Anytime is a good time for tender, juicy, smoky brisket. We have the thermal tips you need to get it right. So grab a “full-packer” from your butcher, and get smoking!
Brisket is a rite of passage for anyone with a smoker. It’s the ultimate challenge: taking what is arguably the toughest piece of meat in the whole cow, and through the art and craft of low-and-slow smoking, turning it into pure meat candy—that smoky, peppery, caramelized exterior with tender, flavorful, juicy beef inside that is one of the pinnacles of the barbecue experience.
Render the fat for about 4 hours at 225-250°F. If using your kitchen oven, place the fat into an uncovered Dutch oven and away you go! If using the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker, cook your brisket on the top cooking grate and render the fat scraps in a disposable foil pan on the bottom cooking grate.
But why does collagen break down in the first place? The answer lies in the temperature at which collagen melts. Collagen melts at around 160°F, which is why low and slow cooking is so effective. Cooking meat at this temperature allows collagen to break down gradually, resulting in tender meat.
Low and slow cooking is an essential aspect of BBQ, and the science behind collagen breakdown and fat rendering is what makes it so effective. Cooking meat at low temperatures for an extended period allows collagen to break down gradually, resulting in tender meat with a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Additionally, as fat renders, it bastes the meat, adding flavor and moisture. So, the next time you fire up your smoker, remember the science behind low and slow cooking and enjoy a delicious and tender piece of meat.
But low and slow cooking is not just about temperature; it’s also about time. Cooking meat low and slow requires patience, as it can take several hours for collagen to break down and fat to render fully. But the result is a piece of meat that is full of flavor and incredibly tender.
Another essential aspect of low and slow cooking is fat rendering. Fat is an important component of meat, and when cooked correctly, it can add a lot of flavor to the finished dish. However, when meat is cooked at high temperatures, the fat can be cooked off, resulting in a dry and flavorless piece of meat.
Low and slow cooking is a staple of BBQ, and for a good reason. This method of cooking involves cooking meat at low temperatures for an extended period, resulting in juicy and tender meat. But why is this cooking method so effective? The answer lies in the science behind collagen breakdown and fat rendering.
Place the Probes
Attach your thermometer’s air probe to the grate of your smoker with the grate clip. You’ll want to be sure the clip is at least two inches away from the outside edge of the grate and one inch away from your meat. But you don’t want it much further than that: you want to know what the temperature is near the meat, not at some random location in your smoker.
Your Signals has enough probes to go into the flat as well as the point of the brisket. (The flat is the long muscle of uniform thickness.) You want a probe in each part so that you can have a more complete picture of what is happening, thermally speaking, in the whole brisket.
How to Render Brisket Fat
FAQ
How do you render fat off a brisket?
Is brisket done at 190 or 200?
At what temp does fat render?
Why didn’t my brisket, fat render?