r/BBQ • u/MiniDog69 • 8h ago

[Beef] Can I dry brine my brisket?

I was wondering if seasoning with salt and pepper the day before would give it more flavor. Has anyone ever done it?

2 Upvotes

57% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

8

u/HighFivePuddy 8h ago

Yes you can.

5

u/WranglerWheeler 8h ago

Part of my routine process. Dry brine for at least 8 hrs in the fridge, then on the smoker cold.

5

u/Ohgodwatdoplshelp 8h ago

I do it all the time. Trim the day before and put the dry brine on. 

4

u/AwarenessGreat282 8h ago

Sure. The salt is the only part actually doing anything, but the pepper won't hurt.

2

u/cominaprop 8h ago

I dry brine with SPG mix on a wire rack in the fridge starting right before bed and remove from fridge an hour before cook

2

u/friend_unfriend 8h ago

Yes dry brining your brisket overnight with salt and pepper makes it taste way better because the salt gets deep into the meat and breaks down the tough parts, lots of pitmasters do this trick

2

u/Gunk_Olgidar 6h ago

Yes.

Trim it first or the fat will block the brine.

1

u/Muggi 7h ago

Yep, do it every time.

1

u/hamfinity 6h ago

I dry brine with salt and pepper and leave it in the fridge for at least half a day. The rest of the dry rub gets applied before smoking.

You can also wet brine. Pastrami is made from dunking the brisket in a wet brine.

1

u/aswsxs 6h ago

I work at a bbq place, we season with a spice mix of garlic and onion powder, celery salt, sugar, paprika, then the day of we add our salt and pepper mix before they go on the smoker.

1

u/theotherlionheart 5h ago

It’s not gonna hurt anything but dry brining is most effective for short and fast cooking methods. Given that the brisket is gonna be on the smoker for 18 hours, that gives plenty of time for the salt to permeate every part of the meat even without a dry brine.

1

u/Dark_Web_Duck 3h ago

I'm still learning how to do a proper brisket myself. My first attempt turned out too dry...Lol

-10

u/BabyTweetyCO 8h ago

Inject it with beef tallow, rub with kosher salt and pepper.

5

u/Cien_fuegos 6h ago

It’s literally covered in beef tallow (unrendered) why in the world would you inject it lol

9

u/Tight_Bullfrog_3356 6h ago

People just love to overcomplicate brisket for no reason it seems like

2

u/Cien_fuegos 3h ago

Exactly. Get it up to temp nice and slow and it’ll be literally dripping tallow.