.

Going Naked

Smoking a brisket bare means that you put your meat directly on the smoker without any wrapping.  Generally speaking, this will lead to your meat absorbing relatively more smoke particles, and your BBQ will also likely develop a very strong bark.

Foil Wrap

Another option is to wrap your brisket in foil.  Wrapping in foil will speed up the cooking process, but create a very moist, almost roast like environment for your food while it cooks.

Foil blocks out lots of smoke and also doesn’t allow moisture to escape while the meat cooks.  The end results of foil wrapping are typically more moist and less smokey – with little to no outer bark.

Pink Butcher Paper

Door number three is an in between of bare and foil wrapping.  Over the last handful of years, pink butcher paper has become a highly popular BBQ accessory.

You can actually wrap your brisket with it and cook your meat on the smoker.  The paper is breathable enough to allow a perfect amount of moisture to escape, and it also allows a decent amount of smokey flavoring into the beef.  Paper wrapping leads to a nice bark too.

In the above video, Aaron Franklin himself cooks three briskets side by side: one bare, one with foil, and one with pink butcher paper.  Watch to see the difference between each.

The Brisket Stall

An interesting phenomenon occurs on the smoker when you cook a brisket for 10-12 hours.

When you place your brisket on the smoker, it will in all likelihood start around an internal temperature close to room temperature.  For the first part of the cook, the meat will rapidly rise as it heats up.

About 2 or 3 hours into the cook though, the temperature climb hits a brick wall and remains in the 150°F to 160°F range for 5 to 6 hours, depending on the size of your meat.  This is known as the brisket stall.

5 hours is a long time, and it’s easy for panic to set in.  Especially when there are hungry stomachs expecting a BBQ feast later.  I’ve heard stories of amateur BBQers moving their brisket to the grill to try to kickstart the temperature climb.

Patience Is Key

Don’t let that be you!  Patience is key, and rash decision making can ruin your cook.  The stall is perfectly natural – to put it simply, it’s an extended period of time where your beef experiences evaporative cooling.  It’s a fancy term that refers to a sequence where your meat essentially “sweats” moisture out while it cooks.

So your meat is still cooking during the stall, but the moisture it releases in turn cools it back down – and this repeats for about 5 to 6 hours of the process.  Eventually when a large proportion of the moisture has left the meat, your temperature will begin to rise again.

If you want to speed up the cook and cut down on the time you spend in the stall, you can employ the “Texas Crutch” method – where you smoke the brisket bare at the beginning then wrap it in foil once it reaches the stall.

When Is Brisket Done?

We recommend cooking brisket to an internal temperature of 203°F, but more on that in a moment.  Remember, your brisket takes a long time to cook so it’s impossible to “eyeball” when it’s complete.

An important note – you’ll want to have a probe thermometer handy for your cook!  You’ll need it to measure the internal temperature of your meat while it’s on the smoker – ideally in two places.  It’s the only way to know for sure that your brisket has been completely cooked through and finished.

Brisket is done once it reaches an internal temperature of 190°F.  That’s the minimum internal temperature we’d recommend taking it off of the smoker.

The magic number according to lots of BBQ pit masters is 203°F.  The extra time on the smoker allows the brisket to further tenderize and develop flavors and bark.

As long as you’ve reached 190°F though, you’re good to go.  Don’t be afraid to experiment with pulling your food off of the smoker at different temperatures to learn a little bit about what your preferences are.

Let It Rest

A key to perfect brisket is letting it rest after it’s off of the smoker.

First, your brisket will be too hot to slice right away.

But more importantly, moisture concentrates to the center of the meat while it cooks – when you let it rest at room temperature, that moisture redistributes back to the meat to ensure an evenly tender and tasty brisket.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Brisket

Get the Right Knives

You don’t want to use any old kitchen knife to slice your finished meat.  Having the right kind of knife for brisket can make all the difference.

You want it to be sharp and to also use a straight or Granton style blade.  You can also get away with using a scalloped blade – but you should definitely not use a serrated blade.

Remember, your brisket is going to be incredibly tender when it’s ready to slice and serve.  The last thing you need is a blade that tears all of your hard work to shreds.

A sharp, straight blade will lead to restaurant quality, beautiful and thin brisket slices.

Which Type of Wood Should I Use for Brisket?

We’ve created an entire resource dedicated to breaking down the best types of wood for smoking brisket right here if you want to take a deep dive on this topic.

It’s is a very beefy, strong cut that can stand up to strong flavors.  Hickory wood is a popular choice, as is Oak, Mesquite, Maple, and even fruit woods like Cherry.

Consider an Injection Recipe

One of the toughest aspects of smoking meats for a beginner is getting your end moisture levels right.

A great way to help manage your moisture, and also to add some flavor, is to consider a brisket injection recipe.

With just a little bit of extra leg work on the front end, an injection can help to make the cooking process itself a little bit more hands off.

Leftovers and Reheating

It’s no secret that brisket is a massive cut of meat to work with.

Any time you’re putting a 12 to 20 pound hunk on the smoker, odds are you’re going to have some leftovers.  Which isn’t a bad thing at all!  Tacos, sandwiches, and many more tasty possibilities exist for your leftovers.

The key is proper storage and reheating your beef the right way to maximize the leftover flavor and tenderness.  Check out our complete guide for reheating brisket leftovers to get ready to take advantage of each piece of BBQ!

We also have some great leftover brisket tacos ideas for some inspiration on getting the most out of your leftovers.

Where to Find Brisket

Brisket is a pretty popular cut of beef, so odds are your local grocer and butcher shop will regularly have packers, points, and flats in stock.

In this day and age, there are some online options for acquiring one too.

