Smoking a brisket and a ham for Christmas. Any tips or recipes? 1st time using a smoker.

[DaBank]

Just bought a Traeger Ironwood 885.
I have never used a smoker/pellet bbq before and the wife now wants the first meal to be brisket and a ham on Christmas and really can't afford to ruin Christmas dinner.

I believe the ham is a pre cook ham that just needs to be heated up/smoked? How long/temp per pound?
As for the brisket and recipes suggestions? How long/temp per pound for a brisket? Can I smoke both the brisket and ham together?
Thanks,
Frank

 

[Done-it-again]

A brisket is going to cook longer than you expect. So plan for it.

Depending on size I put it on the smoker the night before and let it go. I usually wrap it un bleached butcher paper around 165 then pull it around 200-203 and put it in a small ice chest with towels over it and let it sit for an hr or 2. For me it’s tx style, kosher salt and pepper only. Heat I usually start low 240 then turn it up to 265 once wrapped.

The ham just need to be heated.

 

[hman442]

Just do a search "Treager brisket") Treager ham, and you'll instantly be an expert! Seriously, when I first got mine, I was thinking oh what now, read a few recipes, temps, times, etc. and you'll be home free. You might face a different temperature issue between warming the ham and cooking the brisket, not sure. If you don't already have them, get the thermometer that has the remote and shows your meat temp and your treager temp. Also, get one that opens like a pocket knife and reads instant when you poke the meat. Don't be alarmed that the Traeger temp fluctuates from 40 degrees cooler to 50 degrees warmer then your target setting. That's pretty normal for the Traeger. It would be stressful, doing the big meal with a brand new smoker, but just follow the recipe/ instructions, monitor your temps, , and it'll be great.

 

[carrera202]

I've always explained using a Treager like a crockpot of smoking. Set it and forget it. Huge fan using charcoal and wood chunks, but treagers are way easier. I've done a couple briskets and both turned out pretty good, like hman442 said you'll be an expert!

 

[Brokeboatin221]

I microwave mine for 1hr

 

[MCnParker]

If you have the time you can watch these videos, pretty good information to get an idea of what to do.

As said above they all cook at different speeds so leave yourself a pretty good margin of error. Also remember to let the Brisket sit for at least an hour before your cut it. I wrap mine in foil and towels and put it in a cooler and it will be warm for at least 2-3 hours...

 

[Lumpy]

I've always explained using a Treager like a crockpot of smoking. Set it and forget it. Huge fan using charcoal and wood chunks, but treagers are way easier. I've done a couple briskets and both turned out pretty good, like hman442 said you'll be an expert!

What he said...and I would recommend just putting the pre cooked ham in the oven.

 

[Xring01]

Youtube has tons of content for briskets…

Its pretty simple
Trim it- about 1/8”-1/4” of fat remaining on the fat cap, remove that stupid hard fat thats on the point, dig into the brisket a bit if you have to.
Fancy- (not required but helps) inject it beef broth add some worcheshire and soy, hint of apple juice.
Rub it - basic is 50/50 salt pepper, or equal parts salt pepper garlic, really fancy, salt pepper garlic paprika chili powder celery seed cumin
Cook it - depending how much time you have smoker at 225-275, until the internal temp hits 175ish…then wrap it foil and finish it to 198-208, internal temp… which is tooth pic tender.. poke test.. pending the quality of the beef, it could be done at 198, or shitty quality it may take all the way to 208…
Rest it which it the most important part.. you just cooked bitch for 8 hours or more, driving moisture out of it, resting it, allows the moisture to come back in. So rest is a minimum of 2 hours, ideally 4 hours before you serve it.

Each one of these steps can lead to hours of arguements depending on where the cook is from..
Regardless, this is the basics, follow the above and you will have a good brisket.

 

[wzuber]

Like many/most things in life....practice, practice, practice....
Experiment with like materials (cheaper?) beforehand if it really means a lot to you to get it right. The worst that can happen is you will eat some meals that are not great or find new recipies to use over cooked meat in. How bad can that be?

