Smokers (BBQ - not grilling)

[Fred W]

Hey Gang... meet my new friend Angus.

Angus is going to help us celebrate the Holiday weekend. He doesn't know it yet, but he 's the guest of honor!

You might say that Angus is a prime beefcake.

 

[hppants]

Nice looking brisket. Very well trimmed. Should be very tasty when done (low-n-slow).

Inspired, I grilled (direct heat) a set of boneless chick thighs stuffed with red onion and bell pepper, and wrapped in some delightful thick slice bacon.

They went down like aspirin tablets!

Thanks 08FJRME for the suggestion.

 

[08FJR4ME]

Hey Gang... meet my new friend Angus. Angus is going to help us celebrate the Holiday weekend. He doesn't know it yet, but he 's the guest of honor!

You might say that Angus is a prime beefcake.

Of course it will be required to post the finished product along with the libations.

Dave

 

[Blind Squirrel]

Hey Gang... meet my new friend Angus. Angus is going to help us celebrate the Holiday weekend. He doesn't know it yet, but he 's the guest of honor!

You might say that Angus is a prime beefcake.

I've got a flat that I have been wet aging for a few weeks that I am going to do on Saturday

 

[08FJR4ME]

Wet aging?

What's that entale? Never heard of it. To lazy to google right now.

Dave

 

[Blind Squirrel]

Buy it in a cryovac bag and let it set in the back of the refrigerator a few weeks to tenderize.

 

[Fred W]

Dave,

Wet aging beef is just what it sounds like... aging the meat while wrapped in plastic (wet) in the refrigerator. This is made extra easy when the butcher vacuum packs the meat immediately after slaughtering and puts a date code on when it was bagged. Then you just need to look at the date code to know how long it has already "wet aged" or leave it as is in the fridge until you want to use it. The aging (wet or dry) allows the natural enzymes to break down the meat fiber and tenderize it.

My brisket above was a vacuum packed "full packer" (meaning the whole brisket) weighing in at a hefty 15 lbs. It is certified Angus, Choice grade. Finding Prime grade meat at a consumer butcher shop is pretty hard around here. Most Prime or better goes to the restaurant trade. As it is, that was a $100 clod of meat, so it better come out good.

It was somewhat painful to have to trim off over a pound of the heaviest fat layer at $5.99 a lb. But I left a good 1/4" layer of cap on the other side, which I will leave towards the heat (in the case of my UDS, it will be down) for the majority of the cook, and just flip it over for an hour or two to get some color on the exposed meat side.

I also tried something I'd read about, and slit part way through the heavy fat layer between the flat and tip muscles and extracted a good amount of that thick fat layer, leaving enough to render down while cooking and keep the meat moist. I then just flapped them back together for cooking. We'll see how successful that technique is.

Yeah, there will be pictures, no doubt. My plan is to put it on the smoker at ~5AM tomorrow (Thursday) as it is a holiday for us, start of the long weekend, and the kids will start arriving home on Thursday night. Once I have it started there are plenty of "chores" around the 'stead that will keep me distracted while the smoke does its magic all day.

PS - Those veggie / chicken / bacon wraps of yours are definitely on my to-do list.

 

[hppants]

I never thought I'd see a day when we'd pay $6 bucks a pound for cow belly. Guess I'm getting old like the rest of us...

My method for cooking brisket is a little different. I trim the packer brisket excessively - every single morsel of fat that I can cut off is removed. Of course in doing so, I end up with 2 briskets (one more fatty than the other).

I make my own dry rub with an assortment of my favorite stuff and apply it generously with a squirt of Lea-n-perrins. Then wrap it tight in a plastic bag and refrigerate for 24 hours.

I start out with a 350 deg. grille and sear all sides over direct heat for some good grill marks. then the brisket is wrapped tight and allowed to cook over indirect heat, about 225 degrees. At about 1 hour, I unwrap and remove the accumulated juice being rendered from the meat. Then it's re-wrapped and continue cooking. The juice is placed in a large bowl and put in the freezer to quickly solidify and separate the fat in the juice. The remaining juice is re-heated and combined with my homemade BBQ sauce. In addition to the usual ingredients, my sauce contains balsamic vinegar (that I got in Florence), apple juice, and raw (unprocessed) Louisiana cane sugar.

