Keeping Brisket from Drying Out

Q: You say that you get the enternal brisket temp. to be 180 degrees farh. and the meat is not dry? Is the the meat taken out once it gets to 180 or a bit below to comensate for the kcals that it will gain after it is removed from the heat. I am just worried about over cooking the meat and drying it out, (bad thing).

A: Brisket does have a tendency to dry out if you are not careful.. however, it has to be cooked up to at least 180 otherwise it will be too tough to eat.

I like to smoke the brisket to 180 or maybe even a tad higher if it needs it and then I let it rest for up to an hour or more. After slicing I like to pour some beef broth over the slices to add a little moisture. If I am really feeling good I will mix 1 cup of beef broth, 1 cup of drippings from the brisket and 1 cup of my famous bbq sauce and pour this over the sliced brisket. It always turns out great and I have never had anyone complain that the brisket was too dry.

Some folks smoke their briskets upside down (fat side down) to allow the fat layer to protect the meat from the direct heat. They claim this prevents the meat from drying out.

Be sure to slice the brisket thin and against the grain for a more tender effect if you decide to remove it a little early.. alternatively, if you happen to cook it too long and it is falling apart you can slice it a little thicker and with the grain.

For a complete tutorial on smoking a brisket please visit my brisket smoke tutorial


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