Newbie needs help with first cook!

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

txpgapro

Sous Chef
Joined
May 5, 2005
Messages
546
Location
Whitney, TX
The lady I sold my backyard pit to called over the weekend seeking some help with her first brisket. What she did was so funny I just had to share with everyone. She called me last night, and I could tell she was upset. Seems her first brisket cook was a flop. She said it turned out so mushy that she had to put it in the oven to finish.

This afternoon I made a trip to her home to check out old "Charley" and find out what went wrong. Upon arriving at her home I noticed she had a new cement slab built just for the pit. It was already covered in grease, fat and smoke drippings, as was the pit. Now I know that the pit never leaked smoke or fat a day in it's life. It was very tight and seasoned well. So I asked her why and how there was grease all over the place. She said "Well, I didn't know how the smoke was to get out of the pit so I kept the door on the upright cracked open." Yep she did a 12 hour cook with the top of the smoke stack shut! :lmao:

She said she started the fire using those "little wax fireplace starters." Then she added a bag of hickory chips. Of course she failed to soak the chips, so they burned up very fast. Then she used some freshly cut mesquite to continue the next 11 hours of cooking. I asked her at what temp she was cooking at and she said about 150*. I guess so since the damper on the smoke stack was closed as was the air choke on the firebox. I asked her if she ever took the brisket off the pit and foiled it. She said "well yes, and no." Can you explain that, I asked? She said well I knew you were suppose to foil the brisket, but I wasn't sure about when or anything, so I just foiled it good and tight before I put it on the pit. :lmao:

I promise you, this is all true! I had given her a nice bucket to hang on the drip hook under the upright, but she didn't know what the bucket was for. Finally after 12 hours on the pit. she put it in the oven at 200* for 10 more hours. The finished product couldn't be sliced, just pulled and chopped. It did have a good smokey flavor though. :lmao: I had told her about Texas BBQ Rub so she had already ordered some and got it very quickly, so she did use lots of rub on the brisket. Thank God for Bill's rub as the meat did have a nice flavor to it. I then spent a hour or so going over the steps on how to cook a quality brisket.

I had told her about this forum but computers are not her thing. Just thought every one might like a good hard rolling on the floor laugh. I had to really work at not laughing in front of her as she told me the story of her first cook. I know others may have similar stories to tell, but this was a first for me.
 
Back
Top Bottom