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The way that you cook your brisket can mean the difference in success and failure of your brisket. Knowing how long and at what temperatures to cook your brisket is key. A brisket that is cooked at a low temperature for a long period of time, slowly, will render you an awesome after product.
How To Cook Brisket From Costco
After you have selected your brisket from Costco and have it at home, you will want to use some of your favorite seasonings on your brisket or you can use your favorite rub as well. Put the rub or the seasonings on your brisket the night before you plan to cook it if possible. This will allow the flavors of your seasonings to absorb into the meat.
Wrap your brisket in heavy duty foil prior to cooking it. This will help the meat to stay moist so that it is tender when you are ready to serve it. Prepare your smoker by getting it to the temperature of 240 degrees. Choose a quality hardwood such as hickory or pecan for your smoking needs.
You will also want to make sure that your smoker’s bowl has plenty of water. Keep an eye on the temperature of your smoker and on the amount of water in your smoker’s bowl. Place your brisket in your smoker and let it cook slowly and at a low temperature.
Best Seasonings For Brisket
When you are choosing your seasonings, choose the ones that are your favorite. You can use garlic, onion powder, cumin, paprika, red pepper, black pepper, kosher salt or whatever you’d like to have. You can also make your own rub by mixing your choice of seasonings or you can purchase rubs if you want that offer the flavorings that you prefer.
If you can season your brisket and let it sit overnight, you may be amazed at how much flavor the brisket will absorb. You can also inject your brisket too, if you want. You can make your own injection with olive oil and your favorite seasonings or you can choose from injection flavors that are sold in the grocery store.
What Temperature To Smoke A Brisket At
You will want to have your smoker at about 220 to 240 degrees for smoking. Use a thermometer so that you are able to monitor your smoker’s temperature during the cooking process. Monitoring the heat is very important.
If the heat is too high, your meat can cook too quickly and it can be dry and tough when it’s all said and done. Also, monitor the amount of water that is in your water bowl so that it doesn’t run out of water. The time you will need to cook your brisket depends on the size of the brisket that you purchase.
The smaller the brisket, the less cooking time it will need. A brisket point will also require less cooking time than cooking a brisket flat.
How To Tell When It’s Done
You can tell when your brisket is done by the internal temperature of the brisket. The internal temperature should be at 190 degrees. Once it reaches this temperature, you should be able to easily cut it with a knife, similar to cutting through butter with a knife. Before slicing it, you will want to make sure that you let your brisket rest. The resting period will allow the juices to settle within the meat.
Without rest, the juices would run out of the meat and into the pan you have the brisket sitting in. Nothing tastes better than a brisket that has been properly smoked and is full of juice and flavor. The tenderness is also an important factor in serving a great brisket.
Letting The Brisket Rest
The resting period of the brisket allows the brisket to absorb all of the juice and the flavor into the meat. If you try to cut it without taking advantage of the resting period, you will lose a lot of the juice as well as a lot of the flavor. You will also find that your brisket will cut better if you allow for the resting period.
The resting period is a step that you do not want to skip when preparing a brisket. You can leave your brisket wrapped in foil while it is resting. A resting period of a couple of hours will help you have the best brisket. Once those two hours have passed, your brisket will be ready to cut and serve.
Quality Of The Brisket
The quality of the brisket is important. If you choose a prime grade brisket, you will find that it will have the highest quality. Cooking it correctly at the precise temperatures for the precise period of time will help you to have the best quality of brisket to serve to your guests.
The marbling and the fat layer can also provide the quality you need for a good brisket. The marbling and the fat add flavor as well as juices that are paramount to a great brisket.
How Much Is Brisket At Costco?
A good prime cut of brisket at Costco will cost about four dollars per pound. Remember that there is going to be some fat on the brisket and that you are going to have to pay for that as well. A brisket of 15 pounds can cost you around 60 dollars.
You are going to really get your money’s worth with your brisket if you cook it properly. Of course you can pay a higher cost for brisket at other stores or at a butcher shop.
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.