It took me 5 years to realize I was putting my brisket on the smoker cold

I was at a competition in Austin last summer and this pitmaster from Lockhart just watched me prep my brisket. He asked why I was pulling it straight from the fridge and I said that's what my dad always did. He laughed and said I was basically shocking the meat and losing all the moisture in the first hour. I've been doing it wrong since I bought my offset in 2019. Now I let the brisket sit on the counter for a full 45 minutes before trimming and seasoning. Has anyone else had a simple prep step totally change their results?

2 comments

2 Comments

wendyprice12d ago

So funny story, I actually used to argue with people about this lol. I was dead set on keeping my brisket cold right up until it hit the smoker, thought it somehow kept the meat safer or something. Then I did a side by side with a buddy who let his sit out for an hour before seasoning and we swapped halves at the end. His was definitely juicier and more tender, mine was drier on the edges. That Lockhart guy is totally right about the shock thing, it makes so much sense now. Feels like a dumb mistake looking back but hey, we all learn somehow right?

the_sam15d ago

Ah man, that Lockhart guy basically saved you years of frustration, didn't he? I had the exact same thing happen with my pork shoulder last year and felt like such a dummy when someone finally told me. It's wild how one little prep change like letting it come up to temp can flip your whole cook around.