 

[thedan]

I’d recommend doing a smaller brisket the first time too. Bigger=more time. My Costco Business center has some 10-12 lb. ones. Heck, cook a small one this week for practice! I think $2.67/lb. for commodity grade. I’ve smoked it before and came out great!

 

[Crazyhippy]

I have had spectacular results using the "Better than Sex Brisket" recipe.

Better Than Sex Brisket Recipe

My Better Than Sex Brisket recipe will guide you through how to successfully cook brisket with moist, juicy results and the accolades of friends and family!

grillgirl.com

And brisket is a big investment in time... This one was last weekend. Meater probe is ultra useful.

 

[Cole Trickle]

I would recommend not doing a Brisket for the first time for christmas....lol

Brisket is tough to get right and takes a long time that doesn't play nice with a schedule. You should be cooking it a day early and then let it rest overnight in a cooler and then heat for service if you want a shot at it coming out good.

I would say do a couple as a dry run first or call an audible and do a turkey. (brine it for a day then dry it for a day and then throw it in the smoker on a wire rack with a sheet pan filled with carrots/celery and onions and a beer and you won't be disappointed.

 

[Gramps]

Rule #1 cook by temperature NOT time

 

[4Waters]

Figure 65-70min a pound at 225° for the brisket (it will be done early), cook it until 190°-200° internal temp. I personally think you are crazy doing your first brisket for Christmas dinner, if you can, do one this weekend and make sure they are full packer brisket NO flats.


To add:

Yes it will be done early and that's what you want, we wrap it in foil and then a towel (don't use a "good" towel as it will probably leak) and put it in an ice chest until we are ready to eat, usually 4ish hours later and it's still piping hot.

 

[76 Southwind]

watch a bunch of you tube !!!! Matt Pitman Meat Church, Malcom Reed How to BBQRIGHT. Mad BBQ Scientist etc etc etc

 

[Xring01]

To many people here terrified of briskets… WTF…. Its just a piece of meat… smoke that bastard.

Just follow the basics I outlined above… pretty freaking simple… dont over complicate it. KISS…

 

[DLC]

Brisket is the hardest thing to smoke!

I’ve done like 8-10 and only had 1 turn out great!
others-have been dry, tuff and just not really YUM as you would expect a brisket to be.

cut is important and quality! Temp and time and rest after cook are all key parts

practice on one or 2 before!

start it the night before!

my wife just said…
Its one thing to follow the process, but it’s not guaranteed to turn out correctly!!

Merry Christmas

 

[Tamalewagon]

Just bought a Traeger Ironwood 885.
I have never used a smoker/pellet bbq before and the wife now wants the first meal to be brisket and a ham on Christmas and really can't afford to ruin Christmas dinner.

I believe the ham is a pre cook ham that just needs to be heated up/smoked? How long/temp per pound?
As for the brisket and recipes suggestions? How long/temp per pound for a brisket? Can I smoke both the brisket and ham together?
Thanks,
Frank

My advice is to do a "test" brisket to make sure you've got the hang of it. Briskets take a LONG time to smoke.

 

[Kachina26]

Post updates here. I'd like to see how it goes.

 

[TeamGreene]

Briskets are not hard to do but you can't go by a clock always internal temp, get a good temp probe, I smoke mine to 203 they seem to be great at that internal temp. Two of the same cuts will smoke different and take different amount of time. Buy a prime full packer, I get them at Costco, and trim it as stated above and season as you'd like and go for it!. Oh and read this https://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Bar...t=&hvlocphy=9031469&hvtargid=pla-432151559456

 

[DWC]

I would recommend not doing a Brisket for the first time for christmas....lol

Brisket is tough to get right and takes a long time that doesn't play nice with a schedule. You should be cooking it a day early and then let it rest overnight in a cooler and then heat for service if you want a shot at it coming out good.

