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Best brisket day I ever had was a total accident
So last Saturday I was running late for a cook at my buddy's place in Austin and grabbed a brisket that had been sitting in my fridge for 3 days dry brined. I forgot to take it out early so I threw it on the smoker cold straight from the fridge at 225. Figured it was gonna be a disaster but I was already behind so I just rolled with it. Ended up that long cold start gave it way more smoke absorption than usual and the bark set up perfect after 6 hours. I wrapped it in butcher paper at 170 and let it go to 203 and it rested for 2 hours in a cooler. When I sliced into it the thing just fell apart and had this deep smoke ring like 1/4 inch thick. Everyone kept asking what I did different and I had to tell them I just messed up my timing. Anyone else ever get a perfect cook from screwing up the prep?
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davidh884d ago
Oh man, that's a great story but I gotta push back on one thing. That cold start didn't give you more smoke absorption, it actually makes the bark stick better because the cold meat sweats more moisture early on. The smoke ring is from the chemical reaction between the smoke and the meat's myoglobin, not from the time it spends in the smoke. So you still lucked out big time with the bark and the ring, but it's more about that moisture sweating off and letting the rub set up than getting extra smoke. Either way, that's the kind of accident you chase for years and never quite replicate.
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dakota1601d ago
Haha yeah @davidh88, that's such a good breakdown, I didn't even think about the moisture thing. It's funny how in BBQ and pretty much everything else, the accidental wins teach you way more than the planned ones ever do. Guess that's just life reminding us that sometimes stumbling blind gets you further than trying to map the whole road.
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