Brisket is the ultimate meat, but you need to learn the tricks to cook it perfectly and know what happens if you cook brisket too fast.
The complexity of smoking is on full display when a brisket is prepared. A person who has smoked brisket previously knows how unpredictable the meat can be.
Generally, brisket takes a long time to smoke, even up to 15 hours.
But, it is not uncommon to ask, “why is my brisket cooking so fast?” And also, what really happens if you let your brisket cook too fast?
Letting your brisket cook too fast can affect its texture and taste, often making it a bit too hard and chewy to eat.
What Happens If You Cook Brisket Too Fast?
Expect the flavor and texture of your brisket to change considerably if you let it cook a bit too fast.
Meat loses its tenderness and becomes tough if cooked too rapidly or at an improper temperature.
You have to understand the reasons why it is essential to slow-cook brisket to know why fast cooking is not a good idea.
Tip: Invest in a reliable meat thermometer because an inaccurate thermometer can make it difficult to cook brisket to perfection.
Why Is It Important to Slow Cook Brisket?
Slow cooking a beef brisket over a low fire brings forth its best flavor.
It all happens due to the breakdown of the collage and touch connective tissue.
Through slow cooking, the lengthy muscle fibers have the time to turn into tender, juicy meat.
Cook at a high temperature for a short time could leave the connective tissue in place, which means you get one very tough brisket.
It takes skill to master this procedure. Beef brisket cooked to perfection will be juicy and soft, with the meat remaining firm enough to be sliced thinly.
What Should be the Temperature to Cook Brisket?
Many people think it is important to follow a particular temperature or cooking time.
The truth is that while these factors are important, the most important thing is to cook it to tenderness.
However, if you want your brisket to be tender and flavorful, you should pay attention to the cooking temperature as well.
You should attempt to remove it from the smoker when its internal temperature is between 200F and 205F.
What If Brisket is Not Tender at the Recommended Temperature?
Sometimes, the brisket is not tender enough after cooking. If that happens, you can keep cooking it at a moderate temperature if you wish.
Keep in mind that cooking your brisket past 205F can cause it to lose its texture and become tough.
Tip: Be ready to spend some money to get the best quality brisket because low-quality meat is more likely to cause problems when cooking.
What Causes Brisket to Cook Fast?
You know you notice issues with flavor and texture with brisket done too quickly.
But, you may be wondering exactly why you have to face that problem in the first place.
You may notice the brisket cooking too fast because of the following reasons.
The Temperature is Not Right
Ideally, you need to smoke a brisket around 225F, but never beyond 250F. This is the sweet spot for cooking meat to tender perfection without overcooking or drying it out.
The cooking time will shorten if you smoke the brisket at 275-300F. In fact, you may notice a reduction of 30-45 minutes per pound of meat.
It implies that a 10lbs brisket that usually takes 20 hours to smoke may be done in only 5-6 hours.
And if you do not know what you are doing, you may end up with dry, tough, and overcooked brisket.
The Extreme Weather Conditions
When smoking brisket, it is essential to consider the weather conditions.
When cooking in hot weather, your smoker is likely to overheat quite easily. And this obviously makes the brisket cook fast.
Your smoker’s ambient smoke temperature will change considerably depending on the external temperature.
You have to increase the temperature if it is chilly outside to make up for the heat being lost down the chimney.
But, the opposite is true in case of warmer temperatures outside.
Making a mistake in understanding how much the outside weather affects your cooking temperature may leave your brisket cooked unevenly.
Insufficient Marbling
You have to bear in mind that the fat content of your brisket will impact how you cook it.
Slow cooking is necessary when the fat content of the brisket is high.
This is because those fatty tissues need time to completely degrade and disperse themselves throughout the meat.
It means that the cooking time will come down considerably if you remove the fat cap before cooking.
Tip: Invest in coolers if you love smoked meat because it keeps smoked brisket tender and juicy for long.
How Do You Know If Brisket Cooking Too Fast?
It is not going to be easy because getting the timing perfect on a large cut of beef can be a bit of an art.
Depending on your cooking type, there may be some warning indicators to watch out for.
Cooking in a Smoker
If you are using a smoker, you will have to use a probe that is inserted into the meat to measure the internal temperature.
What you should expect here is usually mentioned in the recipe you are following.
If you notice your brisket reaching those temperatures a bit too quickly, know you have to take a step back.
Cooking in an Oven
Sometimes a temperature probe is recommended for use in the oven, or you may be instructed to check the meat frequently to ascertain its doneness.
In this case, you should first consider how quickly the exterior of the meat turns dark.
Secondly, checking when the fluids inside the flesh begin to run clear is important.
If both of these things happen before you have completed the cooking process, know you are cooking too quickly.
Note: Examine your brisket halfway through cooking and take steps to slow down if the outer layer has already darkened a bit.
What Should You Do When Brisket Cooking Too Fast?
Do not freak out if the internal temperature of your brisket starts to rise unexpectedly rapidly during cooking.
You can still keep the meat juicy and tender, and maximize its smoky flavor by taking certain steps.
Before you take any action, keep in mind that the brisket’s internal temperature will not steadily climb throughout the cooking process.
In fact, it will reach a plateau between 150 and 170F, after which it will cook much more slowly.
In spite of appearances, your brisket may not have even hit the stall yet, which can increase hours to your smoke time, so knowing this is crucial.
But if you are sure of your brisket cooking too fast, here is what you can do.
Spritz Consistently
It is no secret that spritzing can do wonders for meat being smoked in the backyard, and anyone who has spent any time there will attest to this.
Spritzing may cause the temperature inside your smoker to drop because you have to lift the hood.
But if your brisket is cooking too quickly, this can be used to your advantage.
It is a great way to ensure your meat stays juicy and tender. Depending on what you use to spray the brisket, you can add yet another layer of flavor.
It also allows for a greater concentration of bark and smoke taste.
Lower the Temperature
It is ideal to maintain a steady temperature throughout the cooking process.
With this method, the beef cooks much more uniformly, preventing the brisket from drying out.
Maintaining a steady temperature reduces the likelihood of either dirty smoke or no smoke at all, which could ruin your brisket cooking.
If things are progressing too rapidly, reducing the heat may be the better option.
Reducing the temperature to 225F will definitely add to the cooking time, regardless of whether you use a charcoal smoker, pellet grill, or electric smoker.
Know How to Handle the Stall
When smoking beef, brisket, in particular, a phenomenon known as the stall occurs.
It happens when the brisket cools via evaporative cooling faster than the temperature in your smoker is able to push through.
Oh, that annoying stall! Everyone has experienced it, despised it, and eventually found a way to cope with it.
Most barbecue chefs know to prevent this chilling effect by wrapping their brisket in foil before cooking.
One strategy, though, is to simply wait it out if you enter the stall.
Tip: Be sure to wrap your brisket tightly or else the steam will leak and badly affect your meat's quality.
Takeaway
Learning what happens if you cook brisket too fast can make it easier to prepare the most delicious beef cut ever.
You have to pay attention to certain signs to ensure your brisket is actually cooking a bit too fast.
And if it happens, do not just panic and try different tricks to bring things under control.
Remember, there is still time to save your brisket, right?