How to Rest a Brisket? (3 Techniques & Why It's Important)

In my ten years on a carnivore diet, I’ve cooked many briskets. I quickly learned that resting the cut makes a big difference.

I experimented with different rest times and talked with a chef friend to get an expert's opinion.

For the best cooking results, you need quality brisket. ButcherBox is a good place to start. This meat delivery company has a wide selection of grass-fed and grass-finished cuts.

Here’s everything you should know about resting a brisket for the most delicious results.

Quick Summary

How Long Should You Rest a Brisket?

You should rest a brisket between one to two hours, regardless of the cooking method. Never rest for over two hours because your brisket will go cold and become dry, even if you reheat it.

Resting brisket for at least an hour lets the meat fibers reabsorb their juices. This prevents them from being lost when you cut into the meat.

Note: You can rest for over two hours only when placing the brisket in an insulated container (more on below). Never rest brisket overnight, or it’ll develop harmful bacteria.

The longer you let the brisket rest, the juicier it’ll be. Nevertheless, stick to the two-hour mark, or the brisket bark will become mush.

Related Article: How Long Should Ribs Rest?

3 Ways to Rest Briskets

The brisket reaches maximum tenderness around 200 degrees, when you should remove it from the smoker and let the meat rest.

Remove any foil or butcher paper. Move the brisket to a dish, like a pan or a quality cutting board, to catch the juices. Let the meat rest.

There are several different ways you can let the brisket rest.

1. In a Cooler

You can rest the meat in a cooler, the faux cambro method. Before I explain how this works, let’s get into brisket resting vs. holding.

Resting meat is when you let the meat sit for a certain period of time so that it reabsorbs the juices.

But another option is to hold the meat. Holding brisket is the best option if you don’t plan on eating the meat an hour or two after cooking it.

Holding is also a great way to prep brisket in advance. It keeps the meat at a warm temperature for a long time, with its internal temp above 140 degrees. You can use a meat thermometer to check the temperature.

You hold brisket by placing it on a container, such as a holding oven, a cooler, or a cambro.

“Brisket is full of connective tissue, so brisket must be cooked over low heat for a long time to break down the tissue without overcooking the meat.”
- Traeger, World’s Leading Grill Brand

Resting meat in a cooler is a faux cambro technique. A heavily insulated cooler is best, but you can use whatever cooler you have in your home. Rest brisket wrapped. You can use a towel, blanket, or aluminum foil for wrapping. Wrap the brisket several times to ensure it stays insulated.

A cooler slows down the cooling process and keeps the brisket hot for longer. This ensures the meat stays at a safe temperature for when you eat it later.

Pro tip: You can pour hot water into the cooler, let it sit for half an hour, and then pour it out. This heats the cooler before you place the brisket in it.

Note: Holding smoked brisket in a cooler negatively affects the bark. It won’t be as crisp because the meat will steam in the wrapping.

2. In a Cambro

Resting brisket in a cambro is another holding technique. Cambro looks like a mini fridge; some versions even have heaters.

This device is great if you don’t plan to eat smoked brisket immediately, as it retains heat for a long time.

A Cambro is a great investment if you smoke often or want to try competitive barbecue and catering.

For easy transport, choose from various sizes and weights. You can pick either front-load or top-load models.

3. At Room Temperature

Finally, many believe the cis is at room temperature. You remove the brisket from the smoker and place it on your counter on an aluminum pan or a cutting board.

Resting at room temperature is great if the bark hasn’t set quite how you like it. Room temperature hardens the bark during the resting period.

Remember you can only let the brisket rest at room temperature for up to two hours, or you’ll enter the danger zone [1].

If cooked brisket sits out and drops below 140°F, bacteria spread. You can get food poisoning. This also means you should wait to let the brisket rest overnight.

Resting Brisket Wrapped vs Unwrapped

If you wrap raw brisket before cooking, rest the meat wrapped. Simply take out the brisket from the smoker and rest it on whatever you wrapped it in.

The wrap holds the meat's juices and insulates it while it rests.

Wrapping the brisket helps carry-over cooking. This means the meat's temperature rises even after you remove it from the heat.

Carry-over cooking helps break down connective tissues and collagen.

Pro tip: Use butcher paper instead of aluminum foil for better results. Aluminum foil molds to the brisket, while butcher paper provides better airflow. The foil is easier to use, but butcher paper is more breathable and prevents oversteaming.

However, some pitmasters are against wrapping the brisket. They remove the brisket's wrapping right after taking it from the smoker. The theory is that brisket needs air circulating to rest properly.

Wrapped brisket traps in the heat, so you risk having an overcooked and dry brisket. Also, smoking and resting the meat unwrapped results in better charr.

Overall, both methods have pros and cons, and deciding how to rest your brisket is up to you. My advice is to try both ways and see what works best.

Why It’s Important to Rest the Brisket?

It’s important to rest the brisket because resting lets the juices redistribute.

Raw meat has a lot of moisture. In fact, brisket is made up of 71% water [2]. Cooking makes the muscle fibers contract. This forces moisture to the center and the surface of the beef brisket.

This is why meat can be very tough and dry when cooked to the recommended temperature.

The resting process prevents this. Brisket is rich in collagen, which dissolves during cooking.

But, as the brisket cools, collagen firms up again and acts as a thickening agent for the natural juices. The longer the meat rests, the thicker the liquid. In other words, the juices won’t escape when you start slicing.

Some people think they can scoop the drained juices and use them to baste the sliced brisket.

However, this doesn’t work well because if you cut the brisket without resting, you lose a lot of steam, which you can’t recover. The meat turns tough when the steam and juices escape.

Note: Some juices may still run out even if you let the brisket rest. That’s why you should keep the meat on a rimmed platter or a board with a groove.

FAQs

References:

1. https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2013/03/25/spring-food-safety
2. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/