The first recommendation for online brisket is Porter Road.  If there was ever a rancher that you could say responsibly cultivates their beef, it’s Porter Road – they hold their partners to the highest possible standards and all of their animals are raised outside, and fed vegetarian, non-GMO feed.  On top of all of that?  Their beef is incredibly delicious – and the prices are great.

Porter Road Whole Packer Brisket

Regardless of where you’re preparing your feast, you’ll immediately make your guests feel like they’ve just entered a Texas smokehouse.

Check Price on Porter Road

If you really want to get serious about your brisket, the other place to check out is Snake River Farms.  They’re one of the premier American Wagyu ranchers, and if you pay attention you’ll see their products for sale at some of the most upscale restaurants and steakhouses across the country.

Wagyu is the gold standard when it comes to beef, so their prices aren’t a bargain.  But if you have the coin and want to give it a go, you won’t be disappointed with any of their products.

Snake River Farms American Wagyu Gold Grade Brisket

The absolutely the finest briskets available. Offered in limited quantities, Gold Grade briskets are rich with the highest level of marbling offered by Snake River Farms.

Check Price on Snake River Farms

Brisket FAQ

Is Brisket Beef or Pork?

In the world of BBQ, “brisket” almost always refers to a beef cut – if you order brisket at a BBQ joint, you’re guaranteed to get smoked beef on your plate.

So when you use the term or hear somebody else use it, the assumption is that brisket is referring to a beef cut.

However, there is a less common pork brisket cut.  Historically, the corresponding pork brisket area of a pig has been used to process sausage – but in recent years some more creative butchers have sold the cut as “pork brisket”, in hope that the familiar term would entice people to try to buy it.

Is Corned Beef Brisket the Same As Beef Brisket?

Yes and no.  Both corned beef brisket and “regular” brisket are the same cut of a cow.  Both utilize the two part brisket muscle that we have all become so familiar with.

The difference with corned beef brisket is that it is brine cured and specially seasoned specially before it’s cooked low and slow.

How Many People Does A Brisket Feed?

A general rule of thumb is to prepare 1/2 of a pound of cooked brisket per person.

Of course, this is not a one-size-fits-all answer. The number could change depending on whether you’re serving to adults or children, how hungry your guests are, and how many other dishes are being served at your BBQ.

Final Thoughts

If you came into this article wondering “what is brisket?”, by now I hope you have what you came for.  It’s one of the most popular cuts of beef for BBQ, and one of the most rewarding to cook in your at home BBQ pit.

We hope this article helped you take the next step in your BBQ journey!

Did we miss anything about brisket that should be mentioned in this article?  How did smoking your first brisket go?  We’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.

The post What Is Brisket? Our Guide To The Most Popular BBQ Cut appeared first on Own The Grill.

We have luckily written this article to tell you all you need to know about serving sizes and brisket portions so you’re prepared next time you’re the chef at the big family dinner.

How Much Brisket Should I Serve One Person?

If you’re preparing a single portion of brisket you can easily feed one person with 1/2 pound of brisket along with some sides.

This holds true as the size of your group gets larger. The hungry eaters and the lighter eaters will even out the more people you add, making the 1/2 pound of cooked brisket per pound rule a great guideline for large groups.

Every person is different and it depends on personal preference how much brisket guests will eat. It’s also worth pointing out that average children will naturally eat less than your average adult. Plan about 1/3 pound of cooked brisket per child.

Planning Ahead

Brisket is a large cut of beef that can weigh up to 15-20 pounds. But when cooked, lose roughly 30-35% of your weight and size during the cooking process. This is because meat shrinks as it cooks due to moisture evaporation.

The loss can sometimes be far less than this, however, it’s best to be prepared as you always would rather end up with extra brisket than not enough.

In our mind, it’s always better to have too much brisket than not enough. Brisket is an excellent food for leftovers – check out our leftover brisket recipe ideas next for some inspiration!

Serving The Brisket

The meat will always weigh the same, whether you slice or chop the brisket, however, the presentation will differ and this can affect potion sizes.

When carved into neat slices, the meat tends to go down quicker than if you were to chop or shred the same amount. 

This means if you want to serve the meat sliced, you should be buying more than you think you will need. Sliced brisket looks nice served up at a dinner party and for this to work, we always recommend buying brisket flats.

Age Of Guests

One thing that might also affect how much brisket you will need to buy to ensure everyone gets enough is the age of your guests.

Younger children won’t necessarily eat as much brisket as older adults who tend to enjoy hearty meals. So if you know that most of your guests are going to be adults, you might want to consider purchasing slightly more brisket than you normally would.

But even with little ones, you should plan on preparing at least 1/4 to 1/3 pound per person of cooked brisket.

Time Of Day 

The final thing you will want to take into account is the time of day you will be serving the brisket. If you’re planning on having the meal during lunchtime, then you probably won’t need to worry too much about larger portions. 

However, if you’re expecting the meal to be eaten later in the evening, you may find yourself wanting to purchase more brisket as this is the primary feast of the day where guests are much hungrier.

What Is Brisket?

To remind ourselves, beef brisket is a type of beef roast that is usually cooked over low heat for several hours or overnight. The meat has a distinctive flavor and texture because it is slow-roasted. 

This means that the meat takes longer to cook than other cuts of beef. Briskets are often served at BBQ cookouts and special events. They are also commonly sold as a cut of meat from the supermarket.

Brisket is one of the leanest types of beef available. It contains less fat than most other cuts of beef. That’s why many people prefer to use this cut when they make their hamburgers.

