People are always too quick to try every tip and trick they can find on the internet when beginning to smoke briskets. You will never truly understand how to smoke a brisket if you just start with an extra 50 variables added. Always start as simple as possible, and then begin to try new things when you actually understand what you are doing. Love the videos Arnie!
And gotta remember the first one that’s the easiest should always be considered a “throw away.” Meaning it’s what you learn on and won’t ever turn out the way you want or expect it.
Agreed 💯!! This is the main reason I’ve stayed away from brisket…too $$ to want to mess it up. If I watch 5 different videos on cooking brisket, there is now 5 different ways to cook it! This method seems straight forward for a still beginner like myself!
@@sataliaI never get the same results. Then I watch videos and they say how delicious it is. Look at the smoke ring, look at the bark, look how juicy it is. I’ve cooked a bad brisket. Following all these tips and tricks. LOL
Arnie- For the love of God !' Thank you, Thank you !!! I've done about 15 briskets on the Weber over the last 20 years or so. It's always a stressful ordeal with the trim, rest, foil boat, and final paper wrap......blah blah blah I just did yours yesterday, after watching the video Thursday....... Damn, it was fabulous. I'm no longer stressed about this. This going to be a once every couple of months thing for me now !!! Serious Kudos for opening my eyes Brother
The temperature of the first few hours determines the total cook time because its soaking up heat, surface drying and getting up to temp internally. Very little happens below 160⁰f so that is wasted time, however attempting to go too fast causes the temperature gradient to be too steep and the outside will be hard cooked while the center is still cold.(Like flame broiling a rare steak.) When first put on the thermal mass and heat gradient will draw heat from the surface very fast keeping it well below the air temperature, as it comes up to temperature it won't suck up the heat as fast and the surface temp will get closer to the air temp. The temperature of the last few hours determines the texture as it sits at a fairly constant temp. hydrolyzing the connective tissue. The thermally optimal profile for the meat (this does not take into account smoke flavor, rendering fat, evaporation/mopping, or rub penetration.) is to start very hot (maybe 370⁰) then gradually reduce the air temp along some curve determined by the size of the meat and refrigeration temp until the desired internal temp is reached (eg 180⁰). Then maintain a steady low air temp slightly above the desired internal temp until tender. The reason to have the air slightly higher than target meat temp is due to the need to compensate the average temperature for drops due to opening the lid, spraying or mopping, and evaporative surface cooling.
Best brisket I ever had was at a small, hole in the wall restaurant in Fort Worth. Once they run out, they're out (which was around 2-3pm every day). Got to talk to the owner/chef once and asked what was the secret. He said brisket needs 3 things... oak, salt and pepper. Anything else is not needed. Also said he never watched his cooking temperature, only monitored the meat temp. Took that advice and haven't looked back... I do very minimal trimming and season heavily with salt and pepper. Never monitor the temperature of my Weber kettle. Go hot and fast, offset, over charcoal and oak. Have wrapped and left unwrapped, and didn't notice a difference either way. Pull at 203 degrees exactly. Can get a packer done in 4-6 hours. Wrap and let rest for minimum 2 hours. Will never go back to low and slow. The end result is much juicier. Always use a Prime whole packer.
Great video Arnie. Smokin' Joe has tried some really interesting cooks, the no trim was a surprise. I seriously think either of you guys could cook a boot and make it tender and tasty. It's the cook.
The man who taught me how to smoke brisket never trimmed his either and for years neither did I. It's all a matter of preference and choice. I love your videos Arnie! Great work
Cooked these at work for 15 years. Never trimmed them. Rubbed them down with brisket rub. Smoked them 8hrs at 180. The briskets in the top of the Cookshack were fat side up. The two closest to the bottom were flipped fat side down to protect them from the heat. Were always great in the morning. Tender. Nice smoke ring. We did occasionally fast cook when we were low. Same prep. Cook at 300 for 5 hrs. The were done, but NEVER as tender as the overnights.
This comment will likely upset a few people who are proper brisket BBQ’ers. I don’t trim. I rinse/pat dry, then yellow mustard, then heavy rub. Using an old school roaster pan with a lid - it goes in the oven at 170°F the afternoon before. The next day - it goes in the smoker at around 220°F for the remaining 3-4 hours. I have never had a single complaint and hundreds of compliments. To include from serious BBQ’ers who (like you) know way more about it than I do. Great video… Thank you for sharing… Best to you and yours.
Arnie Thank You for sharing all your know how. I've been using a weber for about 13 years and last year found out about the Hasty Bake. so I'm learning all over again with it and have to say I love it but You have made it so easy with all your videos. I always seek out your hasty bake videos and it works every time, and I have a 16lb brisket on right now. Thank you for the Lessons in Video!
