Paul Kirk was asked how to use a thermometer to tell if brisket was done,
and he said, "Stick it in, and if it goes in easy, it's done".

I expect brisket to be done around 188° in the flat, but the fork test is
more reliable. If you overcook brisket, you just save the burnt ends for
chili or beans.

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Louis Cohen
Living la vida loca at N37° 43' 7.9" W122° 8' 42.8"


"Douglas Barber" > wrote in message
...
> This is my take on how to tell when that brisket's done.
>
> First, the goal: you want to be able to cut pencil-width slices across
> the grain which hold together unless you take one end in each hand and
> give it a gentle tug - then it should pull apart. You don't want it to
> tend to shred as you cut it - by the time it gets in that condition, the
> flat will be dryer than it needed to be in order to get tender. That's
> overcooked. And of course you don't want it to be tough, which most
> often would result from under-cooking.
>
> Going from least to most reliable, here are some methods for estimating
> doneness.
>
> 1. Time. Guess 1.5 hours per pound if you keep the temp between 225 and
> 250, but allow a margin of error of 1/2 hour per pound either way - most
> often, in my experience, at these temps, if 1.5/lb wasn't right, you'll
> need more, not less time.
>
> 2. "Fork tender" = "stick a fork in it and if it slides in easily it's
> done." First of all, this should be done in the flat, since the point
> will generally seem tender before the flat does. Second, I don't put
> much stock in this test unless you use the same fork every time, and if
> the tines are as sharp as they are on one fork I have, there's not much
> difference in feel between poking shoe leather and filet mignon.
>
> 3. "Internal temp" - this, too, should be done in the flat, which is the
> crankier of the two main muscles at issue. This is a little like cooking
> by time - you can guess that you'll be done somewhere between 185 and
> 195, but one of my best briskets (which was choice grade, maybe it made
> a difference) came off at 178 in the flat and 182 in the point.
>
> 4. "Fork tender" = "stick a fork in it (again, use the flat) and twist,
> when it starts to feel easy to twist, it's ready." This is much more
> reliable than the simple "stick a fork in it" test, but of course you
> don't want to do a whole lot of poking and twisting to that brisket in
> which you've invested so much tender loving care. You will feel the
> noticeable difference this way, though, as the brisket "gives it up" and
> goes tender on you - once you get the feel of it, it's an unmistakable
> change.
>
> 5. "Wabba Wabba" = "poke the thing with your finger, and if it reacts
> like refrigerated jell-o, it's done." This is not my idea, but was
> published to a list or two by a fellow who may be the WSM brisket guru,
> and once you get the hang of it, it's an amazingly good indication of
> when your brisket's just gone tender but is still moist and has enough
> coherence that it won't want to start shredding on you when you slice
> it. Unlike the other tests, this one is probably best done at the middle
> of the point; some flats are just never gonna bounce.
>
> In practice, I'll keep a meat thermometer positioned about midway up the
> flat, and I'll do the wabba and fork-twist tests. Once the temp hits 175
> I watch it real close and when I get jelly-belly poking reaction and a
> suddenly easier fork twist, I waste no time getting that thing off the
> heat. This is mainly to catch the flat at the best stage. If only a few
> of us are eating, I'll separate the two and put the point back in the
> smoker for another hour or so - it's got enough collagen and fat cap to
> keep it moist, and often benefits from the extra time in the heat.(This
> is true even though it will often be the case that, when you first take
> the brisket off the heat, the internal temp will be higher in the point,
> than in the flat).
>