Everybody wants to know the same thing when we're cooking brisket:
"How long is it going to take?"
My answer isn't always what they want to hear.
It takes as long as it takes.
If there's one habit I want people to break when they start cooking low and slow, it's relying completely on the clock.
1. Cook to Temperature and Feel, Not Time
Two briskets that weigh exactly the same can cook differently.
Use time to plan your day. Use internal temperature and tenderness to decide when your meat is done.
For brisket, I generally start paying close attention as it approaches the 195–203°F range. But I'm also looking for feel.
When the probe slides into the meat with very little resistance, that's telling me more than the clock ever will.
Big Green Egg similarly recommends cooking brisket until it is probe-tender, often around 200–203°F.
2. Don't Be Afraid of the Stall
At some point during a long brisket cook, the temperature may stop climbing.
Welcome to the stall.
Nothing is wrong with your EGG.
Nothing is wrong with your brisket.
Be patient.
Once you've developed the bark you want, you can wrap the brisket in butcher paper and continue the cook.
3. More Smoke Isn't Always Better
This is a big one.
Good barbecue shouldn't taste like you ate a campfire.
I want clean smoke and enough wood to complement the meat, not overpower it. Thick, heavy white smoke can leave food tasting bitter or ashy; thin, clean smoke is what you're after.
Start with less wood than you think you need.
You can always experiment from there.
4. Stop Opening the EGG
I know you want to look.
Don't.
Every time you open the dome, you're changing the environment you've worked to create.
Trust your thermometer. Trust the EGG. Let it cook.
5. Resting Is Part of the Cook
You spent ten or twelve hours cooking something and now you're going to ruin it because you can't wait another hour?
No.
Let the meat rest.
Resting gives the juices time to redistribute and is an important part of producing a tender brisket. Big Green Egg recommends at least an hour of rest for brisket, with longer rests possible.
Learn the Fire, Not Just the Recipe
That's probably the biggest lesson I can give you.
Recipes are helpful. Technique makes you a cook.
At our<a> Big Green Egg Academy in Denver, we get hands-on with fire management, direct and indirect setups, smoking, temperature control and the little things that make a big difference.</a>
Come hungry. You're going to cook and you're definitely going to eat.
