The Dudeism Forum

Well I finally did it.
I managed to slow cook a brisket on the charcoal grill.
With mesquite chips.
Really nice results. Moist and tender with a good bark and a deep smoke line.
I generally dry it out a bit or have to pull it off before it gets fork tender.

This time I got a nice cut, around three and a half pounds with a good fat cap (very important).
Rubbed it with brown sugar, salt, pepper and smoked paprika.
Wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated it over night.
Soaked Mesquite chips in apple juice over night.

Next day I lit some charcoal in a chimney lighter and put half the wood chips in the bottom of the grill (a weber kettle type grill although more square than round) all the way at the front. Put a foil baking pan with water on the bottom of the grill at the back. Once the charcoal was lit I poured it over the wood chips making a nice pile all along the front of the grill. Put the rest of the wood chips on top of the charcoal.
Put on the grate and put the meat on at the back over the foil pan fat side up.
I closed up the grill tight and opened the breather on the front and the top just a tiny slit.

Then you have to resist the urge to screw with it. Just leave it like that for 4 hours.
Damn good BBQ.

That sounds like some good eating dude!

Quote from: mrpaddy on May 06, 2015, 07:11:57 AM
That sounds like some good eating dude!

Indeed.
I'm marinating a chuck roast now.
Onto the grill around noon for 4-5 hours.

I've been developing an appreciation for bacon-wrapped goodies. Would love a proper outdoor bbq to grill and smoke things on, but ol' duder has neither the space nor the climate. But fuck it, I can make some pretty tasty stuff anyway. My current favourite entails wrapping bacon around some well-seasoned ground beef with a melted cheese, onion, mushroom and pepper centre.

You can do a pretty good rack-0-ribs in the oven with some plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Unless you're maestro with a broiler or have a huge fucking skillet, though, you're gonna lack a good crust. That or you can dig a hole in the ground and use it for a BBQ pit. I've had better outcomes with that than many consumer grills.

Don't get me wrong: there's no substitute for the alchemy that hours of low-heat smoking performs on a big cut of meat. But, hey, you make do with what you got until you get what you need.

Good for you biker dude. I am addicted to bbq myself! One tip I can give you on making sure beef stays moist is this- about halfway through the cook take the meat and wrap it in parchment paper and keep cooking until tender when poked with a skewer in several places. The paper retains moisture yet still allows it to "breathe" ensuring your meat will stay moist while allowing that wonderful bark to develop. Some folks use aluminum foil for this, but doing so you actually end up steaming the meat and the bark turns to mush. Paper all the way man!
Works great on chuck roasts too, which has been my go to for smoking beef because brisket is so damn expensive!

Don't be poking holes in yer meat!  That's a surefire method to release the juices and cause it to dry out.  Also, when finished cooking don't forget to let it rest afterward before poking or cutting it.  It needs to reabsorb the moisture that's been pushed out towards the crust or bark.  Letting it rest for a bit will draw the juices back towards the center and redistribute them throughout the meat.

I love BBQ but I tend to overcook my meat, see I like my meat well done, but when I rule the BBQ its more on fire then well done...
But you know, fuck it, as long as the day is good and the people are good, there is always a pizza run

Quote from: ZoeAbides on May 10, 2015, 03:41:07 PM
Don't be poking holes in yer meat!  That's a surefire method to release the juices and cause it to dry out.  Also, when finished cooking don't forget to let it rest afterward before poking or cutting it.  It needs to reabsorb the moisture that's been pushed out towards the crust or bark.  Letting it rest for a bit will draw the juices back towards the center and redistribute them throughout the meat.

Yes Zoe, it does release a little juice, but this is how we bbq guys check for doneness. See, bbq is not done by time or internal temperature, it is done by "feel". And feel is checked by just that. handling and probing to see if its tender. Poking a ten plus pound hunk of meat in a few places hardly comprimises juiciness! Now if it were a tiny little chicken breast, maybe then it'd be a concern, but a big ol brisket, nah. And yes, resting all meat is key to goodness!

Quote from: Judd Dude on May 10, 2015, 10:01:53 PM
Yes Zoe, it does release a little juice, but this is how we bbq guys check for doneness. See, bbq is not done by time or internal temperature, it is done by "feel". And feel is checked by just that. handling and probing to see if its tender. Poking a ten plus pound hunk of meat in a few places hardly comprimises juiciness! Now if it were a tiny little chicken breast, maybe then it'd be a concern, but a big ol brisket, nah.

Now you see, I have tried both ways and yet i have found either it doesn't cook fully or I over cook it, am I missing something here?

Quote from: Eru on May 10, 2015, 10:58:10 PM

Quote from: Judd Dude on May 10, 2015, 10:01:53 PM
Yes Zoe, it does release a little juice, but this is how we bbq guys check for doneness. See, bbq is not done by time or internal temperature, it is done by "feel". And feel is checked by just that. handling and probing to see if its tender. Poking a ten plus pound hunk of meat in a few places hardly comprimises juiciness! Now if it were a tiny little chicken breast, maybe then it'd be a concern, but a big ol brisket, nah.

Now you see, I have tried both ways and yet i have found either it doesn't cook fully or I over cook it, am I missing something here?

I guess it depends on the cut of meat... Or how many oat sodas you've had while cooking...
In other words I'd need more specifics to give any advice.

