I tried to cook my first texas brisket today. I had a 10 pound
untrimmed brisket with a nice fat cap. I trimmed the cap to about 1
inch on top and marinaged it over night. After the marinade I dried
it and dry rubbed it down and let sit for 30 minutes. Got the smoker
to 220 and placed the brisket fat side up on the smoker. cooked it
for 6 hours and the internal temp was kept at 160 for the last 2
hours. mopped it every hour and then let sit for 20 minutes after
cooking. The taste was great but was a little chewy. What can I do
to make it more tender?

Stefan

"stefan" > wrote in message
> Got the smoker
> to 220 and placed the brisket fat side up on the smoker. cooked it
> for 6 hours and the internal temp was kept at 160 for the last 2
> hours. mopped it every hour and then let sit for 20 minutes after
> cooking. The taste was great but was a little chewy. What can I do
> to make it more tender?
>
> Stefan

Cook it until it is done. I usually go about 12 hours or so, or bump the
temperature to 250 or 275. You did not cook it long enough for the collagen
to break down.
Ed

http://pages.cthome.net/edhome

On 25-Oct-2004, (stefan) wrote:

> I tried to cook my first texas brisket today. I had a 10 pound
> untrimmed brisket with a nice fat cap. I trimmed the cap to about 1
> inch on top and marinaged it over night. After the marinade I dried
> it and dry rubbed it down and let sit for 30 minutes. Got the smoker
> to 220 and placed the brisket fat side up on the smoker. cooked it
> for 6 hours and the internal temp was kept at 160 for the last 2
> hours. mopped it every hour and then let sit for 20 minutes after
> cooking. The taste was great but was a little chewy. What can I do
> to make it more tender?
>
> Stefan

Cook it until it's done. 195°F internal at least. Or stick a fork in it and
see if it twists easily. That temperature hang in the 160° - 170° range
is normal and is caused by the collagen breaking down. When all the
collagen (connective tissue) is broken down, the temp will rise again
like magic. Six hours at 220° is a couple or three hours shy of enough
for a ten pound brisket. I've seen eighteen hours reported here for a
full packer cut brisket. I cook hotter then that (250° - 300°) so mine
get done sooner. Somewhere in the eight to ten hour range.
--
Brick(DL5BF, WA7ERO, HS4ADI)


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stefan wrote:

> I tried to cook my first texas brisket today. I had a 10 pound
> untrimmed brisket with a nice fat cap. I trimmed the cap to about 1
> inch on top and marinaged it over night. After the marinade I dried
> it and dry rubbed it down and let sit for 30 minutes. Got the smoker
> to 220 and placed the brisket fat side up on the smoker. cooked it
> for 6 hours and the internal temp was kept at 160 for the last 2
> hours. mopped it every hour and then let sit for 20 minutes after
> cooking. The taste was great but was a little chewy. What can I do
> to make it more tender?

Cook it longer. The internal needs to get to 195 or higher. Bump the
smoker temp up when it hits the plateau so it doesn't take so long
getting done. You don't need to mop - that adds time to the cook.

--
Aloha,

Nathan Lau
San Jose, CA

#include <std.disclaimer>

Bill Cannon's Brisket Recipe This recipe is from a guy, Bill Cannon, who
has won the brisket championship at the big Houston Rodeo cook-off. Take an
untrimmed brisket and lather it down with Worcestershire sauce Grind in good
amounts of a meat rub all over the brisket. I prefer Bill's rub which can be
found at www.texasbbqrub.com . I use a Texas-style smoker pit with an
offset firebox. Water is kept in the reservoir at the bottom of the barrel.
Place the 15 to 16 pound brisket in the 200 degree barrel with the FAT SIDE
FACING DOWN. This protects the thin part of the flat. Remember that the heat
comes from below. After 3 ½ hours to 4 hours remove the brisket and wrap it
tightly with aluminum foil. Then repeat that a second time with MORE
aluminum foil. At this point you have three choices (1) put the wrapped
brisket back in the barrel at 200 degrees for 10-12 more hours...you really
can't overcook it...14 hours will even work, OR (2) place the wrapped
brisket in a conventional oven and time cook it for 10-12 more hours, OR (3)
turn on your log lighter and adjust your pit temperature to 200 degrees and
cook the wrapped brisket for 10-12 more hours. The results are identical.
The brisket has taken ALL the smoke it is going to take after 3 ½ hours.
From then on you are just slowly bringing the internal temperature of the
brisket up to a fully cooked state. This can not be rushed if you want a
tender brisket. The results are spectacular and the brisket, which is by
nature a really sorry piece of beef, will twist apart effortlessly with a
fork. It is really easy but it is not fast. If you don't have the patience
to do it like this just get a blow torch and burn it up like most folks do
and then hacksaw it apart like it was beef jerky. LOL. Jim Bannerman,
jim@tejassmokersdotcom