Brisket is high in protein and low in calories. One serving of brisket provides around 20 grams of protein. It’s not only good for you, but it tastes delicious and this is why so many people love to serve it up at BBQs and dinner parties.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, we hope our guide helps you plan a successful brisket dinner party. We’ve covered everything from how many people you’d like to invite, to how much brisket you’ll need to buy, to how much-cooked meat you will need to serve each person, and even how to carve the meat so everyone gets an equal serving size. 

We promise if you perfect the brisket, you’ll be able to impress all your family and friends and leave them wanting more, so go and try it now! You won’t be disappointed!

The post How Many People Will A Brisket Feed? appeared first on Own The Grill.

However, many people debate which is better – chopped brisket or sliced brisket? The great thing is that both of them taste absolutely incredible and deserve their own recognition.

Our guide will hopefully help you to decide which one is best for you and how to cook and prepare them. At the end of the day, it’s always good to understand your meal before making it so that you can produce the best results.

What Is Beef Brisket?

Beef briskets are very popular because they’re generally big, fatty cuts of beef with tons of flavor.

In fact, these types of muscles are what gives the beef its rich flavors. Because of this, when you get a cut like a brisket, you’re getting the full range of flavor. That’s why it tastes so delicious!

What’s The Difference Between Sliced And Chopped Brisket?

Chopping or slicing fresh beef brisket is going to depend on what type of meat you prefer.

When we say that you can chop brisket, we mean that you could chop the whole brisket into pieces that are equal to your preferred thickness.

For example, you could slice against the grain for thin slices of beef or into strips for thicker chunks. This will allow you to create the meal that you want and suit the texture to your needs.

If we say that you can slice brisket, we mean thick slices of beef that still retain some structure to them. These slices are perfect for sandwiches and are especially helpful when you’re serving them for brisket tacos.

Either way, it’s important to remember that you want to serve brisket after it’s rested and not overcooked so that you still maintain the juiciness that you love about this kind of beef.

How To Slice Brisket

You’ll want to wait for around an hour before you place the meat onto a cutting board. Make sure that the board is big enough that all the meat will fit, otherwise you risk the meat touching surfaces that might be unclean.

It’s always good to use a sharp slicing knife so that you can get the best results possible. There’s nothing worse than having to use too much effort and energy when cutting your meat. The sharper the knife, the easier the cutting.

Find the grain and place the beef into a position where you can slice against the muscles and their fibers. Note that the brisket point and flat will have grain running in different directions.

The smoother the cut, the better the quality of your meal. There should be a slither of fat on each cut so that you have the option to cut it away or enjoy it with your meat.

The best technique is to slice in the same direction whilst sawing back and forth.

This will gently ensure that the cut is smooth but thorough, making sure that the beef doesn’t seem like it’s been torn apart with someone’s bare hands or with a blunt blade.

Once you’ve cut as many slices as you need, you can plate up the meat and prepare it ready for serving. It’s not too complicated once you get into the process!

How To Chop Brisket

When you chop brisket, it’s going to be a lot different because you’re not really slicing the meat. Instead, you’re chopping it together into smaller and more manageable parts.

If you were to try to chop the whole piece of meat, it would be a lot harder to work with than if you sliced it in half first. You’ll also find that the pieces tend to crumble more easily since they aren’t as well-defined.

Firstly and most importantly, make sure that the brisket has had enough time to rest once it’s cooked. This will ensure that the textures and the flavors are just right and will make your job a lot easier.

We recommend leaving the meat to rest for at least an hour, and up to three hours in general. The first hour is vital to ensuring your food is perfect.

Like with slicing your brisket, you want to aim against the grain for the best results.

If you cut with the grain then you’re going to end up with meat that’s too chewy to enjoy and that’s the last thing you want after investing so much time and effort into making your brisket.

The aim is to have meat soft and tender enough so that it’s perfect for sandwiches.

We also recommend adding some sort of vinegar or acidic juice to your meat to help enhance the flavors and to help keep the fat levels balanced.

Barbecue sauce is almost always used when cooking brisket, however, lemon and lime juice is also a great idea. These are both good and will all depend on which flavor you want to experience when eating your brisket.

What Part Of The Cow Is Beef Brisket?

You may wonder where beef brisket comes from. Well, technically speaking, beef brisket actually comes from the chest area of the cow.

How To Cook A Brisket

Cooking a sliced brisket is pretty simple. First off, you need to make sure that the brisket has been trimmed well, and then season it all over with a rub. This will help to let the flavors explode in your mouth once you start to eat the brisket.

Then the brisket goes on the smoker, usually between 225 or 250ºF, for up to 16 hours depending on the size of your cut.

Once cooked, remove it from the smoker and place in a cooler to rest.

Sliced vs Chopped Brisket – The Final Breakdown

What should you look out for when deciding on which method to use? Well, you need to make sure that you know what you’re going to use the brisket for.

For example, if you know that you’re going to eat this beef on a BBQ platter, then the sliced version is best.

However, chopped beef brisket is a useful option to enjoy a good sandwich or roll because of how small you can cut the beef. Chopped is also the way to go for dishes like brisket mac and cheese!

Another thing to consider is the texture. Sliced brisket will need to be cut and therefore will probably take longer to eat as a result.

However, there are many who prefer chopped brisket because it’s smaller and easier to eat when accompanied by sandwich bread and other similar foods.

Because of how small these meat sizes can be, they can be bite-sized and will be amazing as a part of a larger meal.

Final Thoughts

Many people like to chop their brisket if they prefer smaller portions that can be transformed into bite-sized versions of beef.

Ultimately, the way you prepare your brisket will come down to what you’re planning to accompany the meat with and how many people intend to eat it.

Beef brisket is easily one of the most versatile options when it comes to cooking beef and will allow you to have creative freedom over the meals you’re looking to incorporate it into.