1st brisket i ever did was 16lbs and done to 205 in 6 hours with no wrap other than the rest...hastily trimmed cuz i wasnt sure how much to trim off.. best brisket i ever did! Still cant match it
I now cook all mine using Myon Mixon's hot and fast method. Makes a great brisket. Not quite as good as low and slow but close. Very much like what you have there Arnie. I also never trim because I like fat.
I smoke mine for 2 hours then sous vide at 155 for 24 hours, then throw in 500 degree oven 15 minutes for the bark. Must rest for a couple hours. Perfect every time.
I worked for a bbq restaurant in college. We never trimmed or used a binder. We just seasoned until we couldn’t see raw meat. Fat side up. We did wrap in foil. We used a gigantic home built smoker. It was amazing. I currently use an electric smoker, but would be interested in learning stick burners.
I think this experiment shows there is more than one way to skin a brisket. You can get a good, tasty, moist brisket whether trimmed or not, whether wrapped or not, and whether low and slow or hotter and faster.
I prefer hot n fast no trim brisket the only thing i do is fat side down on a verticle smoker like a wsm or uds no water pan not heat shield. Fat dripping directly onto coals. That what gives you that unique flavor. Very important to have fst side down or the bottom will be like beef jerkey. I know from experience
It looks Great ! I will tell you as for your merchandise you need to come out with Ball Caps and A Chefs Apron with your logo on it. I feel you would sell quite a few.
Cooking wood is expensive!! I keep meat in the smoker until the bark is set like I want it and then... (forgive me)... I move it to the kitchen oven to finish cooking. After that bark sets, I don't think much more smoke penetrates (if any), so why keep burning my good cooking wood when all I need at that stage is heat? And the main reason I trim excess fat is because if I don't, it will render and make a bigger mess in the bottom of my cooker. So, I trim to reduce the mess. Although, if you dip a finger in that mess in the bottom of your cooker and smear some behind both ears, it drives the womern's crazy.
I semi-trim, I trim but not as much as most people do. I don't like hot & fast which turns out not good. I do 225 until internal temp of 190 then wrap then take off when fork soft at about 203. I use binder such as olive oil.
A 5 minute trip in a pressure cooker for the tough parts will do wonders for them.... I know sacrilegious! But it works. Figure out the liquid for yourselves....
What’s up brother Arnie,here in Ontario cal.great weather here🍻just catching up.that brisket is looking 👀 WOW let’s not forget those ribs. Thanks enjoy your day 🙏🏽👍🏽🍺
Cook it fat side up in the oven and it comes out so yummy. If they don't want the fat then instead of headache of trimming cook it fat side up and then the fat will roll right off it when you take it out
Would be awesome if you smoked a hot and fast choice brisket from Walmart. Creekstone sells quality briskets. Would like to see the end result of a Walmart choice brisket.
NOTHING beats low and slow....this is why patience is a virtue, in addition why it's advantageous to trim the fat before, what a waste to cut off all of that smoked and salty bark. It takes time to render the fat correctly!
The only reason you dont cook a brisket at 300 degrees and fast is mainly because the round will not be cooked to a softness that it falls apart. You will have to chop it up. But i personally like the texture of it.
So many pros and cons, but so interesting on all the methods out there, I remember smoking a brisket on a 55 drum barrel, wrapped in foil after 2 to 3 hours of smoking and having the results of a mushy brisket 3 hours later, I was just a teen back in the 70's I'm 66 now and Boy has time gone by, anyway have fun Q ING! 😋
Hey Arnie I need some advice - I smoked my brisket to 203 and it was still a little bit firm. So I smoked it more till it was soft. But when I sliced it, it was a little dry. Any tips on what to do next time? 🙏🏼
I’m about to smoke my 1st brisket next weekend. Using a traeger pallet grill. I have no idea why I’m so nervous. lol. Should I make any adjustments usually my the pallet grill?
To each their own. Looks great. I prefer to trim and wrap. I like running meaty trims through grinder for burgers and fat trims first tallow. Thanks for showing others there is more then 1 way to skin a cow 😂
If you would have put that in a holding chest for 8 or 10 hours I bet those tough spots would have tenderized up alot. I love this though because you really do not have to trim a brisket to get a great brisket.
@@ArnieTex got it - thank you - will go back and watch that one - getting a direct heat cooker built right now - have options of cooking either 18 inches or 25 inches above the heat source - think I could do a shoulder clod over direct heat? Thought I had read that Smittys cooks there clods at a high temp - thank you !
Arnie just found your channel, love it and learning so much. Can you explain the difference between a Cambro vs a good cooler for holding meat? Thanks in advance :)
Low and slow has to be the way to go. If you do go hot and fast.. you have to treat it like a big steak.. the more it rest to maintain some heat and let juices distribute is the way to go.
Hard to say, they are all different and high heat can cause fires in most pellet grills. In addition my experience with pellets is better bark and smoke flavor at lower temps like 225-250
By not trimming the fat , especially when putting it on fire , this helps to cook the meat. The fat is protecting the meat from burning. Just saying....
