Roll the Yule Tide Brisket?

[rodekyll]

Got a simple marinade going -- soy sauce, garlic, lemon juice, and something else I forget right now.  Oh -- beef broth.  I put it together during the first quarter of the Seahawks game and I'll let the trimmed brisket soak until the wee hours.  Should I put it on the porch @30º, the fridge at slightly warmer, or leave at room temp for the 8+ hours?

[Guzzistajohn]

Room temp will be fine. Better to be room temp when you put it in the smoker

[rodekyll]

I put it in the slow cooker.  No smoker available.   

Started the heat @5PM.  Took it out to "rest" in the fridge 9:30 AM.  Doesn't look ruined yet.

[LowRyter]

so RK, how'd it come out?

[rodekyll]

It wasn't too bad.  Although I may have had the heat on it for too long, the texture, moisture, and tenderness was about right.  I was disappointed in my spice choices.  They weren't wrong, but not quite what I expected.  I think I'm a corned brisket fan.  The veggies were ok too.  I used spuds, carrots, onions and celery from the garden.  The sauce got out of hand.  My sister started it and I added cranberry raisins and huckleberries to a marinade and baste that was already a bit on the sweet side.  I wasn't expecting as much sweet to it, since she's diabetic, but there it was.  After I added the berries we could have used it for pancake syrup.

I went back and made a sandwich from the leftovers the next day.  Later when I returned, it was all gone.  My sister had fed a full pound of the $8/pound brisket to the dog, along with full helpings of spuds and carrots.  The dog held total eye contact as he shit it onto the rug.  I'm not cleaning it up.

[rodekyll]

For those with access, I'd agree.  It's 130 mile round trip to WW for me though.

[LowRyter]

It wasn't too bad.  Although I may have had the heat on it for too long, the texture, moisture, and tenderness was about right.  I was disappointed in my spice choices.  They weren't wrong, but not quite what I expected.  I think I'm a corned brisket fan.  The veggies were ok too.  I used spuds, carrots, onions and celery from the garden.  The sauce got out of hand.  My sister started it and I added cranberry raisins and huckleberries to a marinade and baste that was already a bit on the sweet side.  I wasn't expecting as much sweet to it, since she's diabetic, but there it was.  After I added the berries we could have used it for pancake syrup.

I went back and made a sandwich from the leftovers the next day.  Later when I returned, it was all gone.  My sister had fed a full pound of the $8/pound brisket to the dog, along with full helpings of spuds and carrots.  The dog held total eye contact as he shit it onto the rug.  I'm not cleaning it up.

I've found the best crockpot briskets are the prepackaged cornbeef.  Otherwise, I'd braise in the oven or smoke it.  Either of those takes many hours. 

Today I smoked a couple of chuck roasts and some short ribs.  It took about 3 hours for the roast and 3 1/2 for the ribs. 

[Chuck in Indiana]

I've found the best crockpot briskets are the prepackaged cornbeef.  Otherwise, I'd braise in the oven or smoke it.  Either of those takes many hours. 

Today I smoked a couple of chuck roasts and some short ribs.  It took about 3 hours for the roast and 3 1/2 for the ribs.

<shaking head> John..John.. you must be running the temp way too high. It ought to take 6 hours for ribs.. <shufflin off>

[Gliderjohn]

Okay, can't help myself I have to chime in here. This ain't rocket science. I use a $100 dollar charcoal WW smoker/grill. One of the few things I have ever bought from WW that actually did the job, and for years. Anyway I digress. If using a charcoal smoker use a mix of brick and lump charcoal. Otherwise:
Buy a brisket from a local individually owned butcher or independent grocery if possible. At least in the midwest you shouldn't have to pay more than $6.00 a pound and should be less. You want a brisket with a fully covered fat side.
Marinade the brisket for 12-24 hours in a vinegar and beer based marinade (Many variations on the internet), rub with onion powder, minced garlic, fresh ground pepper, some ground clove, kosher salt, maybe add a bit of liquid smoke and/or a bit of chili powder. Mix and rub on all exposed meat.
Wrap loosely in foil with fat side on top. Put on smoker at around 200 degrees and for a couple of hours adding water soaked hickory chips every 30 minutes or so. After a couple of hours wrap the foil tight around it and continue, can use more wet chips off and on. Total time 6-8 hours, up to 12.
Critical that it sits and cools still wrapped for at least 20 minutes before serving. This is what really finishes off making it tender. 
GliderJohn

[LowRyter]

<shaking head> John..John.. you must be running the temp way too high. It ought to take 6 hours for ribs.. <shufflin off>

I had it at 275, very good temp for a couple of small chuck roasts and 4 short ribs.  And it was 21 degrees outside. 

