I've got a 10 lb. untrimmed brisket thawing in the fridge that we got on sale a few months ago. I figure it'll be thawed out by Wednesday. I'm looking for some advice on cooking it, but here's my plan at this point:

Get a good dry rub on it, put it in aluminum foil with some water and red wine -- stick in the oven at 275 degrees for 10-12 hours

Remove from oven and put on charcoal grill (with more dry rub) for 8 minutes or so on each side to get some good flavor and crunchiness on the outside.

For you brisket experts, does this sound like a decent plan? Any tips are definitely appreciated.

I would do it the other way around. Brown it on the grill over medium heat, about 20 min per side. That's enough time for the brisket to pick up a little BBQ goodness that will carry over to the oven and flavor the liquid.

Place it in one of those aluminum pans, add your liquids, cover, and bake until it's tender. If it's not crispy enough for you, crank up the broiler or return it to the grill.

Thanks TW. I was debating that, so I'm glad to get some advice. 20 minutes on each side? I'm assuming that's indirect heat, rather than right over the coals. Of course, that's going to be tough, since it's such a big hunk o' meat.

I'm going to assume your cooking on something like a weber kettle.

Here is what I'd do.

Go to lowes / HomeDepot / Academy sports and look for some chunk smoking wood and use that instead of charcoal.

Set the heat up indirect and as far from the meat as possible. In between the coals/under the brisket put an aluminum pan filed with water. That should help keep it from drying out. (although it really won't be on there long enough to dry out)

Try to keep the heat on the grill between 250-275 and you can leave it on there really as long as you want. I like my brisket to have a little smokey flavor so I'd go at least an hour.

If you have an uncut brisket there is going to be a lot of fat in there. If you only wrap it in foil and stick it in the oven you'll have a HUGE mess and mrs NLMD will be none to happy. I'd go with the aluminum pans that TigerWins suggested

You can put it over direct heat for that short of time. Just watch it closely. You may have to turn it every 10 minutes or so if it looks like it's burning. I like a good charring on meats that large. Adds much flavor as it continues to cook.

Don't know how much time you want to spend outside with the grill, but since you already have it lit, I would keep the brisket on the grill for a couple of hours, assuming your grill is large enough.

Will the brisket fit on one side of the grill?

If yes, put the hot coals on one side. Add wood chips. Place the brisket directly over the coals to brown/sear the brisket for 15-20 min on each side. Move it to the other side for 60-90 min. Then finish it in the oven.

All the above but let marinate in a vinegar and oil mix 2-3 hours prior to cooking, out of marinade and then your rub. Trim fat to between 1/8 and 1/4 in. max. The vinegar in the meat absorbs the smoke flavor adding to what ever else you are doing. It is a Texas thing! Good Luck-

:thumb:

Y'all are the absolute best! I think my grill will be big enough to accomodate it (yes, Weber Kettle grill.) These are some great tips. I hadn't thought of getting an aluminum pan -- I know, seems obvious.

Now...I tend to like to drink a lot of beer when grilling. I guess I'll have to pretend that we have an 11:00 am kickoff in order to get in the mood for beer in the morning. :thumb:

If BEER is a factor the by default you MUST include two each for the meat! Q-Rule! :yelwink2:

only caution I have about using the pan on the grill is the only time I cooked a brisket and had it in a pan the entire time it tasted a lot more like roast beef than brisket (BBQ Brisket that is).

On the grill I leave my brisket uncovered until it hits about 170 degrees and then foil it. In your case I probably wouldn't put the brisket in the pan until you move it to the oven. That's just my preference though.

Another way to avoid open meat flare up is to stack the coals opposite side of cooking surface where as you will get the heat but not the flame. Move meat to coal area when you want to sear and back off to cook! Beer consumption regulates the process warranting personal success. :shock: