World's tiniest brisket...

[pigsmoke]

...well almost. I've had a hankering for brisket out of the little #1 and so I had to get me a tiny one to fit the 12x13 grate. I hated to do it, I'm used to getting a whole brisket in the cryovac, but hey, this will be an experiment I guess. The biggest problem with these little briskets is the butcher has removed most if not all of the fat. Well, you just run what you brung.

I rubbed mine down with a simple barbecue rub and let it set in the fridge while I mowed the yard and got the smoker ready, and generally putzed around, probably about 3 hours. Not as long as I usually let a brisket marinate, but I want to eat today. I put some vinegars, white and cider along with some worchestershire and some cooking sherry in my little can for moisture and slide the meat into the smoker. I tossed in a couple of potatoes just to keep it company.

Now I'll kill some more time until the Cards and Dodgers start in the NLCS tonite, where'd I leave that guitar....

For those following along:
Brisket = 1Lb, 13-1/2 oz, with rub
Wood = 7/8 oz hickory, that's right, just 7/8's of one ounce, I think it'll be plenty.
Smoker = just a hair under 225F, cause I know it runs a little hotter than the dial wants you to believe.
Mop = small can of aromatic liquids in back corner of smoker
Start time = 12:15 CST

...I'll check back later.

 

[swthorpe]

Looks good!  Regarding the potatoes, I have switched to smoking without foil...very nice skin with lots of smokiness.  I poke a few holes in the potatoes and rub with EVO, followed by applying some sea salt/pepper.

 

[pigsmoke]

dinner got here a bit early, at least by my standards. I went out to temp the little bastard, er, uh, brisket at 4:15, which is exactly 4 hours in the smoker, including the time it takes to come up to temp. The digital thermometer jumped past 135, my intended slowing down point so quickly that I didn't wait to see what the final temp was, I just yanked the little som-da-bitch outta the smoker and took it indoors to rest for a bit.

It was just a tad dry around the edges on the smaller end, I expect the fat end might be just about perfect. I put it in a pan with foil over the top and put it back in the smoker with the dial down to 'bout 150. I need some time to properly enjoy cocktail hour prior to biting into a nice brisket samwich. Next time I think I'll cook it a little lower and temp it a little earlier. Not bad though. Thanks for the tip about foil-less potatoes. I may have to try that. I like to coat the skin real well with butter and then salt and pepper them. The foil keeps in the moisture. I like to eat the skin.

mike...

 

[DivotMaker]

That's a cute little booger, Mike!  That brisket must have come off of a calf - never seen one that little!  Was it tough?  I usually smoke brisket to at least 195, so I'm curious what temp it finaled-out at to leave a pink center.

 

[pigsmoke]

DM; not sure what the final temp on that little thing was, it sat in the box on about 200F for probably an hour and a half after that picture was taken. The pink disappeared. It came out ok, not sure I would do another one of these real soon. Maybe next time I'll bard the meat by laying some bacon across the top, there's just not enough fat cap left after the butcher trims it to keep it really moist in the smoker. I really shoulda cooked it slower and longer. The trickiest thing about briskets, and even these miniature ones I guess, is that the moment of perfection doesn't hang around for very long, you gotta get them at just the right point.

mike...

 

[DivotMaker]

Thanks, Mike.  So very true about getting brisket at just the right point!  They can definitely be challenging sometimes.

 

[BHamel]

The last time I had a brisket that the butcher trimmed, I bought a pound of the cheapest (i.e. fattiest) bacon I could find and placed it on top of the brisket as a "fatcap".  It helped keep the brisket moist and juicy.  The bacon wasn't bad either.  Just my 2 cents.

Ben

 

[DivotMaker]

Ben,

I use the same technique when I dry-age, and slow roast a prime rib roast - works great!