Tips for pre-cooking brisket

[jdwoods]

I am planning to serve brisket for Father's Day this weekend.
Due to a bunch of factors, I will need to smoke it on Thursday and finish it mid-day on Friday.

Do you guys have any suggestions about how best to do this? Cook to IT 190-195 degrees, rest for 4 hours, then let cool and put into fridge, when preparing to serve, put into oven (covered) for IT 170 degrees?

 

[SuperDave]

If you take it to 195 in your initial cook you won't need to take it to 170.  145 is hot to the taste and safe.  Leave it whole and slice at the time of serving. 

 

[jdwoods]

You think this should preserve juiciness?

 

[SuperDave]

When I pull my brisket out of the smoker, I put it in a foil 1/2 steamer pan with a 1/2 to 1 cup of liquid and foil tight.  Warming creates a steaming effect on the meat and helps keep it moist. 

 

[Pork Belly]

Triple cling wrap and single heavy duty foil wrap directly from the smoker. Allow to cool until barly warm to the touch sitting on the counter. Fully cool in the fridge. Warm as it is wrapped on a pan in a 325 oven until it is warm and soft to the touch. Stabbing it with a thermometer will make a serious leak. It will take over an hour, just monitor it.

 

[jdwoods]

How does that triple cling + foil wrap affect the bark? How about putting it under the broiler for 3-5 minutes each side (after fully warmed) to dry out a little bark?

 

[SuperDave]

How does that triple cling + foil wrap affect the bark? How about putting it under the broiler for 3-5 minutes each side (after fully warmed) to dry out a little bark?

There are always going to be compromises for convenience, loss of bark with one method, drying the meat out with another.  I think that most of us have found that the people eating our meat love it and are a lot less picky than we are about fine details.

 

[Pork Belly]

The bark is not pristine but it is not bad either. I haven't received any complaints.