We strive to provide you with authoritative, trustworthy, and expert advice. In doing so, the staff at bbqdropout.com performs extensive research, editing, and fact checking to every post on this webiste. If you feel that this article can improve, please feel free to reach us at staff@bbqdropout.com
Before continuing this article, I wanted to let you know that I have a YouTube channel where I showcase all sorts of video content related to BBQ. Subscribing would mean a lot to me, and I very much appreicate all the support!
Brisket dried out after slicing
If a brisket dried out after slicing, you did not let it rest long enough and allow the internal temperature to come down appropriately. When you don’t let a brisket rest long enough, the temperature is usually still very hot and will probably evaporate all of the moisture and juices the second slice into it.
Why did my brisket dry out after slicing?
When cooking a brisket, there are two main things you have to keep in mind at all times. The first of which is to pull the brisket off at the right temperature and when it probes tender. The probe or toothpick that you used to probe all around meat, should slide in with zero resistance at all.
The second thing you have to keep in mind at all times, is how long you let the brisket rest. I’ve gone through many briskets where I pulled it off at the right internal temperature and when it probe tender, but I did not let it rest long enough. The brisket still came out dry and completely ruined the entire barbecue. That is simply because the internal temperature was not adequately brought down to around 155°F before slicing.
Not letting the temperature come down will evaporate all the moisture within the brisket sliced, and will definitely make everything about it dry and flavorless. It’s not a fun experience at all.
How do you keep brisket moist after cutting?
A great way to keep a brisket moist even after you have cut it, is to first let it come down to a reasonable internal temperature of around 155°F. That alone will help keep the majority of your brisket nice and moist. Another technique that I like to use, is to keep all of the slices still intact and pushing against each other. In other words, don’t pull the slices away from the entirety of the meat just yet. Even after you slice them, make sure they are still exactly where they were before you slice into the barbecue.
They should be stacked right up against each other, which helps to preserve the moisture content within the slice of themselves. This is a secret technique that only experience Pit-masters know, but don’t worry I’m here to help.
How do you fix a dried out brisket?
If you had the unfortunate event of a dried brisket, there are some methods you could use to salvage it. The first of which is to obtain a lot of the rendered juices that you may have collected before hand, and start dipping them and the juices themselves.
This helps to re-absorb some of the moisture back into the meat and will make it more palatable. Another thing you can do is just begin just chopping it up and mix it with barbecue sauce, otherwise known as making chop brisket. It may not be as good as a solid piece of brisket that is very juicy and tender, but it’s a great way to still make the meat edible.
What to do if brisket is dry and tough?
If you have a brisket that is dry and tough, consider why that is. Did you make sure to put at the right internal temperature of around 200°F and ensure that all the probes you inserted slit in with no resistance? If not, that is most likely why you have and tough brisket.
So, a way to ensure that further briskets that you smoke and cook do not come out the way we had just described above, is to go ahead and use those two simple techniques of pulling at the right internal temperature and making sure the probe slides in like it is going into a stick of butter.
Also consider resting the brisket long enough and letting the internal temperature come down to a reasonable temperature. Beyond that, you can use some salvaging techniques, such as making chopped beef or dousing it in beef juice. These are moderate types of fixes, but only treat the symptoms and not the cause.
How long to wait before slicing brisket
Once you have pulled brisket off at a reasonable internal temperature around 155° out of the storage and resting container, feel free to let the brisket rest another 20 minutes or so. Total resting time however can be anywhere between 3 to 5 hours for an entire pack her style brisket. Again, this just ensures that the internal temperature has plenty of time to come down, and will not evaporate any of the juices that are still present within the meat.
If you don’t wait long enough, it will be completely dry and useless. So don’t be too impatient and just see the process through.
Robert is a certified Pitmaster, with over a decade of experience in smoking the best meats you’ll ever feast upon. He also has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at San Antonio. When he’s not researching technical topics, he’s most likely barbecuing in his backyard.