I would say do a couple as a dry run first or call an audible and do a turkey. (brine it for a day then dry it for a day and then throw it in the smoker on a wire rack with a sheet pan filled with carrots/celery and onions and a beer and you won't be disappointed.

Agree 100%. I can pretty much cook anything on the grill or Traeger and be confident it’ll turn out good. Brisket is a SOB. There are so many variables.. Trim, rub, cooking time/temp and Final Cut. Way more than i ever knew.

Turkey is pretty simple and best way to cook one.

 

[Cole Trickle]

Agree 100%. I can pretty much cook anything on the grill or Traeger and be confident it’ll turn out good. Brisket is a SOB. There are so many variables.. Trim, rub, cooking time/temp and Final Cut. Way more than i ever knew.

Turkey is pretty simple and best way to cook one.

I'm luke warm on briskets and then you throw in the price....Even a perfect one is ok

I think you could do 5 briskets from your local store or costco and get 2 good ones. The reason the renowned places are so consistent and great is the quality of meat. ($$$$$$)

 

[Done-it-again]

Also, You need to cut the brisket correctly when serving.. Cut against the grain not with it......

 

[4Waters]

I'm luke warm on briskets and then you throw in the price....Even a perfect one is ok

I think you could do 5 briskets from your local store or costco and get 2 good ones. The reason the renowned places are so consistent and great is the quality of meat. ($$$$$$)

The only bad one we had was our first one and we threw it away, every one since has been good, some better than others but still good.

 

[DaBank]

Thank you everyone for the suggestions.
It sounds like I need to get a full packer.

What type/flavor of pellets would be good?

How many pounds for 12 to 15 people?

If I start the brisket the day before Christmas and it needs to rest in the ice chest for 4 hours before eating then I can smoke the pre cooked Ham?
Or would that not be enough time and just put it in the oven?

Here is the Traeger I bought is has a meat probe and it is Wifi.
https://www.traeger.com/pellet-grills/ironwood/885

 

[4Waters]

Thank you everyone for the suggestions.
It sounds like I need to get a full packer.

What type/flavor of pellets would be good?

How many pounds for 12 to 15 people?

If I start the brisket the day before Christmas and it needs to rest in the ice chest for 4 hours before eating then I can smoke the pre cooked Ham?
Or would that not be enough time and just put it in the oven?

Here is the Traeger I bought is has a meat probe and it is Wifi.
https://www.traeger.com/pellet-grills/ironwood/885

As far as pellets you can't go wrong with Mesquite or Hickory, a brisket and a ham is a lot of food, try to get a brisket as small as you can in a packer. I've seen as small as 9.5lbs once but they are usually 12lbs and up and get it from Costco.

 

[Xring01]

https://www.riverdavesplace.com/forums/threads/mothers-day-brisket-bbq-burgers-texas-style.252006/

 

[farmo83]

I've got a pretty good ham setup. Inject it with maple syrup and I make a glaze out of bourbon orange juice mustard honey and molasses.

 

[was thatguy]

Damn.
Swinging for the fence right out of the gate.
I’ve been Traegering for 20 years. I wouldn’t do both but I’m kind of lazy.
Traeger website is your friend.
Google the recipes and pick which ones REALISTICALLY fit your time frames.

 

[Clearmax]

For the Brisket: Start with a prime full packer. inject and rub it. Smoke at 250 until temp if 165. Wrap with butcher paper that has beef tallow put on paper. Pull at 203 and wrap in towel put in cooler until read to serve. https://www.amazon.com/South-Chicag...1&sr=1-1-f0029781-b79b-4b60-9cb0-eeda4dea34d6

 

[77charger]

I've always explained using a Treager like a crockpot of smoking. Set it and forget it. Huge fan using charcoal and wood chunks, but treagers are way easier. I've done a couple briskets and both turned out pretty good, like hman442 said you'll be an expert!

