I keep seeing people ruin brisket by pulling it too early based on temp alone

Was at a competition in Lockhart last weekend and watched three teams yank their briskets off at 203° internal like clockwork, then wonder why they were dry. You gotta probe for tenderness, not just look at the number. I've been cooking for 12 years and my best flats come off anywhere from 198 to 208 depending on the fat render. Anyone else notice folks relying too much on that instant read instead of feeling the meat?

2 comments

2 Comments

victor_carr256d agoMost Upvoted

Last year at the Aaron Franklin class in Austin this guy next to me had a Fireboard with three probes in one brisket. He was watching the numbers drop like a hawk on a snake. I told him my dad used to test doneness by sticking a toothpick in the flat, if it slid in like butter it was done, no thermometers at all. He looked at me like I had two heads but his brisket came out dry anyway. I still use my Thermapen but I always poke around the point and the flat to feel for that buttery slide, the numbers are just a guide. The fat cap tells you more than any probe sometimes, if it pulls back and feels soft you're golden.

blair6266d ago

Man I used to be the exact opposite, I'd pull my briskets off at exactly 203 and think I had it nailed. But after a few dry disappointments I started poking around with a skewer and realized you really do gotta feel the meat, not just watch the temp climb. Now I probe every zone of the brisket and pull when it slides through like warm butter, regardless of what the numbers say, and my results have been way more consistent.