My brisket turned into a $90 hockey puck at a family cookout

I spent 14 hours on a 16-pound prime brisket for my cousin's party in Austin last Saturday. Had the fire perfect at 225, wrapped it in butcher paper after 8 hours, everything felt right. Pulled it at 203 internal, let it rest for an hour, and it was tough as a boot. I think I got a bad piece of meat, the fat never rendered. Has anyone else had a brisket just totally fail for no clear reason?

2 comments

2 Comments

blake_cooper19d ago

Honestly it's just smoked meat, not a life or death thing lol. You can always order pizza next time.

shah.ben19d ago

Wow, pizza after waiting hours for smoked meat is the ultimate barbecue fail. That's like buying concert tickets and ending up listening to the band from the parking lot. The whole point is the wait, and the smell that makes you crazy hungry. Missing out is a special kind of pain.