"Jim Bannerman" > wrote in message
. ..
>
> Bill Cannon's Brisket Recipe This recipe is from a guy, Bill Cannon, who
> has won the brisket championship at the big Houston Rodeo cook-off. Take
an
> untrimmed brisket and lather it down with Worcestershire sauce Grind in
good
> amounts of a meat rub all over the brisket. I prefer Bill's rub which can
be
> found at www.texasbbqrub.com . I use a Texas-style smoker pit with an
> offset firebox. Water is kept in the reservoir at the bottom of the
barrel.
> Place the 15 to 16 pound brisket in the 200 degree barrel with the FAT
SIDE
> FACING DOWN. This protects the thin part of the flat. Remember that the
heat
> comes from below. After 3 ½ hours to 4 hours remove the brisket and wrap
it
> tightly with aluminum foil. Then repeat that a second time with MORE
> aluminum foil. At this point you have three choices (1) put the wrapped
> brisket back in the barrel at 200 degrees for 10-12 more hours...you
really
> can't overcook it...14 hours will even work, OR (2) place the wrapped
> brisket in a conventional oven and time cook it for 10-12 more hours, OR
(3)
> turn on your log lighter and adjust your pit temperature to 200 degrees
and
> cook the wrapped brisket for 10-12 more hours. The results are identical.
> The brisket has taken ALL the smoke it is going to take after 3 ½ hours.
> From then on you are just slowly bringing the internal temperature of the
> brisket up to a fully cooked state. This can not be rushed if you want a
> tender brisket. The results are spectacular and the brisket, which is by
> nature a really sorry piece of beef, will twist apart effortlessly with a
> fork. It is really easy but it is not fast. If you don't have the patience
> to do it like this just get a blow torch and burn it up like most folks do
> and then hacksaw it apart like it was beef jerky. LOL. Jim Bannerman,
> jim@tejassmokersdotcom
>
>
Agree. And, if you like you can open the foil up for an hour or so at the
end of Q-time to give some extra crust which some like and some don't like.
220 degrees is a good temp to maintain if you are "in a hurry" but 200 works
over a longer cooking time real nicely.

Best to all,
Gus Kilthau
Houston, Texas

"Gus" > wrote in message >...
> "Jim Bannerman" > wrote in message
> . ..
> >
> > Bill Cannon's Brisket Recipe This recipe is from a guy, Bill Cannon, who
> > has won the brisket championship at the big Houston Rodeo cook-off. Take
> an
> > untrimmed brisket and lather it down with Worcestershire sauce Grind in
> good
> > amounts of a meat rub all over the brisket. I prefer Bill's rub which can
> be
> > found at www.texasbbqrub.com . I use a Texas-style smoker pit with an
> > offset firebox. Water is kept in the reservoir at the bottom of the
> barrel.
> > Place the 15 to 16 pound brisket in the 200 degree barrel with the FAT
> SIDE
> > FACING DOWN. This protects the thin part of the flat. Remember that the
> heat
> > comes from below. After 3 ½ hours to 4 hours remove the brisket and wrap
> it
> > tightly with aluminum foil. Then repeat that a second time with MORE
> > aluminum foil. At this point you have three choices (1) put the wrapped
> > brisket back in the barrel at 200 degrees for 10-12 more hours...you
> really
> > can't overcook it...14 hours will even work, OR (2) place the wrapped
> > brisket in a conventional oven and time cook it for 10-12 more hours, OR
> (3)
> > turn on your log lighter and adjust your pit temperature to 200 degrees
> and
> > cook the wrapped brisket for 10-12 more hours. The results are identical.
> > The brisket has taken ALL the smoke it is going to take after 3 ½ hours.
> > From then on you are just slowly bringing the internal temperature of the
> > brisket up to a fully cooked state. This can not be rushed if you want a
> > tender brisket. The results are spectacular and the brisket, which is by
> > nature a really sorry piece of beef, will twist apart effortlessly with a
> > fork. It is really easy but it is not fast. If you don't have the patience
> > to do it like this just get a blow torch and burn it up like most folks do
> > and then hacksaw it apart like it was beef jerky. LOL. Jim Bannerman,
> > jim@tejassmokersdotcom
> >
> >
> Agree. And, if you like you can open the foil up for an hour or so at the
> end of Q-time to give some extra crust which some like and some don't like.
> 220 degrees is a good temp to maintain if you are "in a hurry" but 200 works
> over a longer cooking time real nicely.
>
> Best to all,
> Gus Kilthau
> Houston, Texas

