How Do You Keep a Brisket Moist While Smoking It?
If you have a family get-together coming up, a big BBQ, or a special occasion that only a slab of delicious meat can celebrate, it’s a good time to break out the smoker. And if you’ve got brisket on your mind, you need to do it right. That means you have to learn how to keep a brisket moist. Nothing’s worse than dry meat at a BBQ.
If you aren’t a pro BBQ connoisseur just yet, but you want to make sure your brisket comes out perfectly, we’ve got some tips and advice on how to keep a brisket moist.
Get the Right Cut
It always starts with the cut. Don’t rush when looking for the perfect cut of meat. Take your time, and take a long, careful look at every piece of meat you pick up to ensure it has the right stuff. For briskets, you should focus on fat content. A good, moist brisket has the right amount of fat to keep it moist and flavorful while smoking.
If you don’t know how to spot a good cut, an easy shortcut is to pick up some USDA Prime Beef. To be labeled as USDA Prime Beef, meat needs to contain a certain level of marbling or fat.
Get Your Setup Right
If you’re using a smoker or grill, you’ll want to get your layout right. Choose a side for your charcoal or flames. That’s where you’ll place your meat. On the other side, you’ll want to lay out a water pan. If you’re using an oven, put a water pan or drip pan under the roast. That will help add moisture to the air while you cook and keep a brisket moist.
Use Aluminum
If you don’t have a water pan available, you can use aluminum foil to wrap your brisket. The aluminum will keep moisture from escaping.
Place It Fat-Side Up
When placing your meat, make sure the fattest side is facing upward. You want to do this so that the fat can dribble down over the meat to keep a brisket moist and juicy for longer.
Try Adding Bacon
This optional trick can add some flavor to your meat. By wrapping your brisket in bacon, you’re adding more fat to the equation, which will help you baste it during the cook.
Add the Right Spices
Spices are always an essential part of any meal, but in this case, they’re not just for flavor. Use paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper to create a crusty, moisture-sealing crust on your brisket.
Use the Right Temperature
Hitting your brisket with the right level of heat is critical. For example, if you’re cooking at 250°F, hit it with 350°F to start. For the first 20 minutes, you’ll want to use a higher temperature to sear the brisket and brown the outer layer, which will help contain its juiciness.
Add Moisture
After two or four hours of cooking, you can lightly spray your brisket with water, hot sauce, apple cider vinegar, or apple juice. You can do this every 30 minutes or every hour, based on preference.
Let Your Brisket Rest
This part is easy. Once you take your brisket out of your smoker, let it rest at room temperature for about an hour. If you start cutting right away, you won’t give your brisket’s juices a chance to redistribute throughout the meat, potentially leading to an uneven or seemingly dry bite.
Go to Chad’s for the Best BBQ Around
For more on the best BBQ, come stop by for a bite at 158 W Central Ave in Edgewater, Maryland. If you’d like Chad’s to cater your event with some delicious smoked BBQ, call or contact us online to talk details.
