Captain Caffeine and the Elusive Brisket

The Captain and I watch a lot of food shows, including the barbecue cookoff competitions, and we drool over the amazing barbecue those guys turn out. We’re especially impressed by the brisket, because the brisket on TV always looks so juicy and delish.

The Captain has been trying to make brisket in his smoker for a while now but it always seemed to come out a bit dry. He tried again this past weekend and I think he’s made his best brisket yet! (He thinks it’s still a bit dry, so maybe my expectations aren’t quite as high.)

I seriously loved his brisket. The meat has a nice smoke ring and I thought it was really tender and juicy.

Any of you use the smoker to make brisket? Any tips or advice?

Comments

Linda B said…

I do brisket in my roaster oven. I roast it at 250 for 8-12 hours depending on the size. It comes out moist and melt-in-your mouth tender. I bet it's good smoked, too, though!

Thu May 31, 02:18:00 PM 2012

Patrick G. Whalen said…

I'm definitely no pro, but I've made some really good (and some not so good brisket) in my smoker. One thing I do now based on a tip I received seems to have pretty much solved the dryness issue for me. Instead of putting the brisket right into the smoker completely uncooked, I start a fire on the grill and when the flames are nice and hot I sear the brisket on both sides just enough to brown the outside of the meat. This has helped to seal in the juices which are created while the brisket smokes slowly in the smoker. In addition, I now add a small aluminum pan of mixed water, olive oil and herbs just inside the smoker, as close to the firebox as possible. This helps create a moisturizing and tasty steam bath. Oddly enough, I'm now very much craving some smoked brisket :)

Thu May 31, 02:20:00 PM 2012

Patrick G. Whalen said…

I just wanted to add though...the pictures you posted of that brisket look mighty moist and yummy to me!

Thu May 31, 02:28:00 PM 2012

Camy Tang said…

I did a brisket in my slow cooker, and it turned out great! But we like the smokiness that can only come from long hours in the smoker, which is why he's been trying so hard to make it come out just right.

Thu May 31, 08:09:00 PM 2012

Camy Tang said…

Those are good ideas--thanks! I'll pass those on to him.

Thu May 31, 08:10:00 PM 2012

Camy Tang said…

*I* thought the brisket turned out fantastic, but he said it was dry. So I told him I'd eat it all and he took exception to that. :)

Thu May 31, 08:10:00 PM 2012

Brainstorm - character occupation

Captain's Log, Stardate 03.23.2009 Hey guys, I could use some help. In my current manuscript, The Year of the Dog , which is a humorous contemporary romance, I have a minor character, Eddie. He’s my heroine’s ex-boyfriend, and they’re on good terms with each other. He’s a bit irresponsible, but not so much so that he’s a complete loser. He’s got a very easy going attitude, he forgets to pay his bills sometimes, he’s friendly and charming. He’s adventurous and fun to be around, but he’s a little forgetful sometimes, and he tends to spend a little outside his income. I need an occupation for him. What would a charming, easy going, slightly irresponsible guy do for a living? He’s not too irresponsible, because otherwise readers will wonder what in the world my heroine saw in him to date him in the first place. She was attracted to his charm, his easy going attitude (her family’s uptight, and he was a nice contrast), and his adventurousness. But his forgetfulness and irresponsibility ...

I sold to Steeple Hill!

Captain's Log, Supplemental Remember that romantic suspense proposal I blogged about earlier? Well, it just sold to Steeple Hill’s Love Inspired Suspense line! I am so jazzed! I am beyond jazzed! The story’s working title is Sinister Spa The story's title is Deadly Intent and here’s a blurb (but it’s probably not what will appear on the back of the book): Massage therapist Naomi Grant could use a massage herself. With her father at home recovering from a stroke, Naomi is put in charge of the family’s elite day spa in Sonoma county. The new responsibilities sit awkwardly on her shoulders, and things only get worse when handsome Dr. Devon Knightley breezes into the spa, demanding to see one of the female clients. And the woman is found dead in Naomi’s massage room. Suddenly, Naomi is a suspect and her family’s spa is shut down. How could God let this awful thing happen? Devon only needed to see his ex-wife about a family necklace she still hadn’t returned, but when she dies and...

Chinese Take-Out and Sushi for One

Captain’s Log, Supplemental My agent sent me an article from Publisher’s Weekly that discussed this incident: Chinese Take-Out Spawns Christian Controversy And here’s also a blog post that talks about it in more detail: The Fighting 44s This is Soong-Chan Rah’s blog: The PCS blog In sum: Apparently Zondervan (yes, my publisher), who has partnered with Youth Specialties, had put out a youth leaders skit that had stereotypical Asian dialogue, which offended many Christian Asian Americans. In response to the outcry, Zondervan/Youth Specialities put out a sincere apology and is not only freezing the remaining stock of the book, but also reprinting it and replacing the copies people have already bought. I am very proud of my publisher for how they have handled this situation. The skit writers have also issued a public apology . (I feel sorry for them, because they were only trying to write a funny skit, not stir up this maelstrom of internet controversy. I’ve been in youth work long enou...

Excerpt - A HUNDRED YEARS OF HAPPINESS by Nicole Seitz

Captain's Log, Stardate 03.05.2009 Update: Sorry, this giveaway is closed. A Hundred Years of Happiness by Nicole Seitz A beautiful young woman. An American soldier. A war-torn country. Nearly forty years of silence. Now, two daughters search for the truth they hope will set them free and the elusive peace their parents have never found. In the South Carolina Lowcountry, a young mother named Katherine Ann is struggling to help her tempestuous father, by plunging into a world of secrets he never talks about. A fry cook named Lisa is trying desperately to reach her grieving Vietnamese mother, who has never fully adjusted to life in the States. And somewhere far away, a lost soul named Ernest is drifting, treading water, searching for what he lost on a long-ago mountain. They're all longing for connection. For the war that touched them to finally end. For their hundred years of happiness at long last to begin. From the beloved author of The Spirit of Sweetgrass...

I got my cover!

Captain’s Log, Supplemental Blog book giveaway: To enter, go to the blog links below and post a comment there. Eyes of Elisha by Brandilyn Collins Tangerine by Marilynn Griffith I GOT MY COVER!!!! What do you guys think?

Search This Blog