Had a chef tell me to salt brisket 3 days ahead and I finally tried it

I've been doing barbecue for about 5 years now, mostly on a offset smoker in my backyard here in Austin. A guy named Carlos who works at a popular spot told me to dry brine my packer brisket at least 72 hours before cooking. I always thought 12 hours was plenty and any longer would mess up the texture. Last weekend I finally gave it a shot with a 15 pound prime brisket from Costco. The bark came out way better than usual and the salt actually penetrated deeper into the meat. I noticed the flat was way more tender too and didn't dry out during the stall. Has anyone else tried going that long or is 2 days good enough without going overboard?

2 comments

2 Comments

roseb473d ago

Heck, I've heard the three day rule before but always figured it was just pitmaster voodoo. Tried it myself last month with a 14 pounder and you're right, that flat held up way better than I ever got with a 24 hour brine. Course, now I gotta plan my beef three days ahead like I'm scheduling a doctors appointment.

ryanrodriguez3d ago

@roseb47 Right? Now my brisket planning is more complicated than my actual life.