Why not experiment? Find some recipes and have some fun making some good food!

The post Sliced vs Chopped Brisket – Which is best? appeared first on Own The Grill.

But it’s important to not gloss over one of the most overlooked parts of the brisket smoking process.  To get the most out of all smoker grills, you need to be using the right kind of wood.

The best wood for smoking brisket undoubtedly will take your food to the next level.  Many beginners overlook this part, but it’s super important, and as you’re about to see – each type of wood will impart a different flavor to your brisket.

In this article, we’ll go over our picks for getting the optimal flavor out of  your cooked beef.  From there, we’ll touch on some types of wood that you should definitely avoid on your quest for brisket glory.

Here is a quick glance at the best wood for smoking brisket:

HUMOS Olive Smoking Wood Chips for BBQ, Smoker, Kamado and Gas, Charcoal & Electric Grill (Olive)

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Fire & Flavor Apple Wood Chunks for Smoking and Grilling All-Natural, Long-Lasting with a Mildly Sweet Flavor Large Chunk Wood Chips for Smokers,Green 4 Pounds

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Camerons All Natural Pecan Wood Chips for Smoker - 260 Cu. In. Bag, Approx 2 Pounds- Kiln Dried Coarse Cut BBQ Grill Wood Chips for Smoking Meats - Barbecue Smoker Accessories - Grilling Gifts for Men

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Camerons All Natural Cherry Wood Chips for Smoker -260 Cu. In. Bag, Approx 2 Pounds- Kiln Dried Coarse Cut BBQ Grill Wood Chips for Smoking Meats - Barbecue Smoker Accessories - Grilling Gifts for Men

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Camerons All Natural Maple Wood Chips for Smoker - 260 Cu. In. Bag, Approx 2 Pounds- Kiln Dried Coarse Cut BBQ Grill Wood Chips for Smoking Meats - Barbecue Smoker Accessories - Grilling Gifts for Men

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MacLean's Mesquite Wood Chips Bundle

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What’s the Best Wood for Smoking Brisket?

It’s not uncommon for a brisket to cook for as long as 12 hours or more depending on the size.  That’s an incredibly long time – and for that entire duration, your beef will be exposed to the smoke created by the fire you create.

That’s not a bad thing!  The best wood for smoking brisket will impart delicious, complex, traditional BBQ flavoring onto your food.  It’s what you want!

This is not an exhaustive list – there are certainly other woods you can smoke brisket with to achieve delicious results.  We came up with our top picks for best wood for smoking brisket based on flavor, ease of use, and how widely available the wood is.

Hickory

Hickory is the MVP when it comes to smoking meat.  It’s versatile and works with just about any cut, and brisket is no exception.  On a practical level, hickory is widely available and relatively inexpensive to acquire.

Flavor wise, hickory will impart the “traditional” smoky flavor that many of us have come to expect with our BBQ.  The flavors are pretty strong relative to other woods and interact very well with strong beefy flavors.

One thing to note with hickory is that it’s a wood that produces a lot of smoke.  With that in mind, you want to be careful to not go overboard.

Most Versatile BBQ Wood

Smoak Firewood Hickory Cooking Wood Logs

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Oak (Post Oak)

Texas Monthly does a yearly roundup of the best BBQ joints in Texas.  You don’t have to spend a ton of time scrolling through the list to notice a pattern – almost all of the top joints use Post Oak as their wood fuel of choice.

That’s not to say everybody should feel the need to use Oak – variety is good!  But at the same time, Texas style brisket has earned a reputation as some of the best of the best in the world of BBQ.

Oak is one of the best woods for smoking brisket for a few different reasons.  First of all, it burns for a long time and is very consistent and easy to manage.  Those are really nice attributes for a day long brisket cook.

The other main reason is the flavor of oak smoke.  On the scale of light to strong smokiness, it’s pretty firmly in the middle.  Because of that, it’s a great, safe choice that will appeal to many different types of taste buds.

Oak’s flavor strength also makes it a great candidate for blending with other woods.  No matter whether you blend oak with stronger woods like mesquite, or lighter ones like cherry, oak is a definite value add and will add a beautiful layer of flavor to your brisket.

What the Pros Use

Western Premium BBQ Products Post Oak

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Mesquite

If you’re looking for a more intense flavor profile, smoking with mesquite a try.  Relative to the rest of this list, mesquite definitely gives off the strongest flavor.  It’s the wood of choice for lovers of strong smoky flavor.

If you like the flavor of mesquite but want to soften it a little bit, it might be a good idea to blend with a different type of wood.  This is a great way to get the benefit of delicious mesquite flavor with a little less intensity!

Mesquite is one of the fastest burning woods, so you should take this into account – especially considering you might be smoking a brisket for an entire day.

Maple

Maple falls a little bit lighter on the smoky strength spectrum – and many people use maple as a primary wood for meats like ribs, chicken, pork, and turkey.  Because of that, you might not first consider it as a top choice for brisket – but brisket and maple can be a great match.

With maple, the wood is long burning and imparts a somewhat mild flavor onto your brisket.  It’s a great choice for beginners because it’s really hard to over smoke your brisket when using maple.  So if you’re just getting the hang of smoking, this is one of the best woods that you can start out with.

The “downside”, if you can call it that, with maple is that for some, it might not be quite strong enough of a flavor if you prefer smoky flavor in abundance with your brisket.

Like oak, it’s also a great wood to blend with.  In particular, maple is a great companion to mesquite if you want to soften out your strong mesquite flavoring.