Jeez, this isn't the kinda thing I need to read this late at night. Its gonna make me want to go to a Smithfield's, but the closest one is in the next town over. Plus, my last paycheck was only $30, since I was on vacation most of last week, so I don't have too much money. Another plus, they sure as shit aren't open this late. Ill just go next payday 

Quote from: Judd Dude on May 10, 2015, 10:01:53 PM

Quote from: ZoeAbides on May 10, 2015, 03:41:07 PM
Don't be poking holes in yer meat!  That's a surefire method to release the juices and cause it to dry out.  Also, when finished cooking don't forget to let it rest afterward before poking or cutting it.  It needs to reabsorb the moisture that's been pushed out towards the crust or bark.  Letting it rest for a bit will draw the juices back towards the center and redistribute them throughout the meat.

Yes Zoe, it does release a little juice, but this is how we bbq guys check for doneness. See, bbq is not done by time or internal temperature, it is done by "feel". And feel is checked by just that. handling and probing to see if its tender. Poking a ten plus pound hunk of meat in a few places hardly comprimises juiciness! Now if it were a tiny little chicken breast, maybe then it'd be a concern, but a big ol brisket, nah. And yes, resting all meat is key to goodness!

Ah, now a 10 pound brisket, that's a different story.  That shouldn't do much harm.  I was definitely speaking of smaller cuts.  My uncle in Texas smokes, even did it professionally for a while.  My dad taught me to grill before he passed on.  He did a bit of smoking, but mostly grilled.  I cringe whenever I see someone smashing a burger or poking holes in a sausage or steak.  And yes, I learned to tell doneness of a steak by finger press.  And though I enjoy a good steak every great now and then, I really enjoyed Johnsonville brats.  The raw ones, original flavor.

Damn, I miss grilling.  I had to give up the Weber when I moved as I had nowhere to put it, and it's illegal to grill at the apartment complex I live.  $10,000 fine if the fire dept catches you, I think.

Quote from: Judd Dude on May 10, 2015, 10:33:03 AM
Good for you biker dude. I am addicted to bbq myself! One tip I can give you on making sure beef stays moist is this- about halfway through the cook take the meat and wrap it in parchment paper and keep cooking until tender when poked with a skewer in several places. The paper retains moisture yet still allows it to "breathe" ensuring your meat will stay moist while allowing that wonderful bark to develop. Some folks use aluminum foil for this, but doing so you actually end up steaming the meat and the bark turns to mush. Paper all the way man!
Works great on chuck roasts too, which has been my go to for smoking beef because brisket is so damn expensive!

Yeah I've done similar with ribs.
My latest "discovery" is that by using a large amount of brown sugar as part of he rub I get a very nice bark which seems to keep things pretty moist.
The grill is hottest when the meat goes on since it's open on the coals to start with so it's blazing like mad. Then when I close it down it simmers down slowly and goes low and slow for several hours. This has the effect of cooking the brown sugar and spices onto the outside of the meat and sealing it up.

For brisket and recently for Chuck roast (which I put several bacon strips on top for fat) it's nearly impossible to over cook it.
At least not in a manner that makes it tough. It just gets more and more tender to the point where eventually it will nearly fall apart trying to get it off the grill. I think the pan of water on the bottom of the grill helps with this. But it does not in any way steam the meat. I just give it a lovely moist place to soak up the smoke.

Quote from: ZoeAbides on May 11, 2015, 02:10:16 AM

Quote from: Judd Dude on May 10, 2015, 10:01:53 PM

Quote from: ZoeAbides on May 10, 2015, 03:41:07 PM
Don't be poking holes in yer meat!  That's a surefire method to release the juices and cause it to dry out.  Also, when finished cooking don't forget to let it rest afterward before poking or cutting it.  It needs to reabsorb the moisture that's been pushed out towards the crust or bark.  Letting it rest for a bit will draw the juices back towards the center and redistribute them throughout the meat.

Yes Zoe, it does release a little juice, but this is how we bbq guys check for doneness. See, bbq is not done by time or internal temperature, it is done by "feel". And feel is checked by just that. handling and probing to see if its tender. Poking a ten plus pound hunk of meat in a few places hardly comprimises juiciness! Now if it were a tiny little chicken breast, maybe then it'd be a concern, but a big ol brisket, nah. And yes, resting all meat is key to goodness!

Ah, now a 10 pound brisket, that's a different story.  That shouldn't do much harm.  I was definitely speaking of smaller cuts.  My uncle in Texas smokes, even did it professionally for a while.  My dad taught me to grill before he passed on.  He did a bit of smoking, but mostly grilled.  I cringe whenever I see someone smashing a burger or poking holes in a sausage or steak.  And yes, I learned to tell doneness of a steak by finger press.  And though I enjoy a good steak every great now and then, I really enjoyed Johnsonville brats.  The raw ones, original flavor.

Damn, I miss grilling.  I had to give up the Weber when I moved as I had nowhere to put it, and it's illegal to grill at the apartment complex I live.  $10,000 fine if the fire dept catches you, I think.

That sucks you can't grill where you live. I couldn't survive without my smokers and grills! Sounds like you need to get yourself a Weber Smokey Joe. Then you can take it to a park and grill your heart out. I take mine everywhere, tailgating, camping, I even have a way to smoke with it. I used a tamale pot to make a "barrel" that fits between the two halves of the grill and can fit quite a bit of grub in there. Google "mini WSM " and you'll see how to make one. Relatively cheap, good little cookers!