I need a little advice.

[pappy]

My wife says I am cooking briskets and ribs for Christmas Eve when all our kids come over. My question is can I cook the brisket a day ahead and keep it in the fridge, reheat it and it will still be as good as straight off the smoker? I am trying to get away from getting up at three in the morning to start it on Christmas Eve. Hard for old folks to get up that early. Being cold out and possibly windy, I will have to keep a good check on my OKlahoma Joe. SoI can't just put it on and go back to bed. So what is my best options for keeping a cooked brisket over night?

Also from what you all wrote James was a great guy, my prays go to his family and friends.

[egghead]

I vacuum pack brisket with a little coke (couple tablespoons - regular - not diet) in packages just right for two peeps and freeze. When we feel like a little brisket, I simply drop the whole package in some boiling water - works mightyfine. Some larger packages without freezing should work just as well. I have also used beef broth instead of coke. I have heard of people using Dr. Pepper and Root Beer but haven't tried it.

I have done the same with pulled pork with a tablespoon or two of a thin Q sauce.

[Pony Express]

we have done that several times. let brisket cool down a little, slice it up and put in the frige. Next day we dump a beer over it and into the oven or the pit and reheat. Works great

[WBBQ]

Cook it until tender as usual. Let it rest loosely in foil...just tented a bit for about 30 minutes. Take a disposable pan and drape a layer or foil large enough to completely wrap the brisket followed by a couple layers of saran wrap. Pour the juices from the brisket into the saran wrap..if you don't have any juices from the brisket, then pour a cup or two of beef broth. Then place the brisket in and wrap with the saran wrap, followed by the foil. Then place the brisket in the fridge. As the brisket cools it will absorb some of the juices. When time to reheat, you have two options. Leave the brisket as is and reheat at a low temperature..about 180 to 200 degrees until the brisket reaches around 170 internal temp. Or, you can take the plastic wrap off and put it back in the foil with the juices and heat it up at 350. Anyways, this is how I do it, but there maybe better ways.

I also like to foil at around 165 or at least use a pan to catch drippings.
Here is a brisket cook that I did without using foil (during the cooking stage...I always wrap in foil to rest), but using a pan.

Good luck, I hope that this helps

Weldon

[pappy]

I too wrap it at about 165 deg. I always double wrap to keep the juices in. What if I just take it off the smoker, leave it wrapped and put in disposable pan or wrap again and put in fridge? The cooking juices should be there.

[BAR "G" BBQ]

I too wrap it at about 165 deg. I always double wrap to keep the juices in. What if I just take it off the smoker, leave it wrapped and put in disposable pan or wrap again and put in fridge? The cooking juices should be there.

That will work Pappy. Rather than wrap in foil at 165* I place the brisket in an aluminum pan and cover with foil; less possiblity of losing the au-jus. I normally reheat in the oven at 250* for 2 to 2.5 hours. You can also use this method to freeze the brisket for later use. As long as you don't slice it it will be as good as fresh off the pit.

[WBBQ]

I too wrap it at about 165 deg. I always double wrap to keep the juices in. What if I just take it off the smoker, leave it wrapped and put in disposable pan or wrap again and put in fridge? The cooking juices should be there.

That will work Pappy. Rather than wrap in foil at 165* I place the brisket in an aluminum pan and cover with foil; less possibility of losing the au-jus. I normally reheat in the oven at 250* for 2 to 2.5 hours. You can also use this method to freeze the brisket for later use. As long as you don't slice it it will be as good as fresh off the pit.

Yep, that will work. The important thing is to have the juices to keep the brisket moist. How you do it is up to you, what ever is easiest for you. The reason that I take the extra step of wrapping tight with saran and foil is that I have a "theory" that the juices will adsorb better and since it is real tight they have nowhere else to go. The same thing when foiling tight while on the smoker rather than using a pan..although I have had great success with both ways. Now, keep in mind this is just my theory and my crazy way of thinking . I have no scientific proof to back it up

Good luck

Weldon

[pappy]

Thanks for the great info. I would post some snapshots of how it turns out but we don't have a digital camera. Us old folks aren't too modernized yet. Wouldn't know how to do it if we had one. Barely can operate this computer.
Thanks again

[Big Ed]

Thanks for the great info. I would post some snapshots of how it turns out but we don't have a digital camera. Us old folks aren't too modernized yet. Wouldn't know how to do it if we had one. Barely can operate this computer.
Thanks again

I post pics of my cell phone,maybe when your kids come for Christmas they can show you how.Dont feel bad though,I had the GF show me how(twice)

[tex_toby]

Smoke it high & fast - Although I haven't tried this method personally, many people I trust swear by it. Rather than cooking low'n'slow, many have begun cranking up the heat on their pits and finishing them much quicker and claim to have identical results. It might be worth a shot.

tex

[simon]

just a question. When reheating the next day is the idea, should I slice the brisket after the initial cook, or should I slice it after reheating ?

[Papa Tom]

I agree with the above method disposable pan etc. with one additional change. when you bring it out to rest lift the foil off the top and put one layer of plastic wrap over the brisket and then put the foil back over it to rest. When reheating (at 250°) the plastic can remain or come off. The reason for the plastic is that the spices etc. will eat holes on the foil and create ugly and probably unhealthy black spots on the meat.

[Bluz]

I am not one for slicing after the initial cook, seems to always dry out even if I am going to be serving the next day. I just heat it back up in the original foil wrapping and when heated up slice it then.

[BAR "G" BBQ]

just a question. When reheating the next day is the idea, should I slice the brisket after the initial cook, or should I slice it after reheating ?

Simon
I prefer to slice after reheating, once sliced the brisket IMHO loses it's fresh off the pit flavor as well as becomes dry. I keep whole cooked briskets in the freezer for up to 3 months and when reheated you could not tell the difference between it or one just cooked. May be just me but even if a few slices are cut from the brisket prior to refrigerating or freezing the brisket just seems to lose it's flavor.

[Papa Tom]

Ditto what they said slice last...
To add more to my previous post about the aluminum thing, ingestion of light metals has been linked to Alzheimer disease so I try to avoid............................................what was I talking about?????