Gus: That is exactly what I do...towards the end of the foiling I
open the brisket back up for about an hour to let the Q get just a
little bit of crust. There are thousands of ways to do this (just
look at all the above responses...ROFL) and in the final analysis it
is personal preference. There is no one "right" way to bbq a brisket.
Isn't that part of the fun? I really enjoy reading this newsgroup as
it is informative and NEVER dull. jim@tejassmokersdotcom

"Gus" > wrote in message >...
> "Jim Bannerman" > wrote in message
> . ..
> >
> > Bill Cannon's Brisket Recipe This recipe is from a guy, Bill Cannon, who
> > has won the brisket championship at the big Houston Rodeo cook-off. Take
> an
> > untrimmed brisket and lather it down with Worcestershire sauce Grind in
> good
> > amounts of a meat rub all over the brisket. I prefer Bill's rub which can
> be
> > found at www.texasbbqrub.com . I use a Texas-style smoker pit with an
> > offset firebox. Water is kept in the reservoir at the bottom of the
> barrel.
> > Place the 15 to 16 pound brisket in the 200 degree barrel with the FAT
> SIDE
> > FACING DOWN. This protects the thin part of the flat. Remember that the
> heat
> > comes from below. After 3 ½ hours to 4 hours remove the brisket and wrap
> it
> > tightly with aluminum foil. Then repeat that a second time with MORE
> > aluminum foil. At this point you have three choices (1) put the wrapped
> > brisket back in the barrel at 200 degrees for 10-12 more hours...you
> really
> > can't overcook it...14 hours will even work, OR (2) place the wrapped
> > brisket in a conventional oven and time cook it for 10-12 more hours, OR
> (3)
> > turn on your log lighter and adjust your pit temperature to 200 degrees
> and
> > cook the wrapped brisket for 10-12 more hours. The results are identical.
> > The brisket has taken ALL the smoke it is going to take after 3 ½ hours.
> > From then on you are just slowly bringing the internal temperature of the
> > brisket up to a fully cooked state. This can not be rushed if you want a
> > tender brisket. The results are spectacular and the brisket, which is by
> > nature a really sorry piece of beef, will twist apart effortlessly with a
> > fork. It is really easy but it is not fast. If you don't have the patience
> > to do it like this just get a blow torch and burn it up like most folks do
> > and then hacksaw it apart like it was beef jerky. LOL. Jim Bannerman,
> > jim@tejassmokersdotcom
> >
> >
> Agree. And, if you like you can open the foil up for an hour or so at the
> end of Q-time to give some extra crust which some like and some don't like.
> 220 degrees is a good temp to maintain if you are "in a hurry" but 200 works
> over a longer cooking time real nicely.
>
> Best to all,
> Gus Kilthau
> Houston, Texas

