The Common Spraying Mistake That's Ruining Your Brisket

Slowly barbecuing brisket on low heat can result in delectably soft meat. And if you're wondering just how long it should take to smoke a brisket, the answer is several hours. That long cooking process can actually rob your meat of its succulence, making it much less enjoyable. To keep your meat juicy while it cooks, you can spritz it with water, cider, beer, or juice throughout the cooking process to sustain a moist brisket. However, if you spritz the fat in your brisket while it cooks, the liquid will actually cool the fat too much, preventing it from melting into your meat to create a delicious flavor.

You want your brisket to be imparted with delicious flavor from its rendered fat, so do not spray the fatty areas when you spray the meat. In addition to all that wonderful flavor, the rendered fat will help soften the meat so that the brisket develops a delicious tenderness from the melted fat and the "low and slow" cooking technique.

There is a long-standing debate about whether or not you should spray your brisket while it cooks. A drawback of spraying your brisket is the precision you have to employ while spraying your meat to avoid the fat. This may be especially encumbering since you'll be returning to your brisket to spray the meat again and again for many hours. While some don't think you need to spritz your brisket, there are other benefits to spraying brisket beyond keeping your meat moist and juicy.

Spraying your brisket can give it a smoother texture for more enjoyable bites. The liquid from your spray helps keep the meat's bark from overcooking and becoming charred, so it remains perfectly crisp as it cooks. When you bite into your brisket, you'll have the perfect textural balance of crunchy bark and tender meat.

One of the most delicious reasons for smoking brisket is to get smoke-flavored meat, and spraying it as it cooks helps to amplify that smoky taste. The sprayed liquid on the meat sucks in smoke, allowing the vapor to penetrate the brisket and impart that delicious smoky flavor. Considering this, you may want to spray your brisket, especially if you plan to make smoked Texas BBQ brisket. 

There are several ways that you can enhance the flavor of your brisket when you barbecue your meat. The first is giving your meat's smoky flavor some depth by using flavored smoking wood, such as hickory or apple. You can also marinate your brisket the entire day before you smoke it so your liquids and seasonings can really penetrate the meat. Some delicious liquids and seasonings to include in your marinade include Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, cola, and red wine! You can even make red wine and honey brisket. 

Another way to make your brisket more flavorful is to make a rub with dry ingredients and spread it on your meat before you cook it, which will also give your brisket a scrumptious crust. Some of the most flavorful seasonings that you can use for your dry rub include brown sugar, turbinado sugar, dried oregano, and ground mustard.  If you think spraying your brisket will suffice for making it juicy and flavorful when you smoke it, just remember to avoid spraying the fat.