The roast got to 205 probe temp.  I pulled them out,wrapped them in foil and lowered the temp down to 245 to finish off the ribs.  I always make sure that I trim my ribs, get rid of suet and silver layer and used Montreal Seasoning rub on all of it.

Frankly, I am more of a "hot and fast" type of smoker.   I am not happy with slow cooking on my smoker, the meat gets a little mushy and takes more tending to keep it smoky, in fact the burner usually stops at lower temps and the smoke tends to diminish. 

[chuck peterson]

Marinade baby, marinade...2 days in the fridge, bring to room temp to cook/smoke/grill/burn anyway you like...I like the ease of 6 hrs at 200 degrees without touching them for ribs

It can be a smorgasbord of flavorings from whatever you got...Italian salad dressings? Why yes..just rummage thru the seasoning cabinet and put too much in like a good American male...if it calls for two, use three or four.

I think I'm talking about a "brine", maybe kinda sorta?

[sidmonsters]

Great NGC discussion!  And Rodekyll, you one funny writer.  I worry that I am actually able to follow your train of thought...destinati on be damned.  All my briskets are done the cheap quick way utilizing the pressure cooker/liquid smoke, etc., but anybody who can smoke one properly with the bark on it and all is my new bestest friend.  I know, or believe I know, that corned beef is the salted stuff from the Irish tradition, when salt chunks--like pepper chunks--were called "corns".  Good in its own right, but BBQ brisket with (here comes the motor oil possible hijack thread) Jack Stack's KCMO sauce is beyond compare.
But gotta be KC sauce.  Here we go...
Steve

[Chuck in Indiana]

But gotta be KC sauce.  Here we go... 
Steve

Sauce?  That's what some misguided souls boil BBQ in.  What you are taking about is dip..pronounced "dee yup "

[rodekyll]

You guys are making me want to start over.   

[LowRyter]

I am rub guy, not a sauce guy.  If I screw it up, then I'll dip it in sauce.

In fact, I like rub vs brine. 

Brine chicken, then Mediterranean Italian or BBQ rub.  Grill chicken or smoke chicken then finish on grill so it's not rubbery.
BBQ rub on pork.  Smoke all pork when possible, except grill pork steaks.
Montreal rub on beef.  Grill steaks and burgers.  Smoke ribs and roasts.
Salt, pepper and lemon juice on fish and shrimp. Grill most of my fish and shrimp but smoke salmon and traditional smoking fish and scallops (but good grilled too).

[flip]

This past weekend, my kids and grand kids came to visit so I put a Boston Butt and a pork tenderloin and a little piece of beef tenderloin on a cheap charcoal smoker. I added Mesquite and Hickory wood to it. I don't think it ever got over 250 degrees. The tenderloin was done in 3 hours but the Boston Butt took 11 hours. The pork tasted great but I didn't care for the beef. My kids liked it all. I've got to remember that I don't care much for Mesquite smoke in beef...

[sidmonsters]

Bless your purist hearts, but a quality sauce judiciously brushed on during the final cooking/smoking and allowed to carmelize just so? Mwah.  I agree that dunking (or deeyupping ) a well prepared meat is a violation most foul, but that bit of sauce with every mouthful of good brisket or ribs or butt is IT!  Also allows for regional distinction...makes a good thing even better in my mind, like the carmelized sugar on top of creme brulee--you can eat it without and it's still a bit of heaven, but add that crackly loveliness and it is over the top!  Then again, I like frosting on brownies, good looking women posed with Guzzi bikes, hunting dogs that still like to lean in for a good ear-scratching session, amps that go to 11, etc etc--make good things even gooder!  I rub AND sauce.  Still talking food, gentlefolk.  Stop thinking like that...
Steve

[twowings]

<shaking head> John..John.. you must be running the temp way too high. It ought to take 6 hours for ribs.. <shufflin off>

Good grief, John! You're making actual food, not a McRib Sandwich...

[LowRyter]

Good grief, John! You're making actual food, not a McRib Sandwich...

good grief, Chris! I guess you didn't like my st louis ribs at the campout.  And yours must've been so good that they were gone before I ever saw them.

[LowRyter]

Good grief, John! You're making actual food, not a McRib Sandwich...

McRibs for you. 

I'll take this






I was listening to this when I pulled them out today:

I'll tell you where the four winds sleep
Like four lean hounds the lighthouse keep
Wildflower seed in the sand and wind
May the four winds blow you home again

Roll away, the dew
Roll away, roll away the dew