Camerons All Natural Maple Wood Chips for Smoker - 260 Cu. In. Bag, Approx 2 Pounds- Kiln Dried Coarse Cut BBQ Grill Wood Chips for Smoking Meats - Barbecue Smoker Accessories - Grilling Gifts for Men

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Cherry

If you’re the type who can appreciate the complexity and maybe a little bit of sweetness in your smoked brisket, cherry is a fantastic choice.  It’s a milder flavor that works well with lighter meats like turkey, but it also has plenty of flavor to hold its own with beef.

Fruitwoods flavor works extremely well with this cut of beef.  It also provides the added benefit of imparting a beautiful, dark red color to the surface of your brisket that just makes it look even better.

For those who enjoy a stronger smokey flavor in your brisket, cheery is also a great blending candidate.  When paired up with a stronger wood like oak, hickory, or even mesquite, you’ll still get that hint of fruitiness combined with an elevated smokiness.

It may not be the best to blend with mesquite, as mesquite’s flavor can completely overpower cherry’s flavor profile.

Camerons All Natural Cherry Wood Chips for Smoker -260 Cu. In. Bag, Approx 2 Pounds- Kiln Dried Coarse Cut BBQ Grill Wood Chips for Smoking Meats - Barbecue Smoker Accessories - Grilling Gifts for Men

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Pecan

Where I live, pecan is a little harder to find than some of the other woods on this list, but it’s a great wood for smoking brisket.

Similar to maple, pecan is a great choice for beginners as the flavoring is pretty mild.  It would be really hard to over-smoke a brisket with pecan.

Of course, if your audience prefers a stronger flavor you can certainly blend pecan with woods like oak or hickory.

Pecan is one of those flavors that you kind of have to taste to appreciate.  It adds a certain delicious sweetness and nuttiness to your brisket that you just don’t get from other woods.

Camerons All Natural Pecan Wood Chips for Smoker - 260 Cu. In. Bag, Approx 2 Pounds- Kiln Dried Coarse Cut BBQ Grill Wood Chips for Smoking Meats - Barbecue Smoker Accessories - Grilling Gifts for Men

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Apple

As far as suitability for brisket goes, apple isn’t too far off from cherry.  Apple is a hair further on the mild side of things though, and will lead to a sweet and lightly fruity flavor addition to your brisket.

Just like cherry, apple is a great choice to blend with other woods like oak, hickory, and maple if you want to layer different flavors into your brisket!

Fire & Flavor Apple Wood Chunks for Smoking and Grilling All-Natural, Long-Lasting with a Mildly Sweet Flavor Large Chunk Wood Chips for Smokers,Green 4 Pounds

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Olive

Olive is another one that’s a little harder to come across but can provide really nice results for a brisket.

Flavor wise, it’s actually pretty similar to Mesquite, but it’s got a lighter flavor profile.  It’s a great intro to Mesquite and also works well in blends with other woods, depending on what you want to go for.

HUMOS Olive Smoking Wood Chips for BBQ, Smoker, Kamado and Gas, Charcoal & Electric Grill (Olive)

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Benefits of Using Wood Smoke With Brisket

The brisket comes from the chest area of a cow – it’s a muscle that upholds the gargantuan weight of a steer.  So naturally it’s a pretty tough cut of beef to work with.

That’s why smoking is an ideal cooking method.  It needs to cook low and slow over long periods of time to tenderize and break down tough parts of the meat.  Trimming your brisket the right way can also make a big difference in the end result of your brisket.

Sure, you could definitely cook a brisket without using smoke.  But there’s a reason the professionals and avid pit masters always utilize smoke when it comes to cooking brisket.  Smoke, along with their brisket rub, are the two most important factors when it comes to the end flavor of brisket.

The best wood for smoking brisket will impart smoke into your food for hours and hours, many times an entire half day.  It takes that much time for the smoke to penetrate deep into your brisket so that it reaches every delicious bite.

Smoke is also what makes properly smoked brisket end up with a beautiful and scrumptious bark.  I promise you if you prefect the bark, your brisket will be the stuff of legend amongst family and friends.

On top of all of that, you can experiment with different types of woods and wood blends until you perfect your brisket recipe.  Half of the fun in smoking is the discovery process of figuring out what’s best for you!

Different Sizes of Wood Fuel

Wood fuel for smoking comes in a few different shapes and sizes.  Most commonly, wood for smoking comes in the form of wood pellets, wood chips, wood chunks, and logs.

Wood chips are a nice option especially if you’re smoking in an electric smoker or in charcoal grills that don’t have enough room to fit chunks.  Chips are super easy to work with and are very easy to burn.  This size of wood is widely available in all sorts of flavors.  Check out the differences between wood pellets and chips here.

Wood chunks are another step up when it comes to size.  If you’re smoking with a charcoal grill or even an offset smoker, wood chunks are a really nice choice.  Chunks are a little more robust and only require a couple of them to a handful for an entire smoke.

Wood chunks are great in tandem with charcoal and are also widely available in different flavors of bags.

Wood logs are the size of choice if you want a pure, wood only fire to smoke your brisket.  Quality logs are typically a bit harder to find, and they mostly only fit in large fireboxes or offset smokers, but if you are able to pull it off – wood logs are the way to do it.

Lump charcoal is also a fantastic source of fuel for brisket.  Lump charcoal is a little healthier and organic and is sold in all sorts of different wood species.  A quality bag of lump charcoal will come with many pieces sized between chunks and logs.

Best Wood for Smoking Brisket – Wrap Up

Smoking a brisket takes a ton of time.  It’s not the easiest food to prepare, but it’s without a doubt one of the most rewarding when you get it done the right way.  And you’ll be set with tons of leftovers after all of that hard work!

