Finally figured out why my brisket was tough every time

I spent about $80 on prime packers over three months and kept getting shoe leather until a guy at Meat Church BBQ told me I was pulling them off the smoker at 195 instead of letting them ride to 203. That extra 8 degrees and a 2-hour rest in a cooler changed everything. Anyone else fight with temp targets before giving in to the higher number?

2 comments

2 Comments

jordang3213d agoMost Upvoted

203 works, but probe tender matters way more than temp.

the_cole12d ago

Has anyone actually tried letting the brisket rest overnight in a cooler with towels instead of just an hour or two? @jordang32 is right that probe tender is the real test, but I messed up my first few cooks by slicing too soon. The carryover cooking alone can bump you up 10 degrees if you wrap tight and let it sit for like 4-6 hours. I started doing this and the difference in moisture was night and day.