That time my brisket flat was bone dry 4 hours in and I had to think fast

I was at a backyard cookout in Austin last spring, about 12 people waiting on my brisket. Smoker temp was holding steady at 225, everything looked good. But around hour 4, I poked the flat and it felt like cardboard, no give at all. I panicked for a second, then remembered a trick a pitmaster in Lockhart told me about. I wrapped it tight in pink butcher paper with a splash of beef broth, added about a tablespoon of tallow too. Cranked the smoker to 275 for the last 3 hours and it came out tender, not perfect but nobody complained. Has anyone else saved a dry brisket mid-cook with a wrap adjustment?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_julia1mo ago

Did you just save that whole cook with a splash of broth?

emery9651mo ago

Actually I think it depends on what you're starting with. If you're deglazing a pan after searing meat, sure a splash of broth lifts all those browned bits and that's pure flavor. But if you're trying to fix a soup or stew that's gone too thick or salty, just adding broth can water things down instead of balancing them. You'd be better off with something acidic like a squeeze of lemon or a dash of vinegar to brighten it up. Or if it's too salty, a potato slice can soak up some of that salt without changing the texture much. So the broth trick works great for some situations but it's not a one size fits all fix.