The only way to get there is to pair your beef cut with the best wood for smoking brisket.  Experiment with different types of wood and figure out what works best for you!  All of the suggestions on this list are a great starting point.

I hope this article is a springboard for you in your journey to delicious brisket!  Which wood did you choose to use?  Let us know about it in the comments section below.

The post Best Wood for Smoking Brisket – Our Top Picks For Legendary Results appeared first on Own The Grill.

The question is, what are the best methods for reheating brisket?  You’ll want to do everything you can to get the most flavor and tenderness out of your leftovers.  There are a few different ways for reheating brisket – some faster than others and all leading to slightly (or not so slightly) different results.

In this article, we’ve made a complete guide to reheating brisket.  We’ll go over all the best ways to reheat brisket and cover the pros and cons of each different method we take a look at.

Reheating Brisket – Quick Overview

When we think about reheating brisket, it’s important to put this delicious cut of meat into context.

By nature, beef brisket is a tougher cut of meat to work with compared to others.  That’s because brisket comes from the lower chest area of a steer and is essentially a muscle that constantly burdens the weight of these massive animals.

This is the exact reason that you use a smoker to cook brisket.  On a smoker, an hours long low and slow cooking process allows your brisket to tenderize and remain moist – so that way you end up with the delicious flavor and texture that we’ve all come to love with brisket.

When you’re reheating brisket, the goal is the same.  We want to preserve the tenderness and moisture and bring the delicious flavors forward.  The last thing we want to do is dry out our leftovers.

A Quick Note on Proper Storage

Really, the process for reheating brisket starts with how you store it.  Storing your meat the right way will directly impact the level of flavor and tenderness you’ll be able to achieve later.

If your leftover brisket is unsliced, first wrap your brisket as tightly as possible with cling wrap.  After that, wrap a layer of aluminum foil around your brisket and the cling wrap.  From there, place the aluminum foil and plastic wrapped brisket into a sealable bag.  All of these layers help to prevent freezer burn and to keep foreign flavors and smells off of your leftovers.

No matter whether you’re storing brisket slices or a whole brisket, be sure to include the juices and drippings in the storage container!  You’ll want these juices during the reheating process to help with moisture levels.

Great for BBQ

Rubbermaid Leak-Proof Brilliance Food Storage Set

• Dishwasher, microwave, and freezer safe
• Large containers are perfect for brisket, pulled pork, or other BBQ leftovers
• Stackable for easy organization

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Refrigerator vs Freezer

You can store brisket in a refrigerator or a freezer.  If stored in a refrigerator, it will last for 2 or 3 days – after that you should probably throw it out.

Brisket in a freezer will technically last indefinitely, but in practice plan on reheating or eating within 2 to 3 months of putting it in your freezer.  After that, your food will start to lose its flavor and freezer burn becomes more likely.

How to Properly Thaw a Frozen Brisket

Another component of reheating brisket – especially if you’ve stored it in the freezer, is the brisket thawing process.  With some foods, you can thaw in the microwave.  With brisket, that’s not really the case – and you want to keep your brisket far far away from the microwave (we’ll elaborate more on that later).

So with that in mind, the best thing you can do is to plan ahead.  It’s best to know ahead of time when you plan to reheat your brisket so that you can properly and safely thaw it beforehand.

Note – the USDA has a very helpful guide right here about safely thawing foods that’s good knowledge for anybody to learn.

Basically, there are two methods that are generally recommended for thawing a frozen brisket.

The first choice would be to thaw it in the refrigerator.  This method takes a little bit of planning though as it can take 1 to 2 days for a whole brisket to thaw in the refrigerator.  But if you know ahead of time when you’ll want your leftovers, the best thing to do is to place your brisket in the fridge 36-48 hours before it’s go time.

The second way to thaw a brisket is by placing it in a bowl and running cold water over it until it thaws.  It’s important to note here that your brisket must be completely covered and sealed in an airtight bag.

Reheating Brisket in the Oven

Using a conventional oven to reheat brisket is probably the easiest and most effective method.  Here’s a step by step guide for using an oven to warm up your leftovers:

1. Preheat your oven to 300°F.
2. Place your brisket in a baking pan, including any juices and drippings you saved.  If you didn’t save the juices, other liquids like broth or apple juice can be substituted.
3. Cover the pan and brisket with aluminum foil.
4. Place your brisket into the oven.  If it’s a whole brisket, plan on your meat taking about an hour to get to temperature.  If your brisket is sliced, plan on warming for 20-25 minutes.
5. Check your meat’s internal temperature with a probe thermometer.  Your brisket is done warming after it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F.
6. Serve and enjoy!

Reheating Brisket on the Grill or Smoker

If you are feeling ambitious and want to fire up your grill or smoker to reheat your brisket, it’s essentially the same process as using an oven.  There are a couple of added steps though, and if your smoker temperature is lower then your heating time will take longer.

1. Light your grill (indirect heat set up) or smoker to a temperature of 300°F.
2. Place your brisket and drippings into a baking pan or an aluminum foil pan.
3. Wrap your brisket and pan with foil.
4. Place your brisket and pan on your cooking grates.  For unsliced brisket, plan on reheating for around an hour.  For sliced brisket, plan on reheating for 20-25 minutes.
5. Your brisket is done heating when it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F.  Confirm this with a probe thermometer.
6. Serve and enjoy!

Reheating Brisket Sous Vide

The sous vide method is a great way to reheat just about anything, really.  The “catch” is that you need to have a sous vide machine handy.

Sous vide is a methodology where vacuum sealed food is slowly heated in a bath of warm/hot water until it’s been brought up to temperature.

The great thing about the sous vide method is that it ensures you’ll never overcook your brisket, and it’s incredibly easy to achieve moist and tender results.  It just takes a lot of guesswork out of the process.

