I finally heard a pitmaster admit they use a gas grill to start their brisket

I was listening to a podcast with a guy from a big Texas joint, and he flat out said they use a gas grill to get a quick sear on the brisket before it goes into the smoker. He said it saves about 2 hours of stall time in the pit. I always thought that was cheating, but he called it 'using every tool in the shed.' It got me thinking about how stuck we get on 'pure' methods. Has anyone else tried a hybrid approach like that and did it mess with your smoke flavor?

3 comments

3 Comments

nancy_king294d ago

Guess my brisket's been cheating for years and nobody told me?

evan5434d ago

Nancy_king29, that brisket wasn't cheating, it was just using all the tools. A good wrap with foil or paper is a classic move for a reason. It keeps the meat from drying out and pushes it through the stall. Plenty of championship pits rely on that method. Calling it cheating misses the whole point of making great barbecue.

zara_sanchez4d ago

Didn't evan543 just say wrapping is a normal trick?