Gus: That is exactly what I do...towards the end of the foiling I
open the brisket back up for about an hour to let the Q get just a
little bit of crust. There are thousands of ways to do this (just
look at all the above responses...ROFL) and in the final analysis it
is personal preference. There is no one "right" way to bbq a brisket.
Isn't that part of the fun? I really enjoy reading this newsgroup as
it is informative and NEVER dull. jim@tejassmokersdotcom

Bill Cannon's Brisket Recipe This recipe is from a guy, Bill Cannon, who
has won the brisket championship at the big Houston Rodeo cook-off. Take an
untrimmed brisket and lather it down with Worcestershire sauce Grind in good
amounts of a meat rub all over the brisket. I prefer Bill's rub which can be
found at www.texasbbqrub.com . I use a Texas-style smoker pit with an
offset firebox. Water is kept in the reservoir at the bottom of the barrel.
Place the 15 to 16 pound brisket in the 200 degree barrel with the FAT SIDE
FACING DOWN. This protects the thin part of the flat. Remember that the heat
comes from below. After 3 ½ hours to 4 hours remove the brisket and wrap it
tightly with aluminum foil. Then repeat that a second time with MORE
aluminum foil. At this point you have three choices (1) put the wrapped
brisket back in the barrel at 200 degrees for 10-12 more hours...you really
can't overcook it...14 hours will even work, OR (2) place the wrapped
brisket in a conventional oven and time cook it for 10-12 more hours, OR (3)
turn on your log lighter and adjust your pit temperature to 200 degrees and
cook the wrapped brisket for 10-12 more hours. The results are identical.
The brisket has taken ALL the smoke it is going to take after 3 ½ hours.
From then on you are just slowly bringing the internal temperature of the
brisket up to a fully cooked state. This can not be rushed if you want a
tender brisket. The results are spectacular and the brisket, which is by
nature a really sorry piece of beef, will twist apart effortlessly with a
fork. It is really easy but it is not fast. If you don't have the patience
to do it like this just get a blow torch and burn it up like most folks do
and then hacksaw it apart like it was beef jerky. LOL. Jim Bannerman,
jim@tejassmokersdotcom

"Jim Bannerman" > wrote in message
. ..
>
> Bill Cannon's Brisket Recipe This recipe is from a guy, Bill Cannon, who
> has won the brisket championship at the big Houston Rodeo cook-off. Take
an
> untrimmed brisket and lather it down with Worcestershire sauce Grind in
good
> amounts of a meat rub all over the brisket. I prefer Bill's rub which can
be
> found at www.texasbbqrub.com . I use a Texas-style smoker pit with an
> offset firebox. Water is kept in the reservoir at the bottom of the
barrel.
> Place the 15 to 16 pound brisket in the 200 degree barrel with the FAT
SIDE
> FACING DOWN. This protects the thin part of the flat. Remember that the
heat
> comes from below. After 3 ½ hours to 4 hours remove the brisket and wrap
it
> tightly with aluminum foil. Then repeat that a second time with MORE
> aluminum foil. At this point you have three choices (1) put the wrapped
> brisket back in the barrel at 200 degrees for 10-12 more hours...you
really
> can't overcook it...14 hours will even work, OR (2) place the wrapped
> brisket in a conventional oven and time cook it for 10-12 more hours, OR
(3)
> turn on your log lighter and adjust your pit temperature to 200 degrees
and
> cook the wrapped brisket for 10-12 more hours. The results are identical.
> The brisket has taken ALL the smoke it is going to take after 3 ½ hours.
> From then on you are just slowly bringing the internal temperature of the
> brisket up to a fully cooked state. This can not be rushed if you want a
> tender brisket. The results are spectacular and the brisket, which is by
> nature a really sorry piece of beef, will twist apart effortlessly with a
> fork. It is really easy but it is not fast. If you don't have the patience
> to do it like this just get a blow torch and burn it up like most folks do
> and then hacksaw it apart like it was beef jerky. LOL. Jim Bannerman,
> jim@tejassmokersdotcom
>
>
Agree. And, if you like you can open the foil up for an hour or so at the
end of Q-time to give some extra crust which some like and some don't like.
220 degrees is a good temp to maintain if you are "in a hurry" but 200 works
over a longer cooking time real nicely.

Best to all,
Gus Kilthau
Houston, Texas