If using the sous vide method, you still want to cook until your brisket reaches an internal temperature of 160°F.  Set your machine to this heat setting, and cook your brisket until this temperature is reached.

Reheating Brisket in the Microwave

Typically my advice for those wanting to reheat brisket in the microwave is don’t.

Remember, brisket is by nature a tough cut of meat.  A lot of time and work on the smoker goes into turning it into a moist and delicious masterpiece.

You’ll be prone to easily overcooking your brisket in the microwave.  Not only that, but the microwaving process generally makes your brisket dry and tough.  More often than not, you’ll be left with poor tasting, tough, chewy, leathery brisket.  It’s truly a waste to reheat good brisket in the microwave.

If you absolutely HAVE to use a microwave because you’re pinched for time, turn your microwave to 20% power and cook it in 30 second intervals to not overcook it.  Also be sure to include juices in your bowl or spritz with broth or apple juice.  I still wouldn’t recommend doing this, but this is a way to get edible results when reheating brisket in the microwave.

Leftover Brisket Recipes

If you want to get creative with your reheated brisket, one of my absolute favorite things to do is to make chopped brisket tacos.  It’s a great way to add a little variation if you had the brisket “regular” last time.

You can also throw leftover brisket on some smoked mac and cheese… yum!

All you need is a couple of extra store bought ingredients and you are ready to have a delicious meal.  For my brisket tacos, I like to get pico de gallo, sliced avocado, and my reheated brisket on a corn tortilla.  From there just add salt and pepper to taste and viola.

Check out our leftover brisket tacos and brisket mac and cheese recipes if you want to get inspired ideas for your reheated brisket.

Final Thoughts

We could all use more brisket in our lives.  Whether you made it yourself or bought it from a BBQ restaurant, knowing how to reheat brisket the right way is important to get the most out of your beef!

Hopefully now that you’ve read our guide on reheating brisket, you’ve got all of the knowledge you need to do it yourself at home.

If you want some more knowledge on how to best reheat different types of meat, check out our reheating pulled pork and reheating chicken wings guides next.

The post Ultimate Guide to Reheating Brisket – 4 Ways for Maximum Flavor and Tenderness appeared first on Own The Grill.

But then after about 2 or 3 hours, the climb in temperature plateaus at about 150-160°F for an extended period of time, much to your distress.  Occasionally, it can even drop a few degrees!

This phenomenon is called the brisket stall.  Sometimes it’s also been referred to as “the zone” or “the plateau”, but it’s all referring to the same thing.  The dreaded period of time where your brisket seemingly isn’t cooking and your hungry guests are going to be arriving in a few hours.

In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the brisket stall.  We’ll go over the science behind the stall and how it is a perfectly natural occurrence – and how it can help your brisket form a delicious bark.

What Is The Brisket Stall Exactly?

The brisket stall is a phenomenon that happens while your brisket is cooking on the smoker.  Briskets typically cook for 10-12 hours, with the ambient temperature of the smoker at 225°F.  Your brisket is ready to come off of the smoker once it reaches an internal temperature of 203°F.

Your probe thermometer constantly gauges the temperature of the brisket as it cooks.  For the first part of the cook, your brisket rapidly rises in temperature.  About two hours in however, the internal temperature of your food completely stops rising.

In some cases, it might actually drip a couple of degrees in temperature.  This phase – the brisket stall – lasts for around four hours and potentially more.

If you aren’t familiar with the brisket stall phenomenon, it can be a stressful thing to deal with.  You might even be tempted to crank up your smoker’s heat or bring it inside to the oven.  The plateau phase seems to last forever, especially when you’re diligently checking the status of your brisket!

The short story is that the brisket stall is normal, and in fact explained by science!  There is sound science behind the reasons why it happens, and there’s no reason to panic when it does.

What Brisket Stall Is NOT

Brisket stall is one of those things that incites a lot of speculation and theories.  Depending on which pit-master you ask, you might hear one of a few different theories floating out there about what causes brisket stall.  Here are a couple of the most common old wives tales about brisket stall.

Collagen Phase Change

One of the most popular theories about the “why” revolves around a phase change that occurs during the brisket cooking process. The logic is that collagen protein combines with the moisture of the brisket and converts into gelatin at about 160°F.

Collagen is found in the steer and are connective tissues that encase muscles and connect muscles to other muscles and bone.  While this theory sounds nice, there just simply isn’t enough collagen in a cut of brisket to account for all of the energy that gets released, causing the brisket stall.

It’s by pure chance that the collagen phase change occurs at 160°F – just about the temperature where the stall typically occurs.

Fat Rendering

The other popular theory has to do with fat rendering – essentially fat melting for a period of time and absorbing the energy that would otherwise contribute to the warming of the brisket.

Tests have been done to debunk this theory.  In fact, the folks at amazingribs.com have even gone as far as to place a lump of pure beef fat in a smoker with a probe thermometer measuring the temperature of the fat over time.

The results?  No stall whatsoever.  The fat steadily and rapidly increased in temperature over time.

The Science Behind Brisket Stall

With a few of the most common theories debunked, it’s time to take a look at the real reason for the occurrence of brisket stall.

Evaporative Cooling

The science behind the brisket stall can be explained as the consequence of evaporative cooling – which is essentially a fancy way of saying that your brisket is sweating inside the smoker.  The “sweat” cools the brisket and keeps the temperature down for a period of time (typically around 4 hours), and after the moisture is gone, the temperature of your brisket will rise more.

Inside of most types of smokers, a fire is the source of heat (or a heating element if you’re using an electric smoker).  This heat is then distributed throughout your cooking chamber.  Some of the heat escapes through vents, but some of it gets absorbed by the food that you’re cooking on the smoker.