At hour 2, I apply a thin layer of the sauce and re-wrap. Depending on the size of the meat, it cooks tender in about 3-4 hours. I then unwrap and apply a thicker layer of the sauce. I then add more wood chips to the low fire and pass a little smoke over the barked sauce (not burnt). When everything looks right, I remove and let it sit for 20 minutes. Then slice it cross grain and serve with some dipping sauce. The smoke flavor is there, but it's not overpowering. I do have some bark, but it's relatively thin, which again, suits my personal taste. The meat is extremely lean, yet juicy and you can cut it with a plastic fork. It's taken me years to get that combination for brisket.

If I figure 1 pound per person at the grocery, I will be LUCKY if there is any left over for sandwiches.

 

[Fred W]

Many ways to skin that Brisket cat, that's for sure.

Not to diss your method, but by wrapping the meat so early in the cooking I don't think you will get anywhere near full BBQ smoke flavor that you do by leaving the meat and fat bare for at least the first several hours.

 

[TomInPA]

Fred, I take back my previous comment. That cut looks awesomer on my large screen.

I have used Choice cuts for brisket and very few butchers even offer prime. I do inject with low salt broth to pump up the internal moisture before cooking. The cost has really gone up over the past several years as demand for this cut increased. I agree with you that a low and slow start for brisket lets it absorb the most smoke while cooler. There will be plenty of time for bark and char to happen later.

 

[hppants]

Most assuredly agreed, Fred. It's all different and it's all good. Looking forward to seeing your pictures.

I just added a brisket to the grocery list for this weekend. I gotta disengage from this thread, man!

 

[Fred W]

Ha ha... My evil plan is working. There will be a salvo of brisket smoking for the 4th, all around FJR nation!!

I am using the Big Bad Beef Rub recipe from the Amazing Ribs web site during the cook tomorrow, except I doctored it up with a couple extra tsp of smoked paprika. I just can't leave well enough alone...

It will have been dry brining for ~36 hours with a simple Dalmatian rub (Kosher salt and course black pepper).

I also went out to Wally World today and bought myself a second 22 1/2" Webber wire grille rack, and a big 17" rectangular pan ($4!) to use as radiant heat deflector, steam bath, and juice catcher in the Ugly Drum (after the water is gone, at the end of the smoke) for tomorrow's smoke-a-thon. Then I went out in the rain and drilled and installed 4 more rack support bolts at 8" below my cook rack, so I'm now good to go at the crack of dawn.

Yeah, I'm not addicted. I could quit this stuff any time I wanted...

 

[Fred W]

Meat on!

Note the groovy new water bath / radiant heat deflector pan,,,

It is ~ 8" below the cooking grate and I poured a full gallon of water in it, so it should block most of the radiant heat from the charcoal basket below. Since I've got the radiant heat blocked I'm going to try cooking the brisket fat side up for more self-basting action.

See you in about 10 -12 hours...

 

[TomInPA]

I have used both wet and dry heat deflectors in my system. The water bath under the meat tends to result in a more tender final result. I get a bit more flavor and bark with dry radiant heat. Using the water pan makes it easier to keep temperature constant and lower. I am especially fond of using a water bath where there is a risk of drying out the meat like back loin ribs and brisket, where the depth of the meat is so variable. I think you'll like the results. A few sprigs of fresh Thyme in the water doesn't hurt.

 

[Fred W]

Thanks. Yes, it needs lots of thyme... (about 10 or 12 hours )

 

[hppants]

SWMBO has pulled the clutch on my brisket. Our daughter wants red beans and rice and when my little girl (24 years young) ask me to cook her something, to this day I cannot refuse.

 

[Knifemaker]

More food porn...not smoked....but yellow zucchini (in foil), lobster tail, and cedar planked salmon steak basted with butter, garlic, and Wild Turkey Honey:



Partly smoked...boneless country style pork ribs:

 

[El Toro Joe]

Where's the pictures Fred?

 

[Blind Squirrel]

Where's the pictures Fred?

He was probably too busy stuffing his face with that brisket to take a picture!

 

[hppants]

KM - that's some damm fine looking ribs. You and I do it the same way for ribs - sause goes on just before you take it off.