Brisket Marinade

[Carson]

I tried a simple recipe for a marinade that worked very well on a smoked brisket flat:

1tbs garlic salt
1/3 cup ketchup
1/2 cup vinegar (I used apple cider type)
1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
1 tbs black pepper
1 tsp onion salt

My wife thinks I should try 1/4 cup worcestershire and use white vinegar next time, and I'm thinking about using mustard instead of ketchup.

Thoughts?

[Mikey]

I would use red wine vinegar. White vinegear is for douching.

[Goober McTuber]

I would use red wine vinegar. White vinegear is for douching.

I’m sure your “wife” appreciates your efforts to keep things fresh.

[Mikey]

I would use red wine vinegar. White vinegear is for douching.

I’m sure your “wife” appreciates your efforts to keep things fresh.

You're funny, you know that?

Now why don't you go and gargle with some Drano.

[Truman]

Brisket marinade?

:?

Oklahoma Joe's Brisket Rub
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons Spanish paprika
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon celery salt
1 tablespoon lemon pepper
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

[Mikey]

Oklahoma Joe's Brisket Rub

Careful when you start talking about rubbing things.
Bradhusker hasn't discoverd this forum yet.

[Truman]

Not about to suggest that there might not just be a better way to skin a cat, it's just that I've always been of the opinion that marinades are a preparation best-used by Jewish grandmothers for oven-braised brisket served on Rosh Hashana.

Course, I'd never heard of alder-smoked ribs either, 'til after reading Jack's post and I decided to look into it (alder is about as common as a pacific breeze in these parts)...

Still, I couldn't help grinning around a forkful of barbecued goodness at the thought of Dinsdale's derision of hickory-smoked turkey.

Whatever works. It's all good in 'cue.

[Mikey]

Do you use a slop...err mop...or whatever they call it to keep things moist?

I know that bbq is a different animal if you live in MO, NC, TX, or wherever.

Out here in CA we're lucky not to be beholden to any particular style, so we're free to try all sorts of crazy and sacreligious stunts that don't always come out so good. I rarely have the hours necessary to do a true "low and slow" session but when I do it's usually back ribs. I'll use any of a number of rubs, and then spray it constantly with a mixture of one part lemon juice, one part wine vinegar and two parts water.

I tried a whole brisket a couple of years ago and it came out like shit. Seemed like the fat layer was thicker than than both of the muscle layers combined. Maybe try it again someday if I ever get done with yardwork and painting.

[Carson]

All the recipes I have seen for brisket say to trim the fat down to 1/4" thickness.

Also, better get that sucker up to 190-200 degrees internal.

Tough piece of meat if ya don't, so I learned.

[Truman]

Like most things barbecue, Mikey… It depends. Weather, mood, method, recipe… There is no one right way.

I’ve got pals that insist that a mop is the secret to true ‘cue, and will bathe a chunk of meat religiously like brad in a glory-hole; others that suggest that a flat needs to be wrapped tightly in foil after four hours to seal in the juices; and still others that will fight you if you dare lift the lid of their smoker for a quick peek at the process thereby destroying the sanctity of the smoke lodge they’ve crafted for a particular cut.

I personally have smoked briskets and turkeys that took 18 hours to finish to marvellous results (winter sucks); I’ve also seen whole briskets “smoked” over high heat in four hours-flat that won world championships (The American Royal, and this is no-shit), and ribs that graded out equally well finished in just over an hour. And no, I didn’t believe it either until I actually saw it done.

Generally speaking, a water pan should suffice to keep your ‘cue moist. Sans the pan, however, a spray bottle of apple juice/cider/beer will do the trick just as well. I’ve read dozens of posts from folks that insist on filling water pans with various liquids and exotic aromatics. I’ve done my share of that in the past, but my experience has been that plain, old tap water does just as well. Again, to each his own.

Don’t give up on the brisket, Mikey. I’ve smoked more briskets than I can remember through the years that were equally forgettable. But I would have to imagine that your desert climate would be just about perfect for barbecue. Crack the vents, temper your smoke wood, and allow yourself about 10 hours for a whole brisket. Plenty of time for yard work and painting in-between. The fat-layer is your friend, but you may want to do a bit of trimming before laying your cut on the smoker.

Regardless, it doesn’t matter: In the Flyover, they only burn you at the stake if you fuck up.

[Mikey]

Supply and demand.

It depends more on what's popular than on toughness.

We used to be able to get tri-tips for $2.99/lb regularly. They were also considered a "tough" piece of meat.
People learned how to grill them and that they're one of the juiciest cuts when done right. Now they're at least twice that much.

[Truman]

Used to be able to get tri-tips in croyovac down at the local Chopper, 'til the effers decided to quit carrying them. Bastages. Had never experienced such a cut until reading you Cali's argue over how to best prepare them. Good chunk of meat.

Whole briskets are on sale for $3.99/lb for Memorial weekend and I may just have to pull the trigger on one. Still, a 6-8 lb. brisket is a whole lot of meat, even in brad's world...