The heat that does get absorbed by the brisket warms the food, melts fat, and evaporates the moisture inside of the cut of beef.  From there, the evaporating moisture has an offsetting cooling effect on the surface of your meat while it continues to cook.

This balance of heat and cooling stays in place for a few hours, and is the exact reason for the brisket stall.  After a certain amount of time, there isn’t any moisture left in your brisket and the internal temperature will begin to rise.

The Texas Crutch

If your goal is to retain more moisture, decrease your cooking time, and “beat” the stall – you can try out a trick called the Texas Crutch.

The Texas Crutch is a method in which you wrap brisket with foil as it has reached its stall.  Once it’s reached a temperature of 150-170°F wrap it in aluminum foil.  You can also add a little bit of apple cider or apple juice to increase moisture levels.

The moisture will create a little bit of steam that will further tenderize your food and speed up the cooking process.  Foil prevents evaporation and will over time approach a low simmer like effect.  Any moisture that comes out of the food will pool in the foil along with any liquid that you added in before hand.  The Texas Crutch is a great way to speed up your cook and add moisture if you’re in a hurry.

Is Brisket Stall Bad?

Brisket stall isn’t inherently bad – some pit masters would even say that it helps the final result of your brisket.  It all comes down to your personal preference.

The reason that brisket stall has a negative connotation is simply due to the fact that it can cause panic for a less experienced pit master.  We’ve all been there on our first brisket!  Four hours of no temperature rise is a really long time, and you begin to question if you’ve done things the right way.

If you can stick out the stall though, there is a handsome reward on the other side.  In particular, the stall helps to build a delicious professional grade crusty bark on the outside of your brisket.  The evaporation process allows for a bark to form and dry out on the outer layer of your meat.

So brisket stall isn’t bad per se – it can be avoided if you prefer faster results.  It can also be leaned into if you prefer brisket with a deep bark.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Does the Stall Last on a Brisket?

The stall on a brisket can last for around 7 hours, depending on the size of the cut – but often it’s less. Of course, this is not the news anyone wants to hear. The stall is the most tricky aspect of smoking any kind of meat and can be difficult to get around.

7 hours is, of course, the maximum time, and oftentimes you will find that the stall will not last as long as this. However, it can be difficult to estimate quite how long this takes#. The issue is, this is quite a scientific aspect of smoking and the fixes for it can vary.

Many people may find that they can save their brisket from stalling after just an hour or two, provided they act quickly and adequately to prevent it from stalling for long lengths of time.

What Do I Do When My Brisket Stalls?

When your brisket stalls it is absolutely essential that you act very quickly to try and get it under control, otherwise you could be in for up to 7 hours of stall time! First of all, you need to turn the temperature of the smoker down.

When you have done this you need to work on keeping the humidity of the smoker and the brisket as high as possible. You can do this by using a water pan in the smoker, and also by spritzing the brisket itself with water. Do this until the brisket temperature reaches about 190 degrees Fahrenheit.

When you are satisfied that the brisket is stable at 190 degrees, you can remove the water pan in order to finish the brisket off. The brisket should get to around 200 to 203 degrees when you do this.

At What Temp Does Brisket Stall?

The answer to this is: it totally depends on the brisket! The temperature at which a brisket stalls can depend on a number of factors. That being said, there is a typical stalling range for brisket that we can share with you.

Many avid smoker fans who are used to smoking briskets will know that the crucial temperature for stalling is typically at around 145 degrees Fahrenheit to 150 degrees Fahrenheit (between 62.5 and 65.5 degrees Celsius for my metric friends).

The stall can then continue until it reaches a point of around 175 degrees Fahrenheit. It needs to push past this final temperature to get out of the stall, which, as you may know, can take up to 7 hours!

Of course, as long as you act fast you can stop the stall by employing techniques such as humidity and lower temperatures. Just ensure you act quickly to prevent you from having to wait for 7 hours or more.

Can Brisket Stall Twice?

There is a lot of confusion over whether a brisket can stall twice. The truth is, it can be hard to tell because many people mistake a long first stall for two separate stalls!

As you will know from the other sections of this article, brisket can be in a stall period for up to 7 hours. Usually, it is much shorter than this but the maximum time is still possible.

During this time the brisket can increase and decrease in temperature, making it seem like there have been two or more stalls.

Of course, more than one stall may certainly be possible, but it is also quite likely that you are just experiencing the same stall but for a longer period of time, perhaps with a slight decrease then fast increase of temperature.

One thing is for sure and that is that smoking a brisket can quickly become like a science experiment and you really don’t know what to expect, especially as a beginner!

Should I Wrap Brisket at the Stall?

Yes, you can certainly wrap your brisket if you notice that it has reached a stall. This can help it break through the stall and get back on track. Many people choose to wrap their brisket from the get-go.

This is thought by many to stop the stall from happening in the first place, or at least shortening the amount of time it can stall for. It is worth bearing in mind that if you like a crispy bark on your brisket then wrapping the brisket may interfere with this.

For this reason, you may want to finish it off by unwrapping it when it is almost done. Likewise, wrapping it at the stall when it has already started to crisp may work well.

Final Thoughts

I hope this article has helped to clear up the fact and fiction surrounding brisket stall.  At the end of the day, it’s a result of the science of cooking and understanding the stall is important to your mastery of the smoker.

There are certainly ways around it if you want – like the Texas Crutch method or simply making hot and fast brisket.

Have any more questions for us about the brisket stall?  Reach out in the comments section below and we’ll get them answered for you.

Want more information on brisket itself?  Check out our complete guide here.

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