I call them the ez bake oven for adults lol

 

[pwerwagn]

Lotta good advice here. You’ll be ok but I would recommend a practice round this weekend first.

One tip I didn’t see here, I fill my cooler with hot water from the bath tub and let it sit a few minutes to preheat the cooler before letting it rest in there. Keeps the brisket a touch warmer longer.

 

[Go-Fly]

It's that time of year. I'm back in town and have 2 turkeys, 1 ham and a salmon to smoke before Christmas. I use the same brine of brown sugar, white sugar and salt. All equal parts. Soak it over night. Let it sit out the next day and dry for 3 hours, then smoke it to finish temp. I do the turkeys and ham in a wet smoke and cold dry smoke the fish. I get my flavors from the smoke. I use different woods at different timing and it totally changes the taste.

 

[HTTP404]

The ham just needs to be warmed up in the oven. It is already smoked. Don't dry it out.

 

[Rondog4405]

I'd give it a few tries on some cheap poor man's briskets..(chuck roast).. get to know your smoker a bit before going at on a real brisket. Tri-tips are a piece of cake ..

 

[Justfishing]

Thank you everyone for the suggestions.
It sounds like I need to get a full packer.

What type/flavor of pellets would be good?

How many pounds for 12 to 15 people?

If I start the brisket the day before Christmas and it needs to rest in the ice chest for 4 hours before eating then I can smoke the pre cooked Ham?
Or would that not be enough time and just put it in the oven?

Here is the Traeger I bought is has a meat probe and it is Wifi.
https://www.traeger.com/pellet-grills/ironwood/885

 

[dave29]

A lot of good advice here. I smoke mine the Myron Mixon way until it goes in the oven. I trim it up the night before leaving about 1/4 inch of fat on the cap. I inject with a cooked mixture of beef au jus and beef broth and let it sit covered in the fridge overnight. Next morning I slather with yellow mustard and season with kosher salt and pepper, heavy. I place it on a rack in a pan with about1/2 inch of water in the bottom of the pan. Smoker at 250. Smoke it until internal temp reads 165 always making sure there is always water in the pan. If I need more water I always make sure the water is boiling before I add it to the pan.
At 165 I pull it and wrap the pan with aluminum foil doubled. Put it in the oven at 250 degrees with the thermometer still in and cook until the internal temp reaches 204. I pull it, burp the foil and wrap it in a moving blanket for two hours.
From start to finish I would plan on at least 11-12 hours. Carve across the grain. The flat grain goes one way and the point goes another.
BTW.....I like applewood.
Theremoworks make great thermometers

 

[pkrrvr619]

Since it’s your first, I’d suggest sous vide first then finish for a few hours on the smoker.

While this adds some extra equipment needed and 1.5 days of brisket in the water bath, you’ll make a perfect brisket and you can dictate when it will be done.

36 hours or so at 155 in the water. Finish on smoker.

It’s fool proof and again you can start smoking it a few bourse before guests arrive which further cuts done on the “it’s not don’t yet guests are here” anxiety.

 

[mobldj]

ask howard wallowiks mom,she makes a mean brisket

 

[DLC]

I call them the ez bake oven for adults lol

Set it and forget it….

 

[DLC]

Thank you everyone for the suggestions.
It sounds like I need to get a full packer.

What type/flavor of pellets would be good?

How many pounds for 12 to 15 people?

If I start the brisket the day before Christmas and it needs to rest in the ice chest for 4 hours before eating then I can smoke the pre cooked Ham?
Or would that not be enough time and just put it in the oven?

Here is the Traeger I bought is has a meat probe and it is Wifi.
https://www.traeger.com/pellet-grills/ironwood/885

We like pecan ! Almost a sweet mild taste / flavor

costco Gourmet Blend is good

some are just to heavy for us

 

[Xring01]

Alright…
I got volunteered/roped into cooking a brisket for my neighbors Xmas party…

I will be getting started tonight, and throwing it on the smoker around 2am ish..

