Can I save a tough smoked brisket by cooking it twice?

I spent yesterday smoking a 5 lb brisket in my PK Grill using the snake method where you run a thin line of charcoal briquettes around the perimeter of the smoker so that only a small handful are burning at any time (it was an idea from America’s Test Kitchen, I think). I think the grill was between 175-200 degrees for most of the time. After 12 hours the brisket was only up to 155ish degrees, which was a bummer because it was 10:30 pm by then and I was hoping I could take it out to cool down before I went to bed. Anyway I checked it again at 12am, it was only at 168ish, set my alarm and checked it at 2:15, it was about 178ish and the briquette snake was almost done, so I added a few more, and set my alarm for 4:15. When I checked it at 4:15 the briquettes had all burned out, the meat was still probing tough and had apparently been cooling for a while because it was 140ish degrees. So I gave up and put the meat in a big Tupperware and put it in the fridge. So here’s my question! Can I wrap it in foil and put it in a low oven today to try to bring it up to that magical 200 degree internal temp? Or is that not possible now that I’ve chilled it? Can I save a tough brisket by cooking it a second time after refrigerating?

• Posted by: arielleclementine
• May 31, 2021

• 10423 views
• 2 Comments

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