How to Make a Smoked Beef Brisket - Process Analysis Essay Sample

There are a variety of briskets available for purchase in distinct shops. The best brisket for smoking is that which comprises point and flat muscles. Therefore, prime beef will do best. At least pounds of brisket will do for smoking per person being served. In the next step after selection, trim the brisket. While some others would not see the need to trim it, the fat can be too much and could mess you in the last process during slicing. If every step is critically considered, you will love the end product. Beef briskets are easy to make as its procedure is easy to follow despite it taking a long time to cook.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

The fat should be eliminated to about of the total. This is what will determine how the final product will turn out. Season the brisket with some coarse salt and black pepper. These two should be in a 50/50 mixture. For the best results, it is essential to leave it by itself in a room for 1 hour. If needed spicy, add a little garlic powder. This would only add to the taste but not change the flavor of the final product. Prepare the smoker and use some hardwood, such as oak. If at some point the smoke stops, add some 4 ounces of more wood in ranges of 30 minutes. If need be, add some cherry of or apple smoking chunks. Smoker selection is not important as long as it is of consistent heat and ensures there is a steady flow of thin blue smoke.

In the smoker, use indirect heat and let the temperature be up to about 100-120 degrees of temperature. This preheating stage is vital to start cooking off the meat with high temperatures and ensure that they drop steadily as soon as the cold meat is placed inside. While in the smoker, ensure that the brisket is in indirect heat with its tip close to the heat source. Smoke to about 73-75 degrees of temperature. Next, wrap the brisket with some uncoated paper. This is the most critical step as it determines whether the brisket will turn out to be juicy and tender. Sometimes, foil can be a good option, but it requires one to have some skills with it. Wrap it like a present such that edges are folded over each other until the brisket is fully sealed. Return the brisket to the smoker with the tips close to the fire source. This will increase the temperatures to about 95 degrees Celsius. Some other times depending on how the result is desired, you would be required to move it to an indoor oven where braising and slight steaming are done. However, both are meant to prevent any surface evaporation from the brisket and cause a stall. As soon as temperatures are within the range, rest the smoked brisket for about 1 hour. This will allow the juices to settle down and redistribute all over the meat. This will also let the brisket become easy for slicing and serving.

Next, slice the brisket against the grain to achieve maximum tenderness. This should be done when the brisket is cold, as it will be easy to slice through the fat. You can do it at room temperature or opt to first put the brisket into a freezer before slicing. However, this would require you to dry it off before slicing. If there is more fat in the brisket, ensure that you eliminate it as it provides no benefit to the consumer. This is important since the smoked beef already contains plenty of fat marbled within it. Slicing should be leaving at least of fat layer it this was skipped in the first step. Another way to do that would be to split the brisket down the middle and as close as possible, ensuring that there is no point overlapping the flat. Next, turn the position to 90 degrees and slice it in that way until slicing is done entirely in the opposite direction. Some briskets will also end up with silver skin. You would want to remove it since it does not tenderize despite the long time it takes to cook. Depending on the method chosen to slice, the beef brisket may end up being either fatty or lean, where the fatty refers to the point whereas the lean refers to the flat.

A finished brisket would have the internal temperatures of around 95 degrees Celsius. Furthermore, the entire process should not take longer than 10-12 hours. You can use a thermometer to ensure that no guessing is done and that the end product is as expected. Sometimes, smokers can be fitted with a smoke alarm to monitor the brisket without opening them. If you are required to open the lid, it ought to be done as little as possible to encourage maximum smoking time. If a total opening is needed, you should do it quickly and later close it to keep the smoke within and maintain the temperatures at the same time. The meat should also be turned at least every 3 hours as soon as one notices that the top or the bottom is coloring faster than the other. However, this should be done carefully to ensure that the meat does not fall apart even if tender. If all steps until slicing have been done, serve the beef brisket with bread, pickled onions, and some butter.