So I can show you guys my process/way of doing it. But?
Do you wants a KISS kinda details, or get into all the details of what I do?

 

[Crazyhippy]

Alright…
I got volunteered/roped into cooking a brisket for my neighbors Xmas party…

I will be getting started tonight, and throwing it on the smoker around 2am ish..

So I can show you guys my process/way of doing it. But?
Do you wants a KISS kinda details, or get into all the details of what I do?

Get into the details. But give your reasoning for it too.

 

[RobertF]

Another important factor on serving Brisket is how you cut it. Their are videos on you tube for this also. Basically start cutting from the point to about 60 percent towards the Cap. Then turn the Cap 90 degrees and cut.

 

[Justfishing]

I would go to youtube and look up videos from jeremy yoder he also goes by mad scientist.

Focus on videos about pellet smokers. Pellet smokers are about convenince and not smoke flavor of a stick burner.

Jeremy does a lot of testing and comparing. For pellets stay away from fruit wood, not much flavor. I would go with a limberjack mesquite or pit boss competition blend.

The stall is when the temp gets to about 165 and stalls out. The evaporation of moisture makes it hard to get the temp to rise dont be tempted to raise the temp. This is the point when you want to wrap the meat. You can use foil but if you wrap to tight it becomes more like steamed meat. I like to use pink butchers paper.

Jeremy has videos on pellets, different wraps, cooking methods, meat triming etc.

Amaz n tube can be used to get more smoke flavor. You add pellets , light it and place it in smoker to supplement the burn pot. In cool weather i will place the meat in the smoker with just the tube. I will let it cold smoke for and hour or 2 before lighting the smoker.

 

[River Runnin]

Briskets are not hard to do but you can't go by a clock always internal temp, get a good temp probe, I smoke mine to 203 they seem to be great at that internal temp.

^^THIS^^

 

[Xring01]

I created a Brisket -KISS thread in the bbq section…

 

[Ace in the Hole]

I have done several on my Weber Smokefire......I have also had 2 Major "thermal events" with that thousand dollar piece of shit. The last time I used it was to make my in-laws brisket and some other stuff... I was within a couple degrees of hitting my temp...and my MIL says hey your grill is smoking really bad... Well the fucking thing was on fire..again. Thankfully it didn't burn through all the paper and I salvaged he food but it sure as fuck burned up the fan assembly, glow plug wiring etc...for the second time. Its sat burned up in the garage under its cover since..

OP you need time, beer, more beer, time, butcher paper, good Texas seasoning, and time. If you follow advice above or the Traeger recipes you should be fine...I recommend you cook a couple chickens though before xmas...it will help you "know" the grill a bit before you play with a good cut of meat. BTW...Wagyu brisket is the cats meow....$150 or so for a decent size cut, and worth every penny for a holiday etc.

 

[Racey]

Another important thing that is only glossed over, is the point when you pull it to wrap in foil or butcher paper and put it back on the smoker, that isn't based on a hard fixed temp, it's based on "The Stall", this is a point in time with an internal temperature of around 155F plus or minus, where over the course of 30 minutes the temp just doesn't seem to be rising anymore. This is the point in time you want to wrap it, when you have acknowledged you are in "The Stall"

CrazyHippy's temp graph shows this perfectly

 

[4Waters]

Another important thing that is only glossed over, is the point when you pull it to wrap in foil or butcher paper and put it back on the smoker, that isn't based on a hard fixed temp, it's based on "The Stall", this is a point in time around the internal temperature of around 155F plus or minus where over the course of 30 minutes the temp just doesn't seem to be rising anymore, This is the point in time you want to wrap it, when you have acknowledged you are in "The Stall"

Agreed but don't use foil, please for the love of God don't use foil. LOL

To clarify don't wrap it in foil at the stall but you can use foil after it's done while it's in the cooler