This Brisket Technique Hits Different on Pellet Grills
Rendering Brisket Fat on the Pitts & Spitts
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Introduction
Fixing the Big Mistake in My Last Pellet Grill Brisket
Hey everybody, Jake here. In my last brisket video I tested a smoke cage on my Pitts & Spitts, and by the end of the cook I realized I had broken a cardinal rule of pellet grill brisket. Today I'm showing you how to fix it.
The Problem
I was so focused on getting smoke that I left the temperature too low for too long. That brisket spent about six hours at low temperatures. The flavor was amazing, but when I cut into it there was a big white band of fat that never rendered. Fat rendering is a combination of time and temperature, and it needs a higher temperature for a longer time. Even a very long rest didn't fix it. You have to start with a well-cooked brisket, and then the rest takes it to the next level.
The Prep
I used a Creekstone Farms brisket. For trimming, I switched between a brisket slicing knife, which gives you long flat cuts with no divots, and a fillet knife for fine tuning. Anything with meat on it went on a plate, and the fat went into a foil container. I trimmed the top, flipped it, did the bottom, and did the fat cap last. Then I rounded off the edges.
For seasoning I used my Pepper Cannon (use code RUMANDCOOK for 10% off) and seasoned salt. I filled the pepper cap five times and the salt cap twice, so it's a little over 2 to 1 pepper to salt by volume. I don't do 50/50 anymore. I go at least 2 to 1, and sometimes up to 3 to 1. If you use less pepper, you don't get that meteorite dark bark, and the extra texture gives the smoke more to stick to.
One thing took me a while to figure out. With that much pepper, if you apply it and go right onto the grill, your bark can get flaky. Now I sprinkle on a little water, apply a heavy coating, and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes so it sets up.
The Setup
I lit two fire starters in the wood cage with a piece of wood on top, so it falls in as it burns down. Let that go for at least three minutes, or five if you have time. Then I turned on the Pitts & Spitts. With the wood cage, the right side runs hotter, so I moved the deflector over a bit to offset it.
The brisket went on the second shelf. I also put the fat trimmings in a pan with about half to three quarters of a cup of water to make tallow, because the water helps the fat render faster. I kept that pan off to the side, so it wouldn't steam up under the brisket and ruin the bark. I put my Typhur Sync Gold Dual in the brisket and set the app to beef brisket, just as a guide.
The Cook
Here was my plan: two hours at 225, two hours at 250, two hours at 275, and then 300. With the smoke cage in, those settings run cooler than the number, roughly 200, 225 and 250 inside the cooker. I bumped the setting from my phone every couple of hours while I ran errands, which is one of my favorite things about a pellet grill.
At one point a bunch of wood ignited and it peaked around 307°F, so I turned it back down to 250 and it ran around 280 for most of the cook. The brisket, about 12 pounds, was done in about 9 hours. It hit 198°F, a little past my usual 195°F pull, and my Typhur InstaProbe showed the flat closer to 200°F.
I wrapped it, let it sit on the counter for an hour, and then moved it into a warming oven for a long rest of about 20 hours. The tallow had been smoking the whole time, and I let it cool before using it, because hot tallow would carry the brisket over too far.
The Results
After the rest, the brisket was at 161°F. I unwrapped it and poured that smoky tallow over the top. The cut down the middle was nice and clean, and the difference from my last brisket was easy to see. The edge fat that was white last time was now meat color, properly rendered, and there was plenty of juice.
I'll be honest, I overcooked it. I was so focused on rendering the fat that I went a little too far, and the slices were falling apart. It still tasted phenomenal, with great smoke all the way around. I don't delete my mistakes, I share them. I missed the 195°F pull because I was having camera problems, and I figured it would stall out on the counter. I was wrong.
Final Thoughts
If you want lots of smoke flavor on a pellet grill, and I highly recommend it, start at 200, 225 and 250. But don't stay there. On a 14 pound brisket that takes 11 to 13 hours, I'd keep about half the cook below 275 and half at 275. You need 275 for an extended period to render the fat. If you cut corners, you'll get a brisket that tastes good but isn't as good as it could be.
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Thanks For Watching
Whether you're a seasoned pitmaster or a novice, these tips will enhance your cooking skills and leave your family and friends raving about your delicious, smoky creations. Don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more step-by-step videos, and let's together become the barbecue heroes we were meant to be!
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