What To Do If Your Brisket Finishes Cooking Too Early

Smoking a brisket is more art than science, so even the most experienced pitmaster can't predict exactly when it will finish cooking. While a late brisket leads to hungry guests, an early one requires careful storage to maintain its temperature, juiciness, and texture. Luckily, Christie Vanover, champion pitmaster and owner of Girls Can Grill, has some tips.

"If the brisket is ready hours before you're ready to serve it, wrap it in foil," Vanover says. "Then, wrap it in plastic wrap and then a towel. Place it in a cooler without ice. It's better to use a cooler closest in size to the brisket, because it will retain the heat the best."

A mistake that could ruin your brisket is not letting it rest for at least one or two hours — or even three, if you have the time. The juices of this particular cut need a long rest time to redistribute throughout the whole piece, ensuring each slice is juicy and the meat won't dry out after the first slice. The successive layers of insulation, from foil to cooler, trap that heat and juice, letting it gently cool to a comfortable eating temperature while preserving flavor and texture. Once it's spent a few hours nestled out of the smoker, how you choose to serve it has just as much impact on its quality.

Brisket is often the best barometer for judging a good barbecue restaurant because it requires pitmasters to observe the three basic pillars of great barbecue. Seasoning and smoking build the meat's flavor, but the final pillar — serving — is what preserves its texture and moisture. Even the most perfectly rested brisket can lose flavor and juice if handled improperly. "It's best to slice brisket to order, because as soon as you slice it, the meat can begin to dry out," Christie Vanover says, adding that this is why you'll often see barbecue joints cutting the meat right on the counter when you order. 

Barbecue, as a whole, has a short shelf life. While there are ways to reheat brisket so it stays juicy, the convenience of slicing an entire brisket at once is vastly outweighed by the tender deliciousness of one sliced to order. Slice only what you need and wrap the rest until you're ready for more to preserve all the time and effort you put into smoking and resting this pricey cut.