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When you purchase a Costco brisket, you will love knowing that you are really getting a great quality cut of meat. Choose a brisket that is the appropriate size for the number of people that you will be feeding.
Make sure the brisket that you select is very red in color and that the packaging has no air bubbles in it. Air bubbles mean that air is in the packaging and you want to try to get one that has no air in its packaging.
Selecting The Right Brisket
You can choose a brisket that is prime or choice. The prime cut will offer more marbling and is an excellent choice of meat. Costco sells prime briskets for your cooking pleasure. The marbling is what will help to keep your brisket juicy while it cooks.
A bend test will help you determine if the brisket is the best thickness. Simply bend the brisket in half, you want it to be able to fold over with both ends being able to meet. If it doesn’t meet, then the fat is hard and can make your brisket tough after cooking.
The marbling quality should be nice so that it offers plenty of fat to help you have a brisket that cooks tender and moist. You can choose a brisket that is flat or that is of packer quality. Both cuts are great depending on your preference.
Many choose packer because it offers a little more fat and it’s less trimmed. Make sure the flat is at least one inch thick so that it doesn’t dry out while smoking. The overall price of a brisket can range from 40 dollars up to 100 dollars, depending on the quality and grade of the brisket.
Preparing The Costco Brisket
Once you’ve chosen your brisket, you can choose to trim it or not. If you do trim, you will want to leave about 1/4 inch of fat on the brisket. This will help to hold in the moisture and the juices while it’s cooking.
A brisket that has a good layer of fat on it will help you produce a more tender brisket that is also juicy. If you choose a trimmed brisket, make certain that you don’t over cook it as it will dry out. When seasoning your brisket, you can choose from awesome seasonings such as kosher salt and black pepper.
You might also choose to use a rub on your brisket for the flavor you desire. Garlic, onion powder, paprika and olive oil are some other seasonings that you can choose to add to your brisket prior to cooking it. Once your brisket is cooked and it’s moist and tender, you will want to let it rest and to come up to room temperature.
It may take a couple of hours for your brisket to reach room temperature, but sitting it on the counter and just leaving it there is all you need to do for the resting period.
Starting The Smoker
Start your smoker before you are ready to put your brisket on. You will want your smoker to reach temperatures from 225 to 240 degrees before adding your brisket. Use a thermometer to make sure that the temperature of your smoker is where you want it to be. You can keep the thermometer on the smoker the entire time you are cooking so that you can always know the temperature.
If your fire gets too hot then you will want to close your vent to cool the temperature down. If your temperature is too cool, open the vent up so that the smoker gets more air to create more heat.
Don’t add your brisket to the smoker until the smoker has reached the right temperature. You will always want to keep an eye on your smoker so that your temperature is where you need it to be to help create the best brisket. When the temperature is right, place your brisket on the smoker.
Make sure you have plenty of water in your pan so that your brisket will be juicy and tender. Use a meat thermometer to check your brisket before removing it. The inside of the meat should be at 200 degrees.
Finishing The Brisket
The stall is when the meat stays at a certain temperature instead of rising. When this occurs, you want to open your vent slightly on your smoker to help raise the temperature of the smoker.
Making sure you have your brisket wrapped properly in heavy duty foil will also help avoid stalls. Probe your brisket with a meat thermometer to ensure it is at the 200 degree mark before removing it from the smoker. At 200 degrees internally, your brisket is cooked through.
Once you know it’s at 200 degrees, you can remove it from the smoker and set it aside to rest. The resting period will help it to maintain its juices and it will make it easier to slice. The resting period should be about 2 hours for a brisket.
You can also store your brisket in storage containers after the resting period. You may choose to let your brisket rest in a cooler or in a warming oven before slicing it.
Slicing Brisket
When your brisket is ready to slice, you will want to make sure that it has cooled. This will help you to have a more precise cut. You also want to make sure that you are cutting against the grain for the best brisket experience.
Slices about 1/4 inch thick are the perfect size for eating. You can serve your brisket with your favorite sides or eat it on a sandwich if you prefer.
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.