Brisket 2023

It is times again for the cooking of the brisket.

We purchased a 9 pound brisket at Costco earlier this week. It’s probably down to 8 pounds now that I have cut off a bunch of the fat.

I seasoned it last night and it sat for about 14 hours coated with salt and pepper.

It is now just after 9:00AM and the brisket is on the grill. This is going to take seven to eight hours and it shall be delicious.

I am changing the subject now to discuss our skunk. I’m pretty sure I have announced here recently that we have another skunk. She managed to dig a hole around the cement I poured last summer into the cravas of the heaved cement floor of the garage.

So…we are again stuck with a skunk who will most likely have babies and spend the next couple of months here. We can live with that. We have before.

Last night, the babies appeared. SEVEN of them. I don’t have good pictures of them yet. You’ll have to settle for these.

Back the the brisket.

It’s a little after ten now and the meat is up to 100°. For this first part, I’m cooking the meat to 170°. My instructions say that will take 5 hours but I’ve had get to 170° sooner. After it hits one seventy, I will wrap it in aluminum (known as “the Texas Crutch”) and continue the cook until it reaches 205°. That will take another couple of hours.

11:27AM: This thing is going fast. Too fast! When I checked the temperature at 11, it was at 180. I pulled it off and wrapped it in foil. It’s very snuggly wrapped now and I closed off both vents. The top and bottom vents are just slightly open. I hope that slows it down.

I’m wondering if I can trust the thermometer I’m using. I can’t find my wireless “Meeter” probe. I have no idea where it’s hiding but I really wish I had it.

12 Noon: We’ll, this is the quickest slow cook I’ve ever done. It took barely half an hour to reach 205. I pulled it the grill and placed it fat side up in my cooler. According to the recipe, it stays in the cooler for three hours. It should cool to around 160 in that time.

Stand by and we’ll find out. 

3:47PM: I am not disappointed. I think it came out pretty good but Susan thinks it’s too salty. I can see where she might think that but too salty has never been an issue for this heart patient.

It was still hot when I pulled the roast out of the ice chest. In any event, I think it’s going to be a good dinner.