Beef Tips - Primo Water OVAL XL Owner's Manual

First Use

Beef Tips

Beef Brisket
Undoubtedly, the hardest piece of meat to cook for most people, whether they
are barbecuing it or cooking it in the kitchen on a stove. The key to this flavorful
and delicious piece of meat is cooking time...a ‗long' time!
The fibrous connective tissues (collagen) are tough and plentiful and need the
time and right heat in order to break down and render a nice tender final
product.
There are three types of Brisket available to the consumer: the Whole
Brisket (or ―Packer Trim‖), the Flat and the Point. The whole Brisket is
generally cheaper in price, but also has more fat, and weighs any where from
11 to 16 pounds, depending on the size of the cow that it came from.
The whole Brisket can be broken down in to the Flat cut and also the
Point cut. The Point cut is very fatty and not found very often in
stores, except for Corned Beef Brisket Point Cut. The Point, when
trimmed up and ground, makes a very nice hamburger for the grill. The
Flat is the most common seen at stores in the meat counter. This cut is
also popular for back yard chefs, as it doesn't take as long to cook as the Whole
Packer Trim. It's the cut used for most of the Corned Beef that you
see advertised around St. Patrick's Day.
Trim or not to trim before cooking? There are two schools of thought on
this. A few of the 'old timers' season it with all the fat left on, cook it and
then trim the fat away when ready to serve. Also being thrown away is a
lot of the seasoning and outside ‗bark', which is one of the best parts of
the Brisket! We like to trim our Briskets down to about ¼‖ of fat, or less.
Some of the fat will cook away, but will leave a nice looking layer when
sliced for serving and presentation. And, the outside seasonings/bark gets
to go in your mouth and not the trash.
PREPARATION:
Trim your meat to about ¼‖ of fat. Completely season both sides with your
favorite BBQ rub or just plain Kosher Salt, pepper, garlic and paprika. Rub
it in with your fists, adding more seasoning if it looks like you need it.
Wrap the meat in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator over night.
Set your grill up for indirect cooking at 250°F. Don't forget the drip pan, as
quite a bit of fat will be rendered out. About an inch of water in the pan will
prevent
the fat from ‗burning' during the cooking process. For smoke, a
mix of hickory and cherry wood is excellent for Brisket. Oak is another fine
wood. Mesquite is also popular, but it can impart a harsh ‗smoke' flavor if
too much is added. I have found that Mesquite is an acquired taste, much
like Scotch whiskey.
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