A brisket is a big, fat piece of meat.
It's also one of the toughest cuts of meat in history. It's... extremely "not tender," for lack of a better way to say it.
Personally, I love brisket, but I can understand why some people are hesitant to cook it because it's an intimidating and difficult cut of meat to cook (and, also, usually expensive).
But… that’s exactly why I’m here! If you follow my advice, I guarantee that you will succeed in having a beautiful piece of meat, tasty, juicy and tender, tender, tender. 😊
Here we go!
Choosing the best brisket
There are two muscles in a brisket: the point (the fattiest part used for burn ends) and the flat, both of which are held together by a strip of fat.
When you're at the grocery store or butcher, what's important is that you select a brisket with a flat as possible and a point with lots of marbling. You also need to look at both sides of your cut of meat to make sure it's as even as possible and make sure that the fibers are, most of the time, going in the same direction. (To get a really sexy result, this is important. 😉)
Make meat beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Once you have a great piece of meat in your hands, you need to make it even cuter to fully enjoy it. To do this, a good knife makes all the difference and is essential. And, if I can recommend two, I recommend the Kai Pro Professional Fillet and Boning Knife or the Kanso Fillet Knife . They work really well. 👌
What you want to do with your knife is trim the "soft fat" off your piece of meat and separate the two muscles that are connected by the strip of fat that goes around your brisket. By trimming the "soft fat" you will prevent your seasonings from falling to the bottom of your BBQ when the fat melts, and by dividing the brisket in half you will have better control over the cooking of both pieces individually.
While doing this, also take the opportunity to remove some fat so that your brisket is as even as possible. This way, it will cook evenly and there will be no burnt ends. Take your time, if it's your first brisket, it's very likely that it will take you more than 2 minutes. This is normal and it's not a big deal.
“Boost” the flavor
When you're done with your brisket, inject it to make it even more flavorful, tender, and juicy. Follow the directions on your injection mix package ( #SQUIRT What the Pork? and Sugar Daddy Bacon Beef-Jerking and Butcher BBQ Original Brisket Injection are great), pour the mixture into your injection syringe , then insert it into your cut of meat, and inject the meat every inch of the way, as if there were a grid on it.
After your brisket is nice and puffy, let it sit for 4 to 24 hours (ideally 4 to 12 hours) in the refrigerator. Then take it out and coat it with your favorite spice blend (you can't go wrong with Oakridge BBQ Black Ops Brisket Rub , SJB Brisket Rub , Steak & Brisket Butcher BBQ Spice Blend , orMontreal BBQ Quebec Dry Rub ) and send it to the BBQ (any BBQ!).
Cook the brisket to perfection
After preheating your BBQ to 275°F and preparing your brisket, it's finally time to cook and smoke! It's not complicated, you place your meat in an indirect cooking zone and let it cook, slowly but surely, until it has an internal temperature of 160-170°F. (Personally, I like to add oak and cherry wood through my charcoal to give the perfect smoky taste to my beef. I say that, but if you don't have a charcoal BBQ, know that you can also make your own pellet mix to get the same smoky taste in a pellet BBQ or use the BBQ Québec Smoke Box or theBBQ Québec Copeaunateur in a gas BBQ. 😉)
But now I can hear you saying, "JP, which side do I put my brisket on!?" Don't worry, I can do it. Actually, it depends on the type of BBQ you have. In most cases, I recommend cooking the meat with the fat side down. That's if the heat comes from the bottom of your BBQ. If, on the other hand, you have an "offset" type BBQ or another, in which the heat comes from the side of the appliance, I advise you to cook the meat with its fat side up. (In competition, however, you never place the meat side up, because you don't want it to be marked [the little fat will protect the meat during cooking].)
Warning! You must take precautions if you use a propane BBQ, however. If you do not install an aluminum pan under your meat beforehand, there is a chance that the fire will start in your appliance. So make sure to remove the deflector in the middle of your BBQ, then put a container in it to collect the fat before starting to cook. (The aluminum pan for Presto BBQ can be used for this. But… if you want it really simple, the Presto BBQ BBQ Québec will transform your BBQ into a smoker and create a zone of humid air between the burners and the meat, which will make your cooking much easier.)
When the internal temperature is reached, you then have two choices: 1) let the meat cook as is, or 2) wrap it and let it cook so it has a hell of a crust.
In the first case, you don't have to do anything, just let the BBQ do the work. When your thermometer penetrates your meat like butter AND it indicates an internal temperature of 200-210 °F, then your "brisket" is ready.
Otherwise, in the second case, when the meat has an internal temperature of 160-170 °F AND it has a nice "bark"/caramelization, wrap it in butcher paper (not aluminum foil; the crust could soften as it cooks) and put it back on the BBQ until it has an internal temperature of 200-210 °F and the thermometer goes in like butter. (I'll allow myself a little digression here about butcher paper. It is the paper to use for slow cooking, over low heat, but it should never be placed directly over the fire or at a temperature higher than 275 °F. Unlike aluminum foil, butcher paper is made of paper and not metal.)
When your meat is ready, all you have to do is remove it from the BBQ, brush it with sauce (if desired), serve it, and enjoy. Mmmmm!
“JP!! Resting time, him!?” Well, it all depends on how long your brisket has been at the right internal temperature. If it has been above 195-200°F for more than an hour (which I recommend, so you have extremely tender meat), you don’t need to rest it. Otherwise, let your piece of meat rest in your oven or a cooler to preserve as much heat and moisture as possible.
Of course, you can also "skip" several steps and simply season your meat and cook it, without "trimming" or injecting it. The result will not be the same, but sometimes, we don't feel like racking our brains (or we are already behind in our cooking!!!)... 😜
So!
Good BBQ gang! 🤘🔥