Shortcut BBQ Brisket Recipe
From:
Dr. BBQ's Big-Time Barbecue Cookbook
, by
Ray Lampe
Email
Total Time:
About 8 hrs
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Active Time:
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Makes:
6 to 8 servings
Many top barbecue teams wrap their brisket midway through the cooking. This hurries things up and helps the brisket stay juicy. Other teams inject their brisket to give it more flavor. This recipe combines both techniques.
Note: This recipe requires advance preparation.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 (5- to 6-pound) beef brisket flat, fat left on
- 1 cup Big Cow Beef Injection
- 1/2 cup Big-Time Barbecue Rub
INSTRUCTIONS
- A couple of hours before you plan to start cooking, inject the Big Cow Beef Injection into the brisket using a food-grade syringe, inserting the syringe in several different places. Season the brisket with the Big-Time Barbecue Rub as heavily as you can by pressing it into the surface of the meat.
- Prepare your cooker for indirect cooking at 275°F, using pecan wood for flavor. Arrange the brisket fat side down and cook for 1 hour. Flip the brisket over and continue cooking until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meat registers 160°F. This should take 3 to 4 hours. Wrap the brisket tightly in a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil and return to the cooker. After another hour, begin checking the internal temperature. When it reaches 200°F, remove the brisket and let it rest, wrapped in foil, for 30 minutes.
- Sauce each side lightly with Big-Time Barbecue Sauce or your favorite commercial sauce, and serve.
Beverage pairing: Luna Sangiovese, Napa Valley. The smoky, moist, well-spiced meat will go well with a sharp, bright red wine. In this case, a Californian Sangiovese, because of its bright fruit, elegant roundness, and hints of pepper and herbs.
This recipe, while from a trusted source, may not have been tested by the CHOW food
team.
In the photo above the brisket is being sliced with the grain, definitely a no-no unless you like chewing and chewing and chewing.
Hey aeranis! I've been to snow's alot too! From what I've seen, asked and heard, they smoke for 6 hours then wrap the brisket for 2 hours. They put on a rub 18-24 hours before smoking and keep the temp around 250-300 (Kerry said in a manupbbQ interview). I also noticed that they use Sam Kane Electro-Tender Aged beef, a process that electricutes the meat to make it already super tender (They don't sell to the public but you can call them and they will give you a list of meat markets and stores that carry their stuff in your area) You are right, Snow's is absolutely the best I've had, does that sound pretty close to their method to you? I know they keep it mopped before they wrap, I couldn't tell ya what is in it alhough it does look there is cut up onion floatin around in there :-)
Personally, I've never understood how anyone cooks a brisket WITHOUT covering. The best barbecue in Texas for my money is Snow's in Lexington (Texas Monthly did a profile on them a while back). That is hands down the most succulent, buttery brisket I've ever had. One critic compared it with cookie dough. Either way, I watched the pitmasters carefully and everything came out in foil-- ribs, brisket, everything.
The reason competition pitmasters cover is so they can create a small pool of cider or apple juice or mop which slowly steams the meat. For a tough cut like brisket, this is integral, and it's where most restaurants go wrong. Brisket, when barbecued properly, should fall apart as you lift it to your mouth. No joke. It should be just about impossible to cut into slices without it just falling apart. I've personally smoked brisket using the last 4-5 hours covered method, and it has worked extremely well (assuming you're smoking for around 10-11 hours.)
Some Texas places swear by green Mesquite. Maybe it is less harsh than dry Mesquite which is great for grilling but way too pungent for low-and-slow smoking. Fruit wood or hickory are fine. Smoke only permeates the meat for the first few hours anyway, so I toss chunks ontop of hardwood charcoal.
Lots of pros on the circuit foil, but if you can keep a smoker at 225F for as long as it takes, you will still get good results. I spray periodically with apple cider.
180F is a good target temp. The collagen in the meat is rendered into tender gelatin if the meat is allowed to get to this temp SLOWLY. A thermometer is a must. If you have never cooked a brisket, you'll find they are like snowflakes. No two are alike, and they can "plateau" (stay at a certain temp) for several hours before rising to 180F. Briskets require a lot of patience.
>Mix 1/4 cup mustard with 2 Tbsp of liquid smoke. Smear on.<
I'm sorry, but why anyone would want to ruin meat with liquid smoke is beyond me. Especially when you're smoking with real wood.
EASY TEXAS BBQ BRISKET (from your friends in Austin):
A friend of ours added Jack Daniels to the mustard base and took 1st place in a cook-off last week with this recipe. There's plenty of room to get creative, just don't mess with these BASICS!!
1. Don't trim the fat
2. With knife; criss-cross-cut the entire surface about 1/8 in. deep
3. Mix 1/4 cup mustard with 2 Tbsp of liquid smoke. Smear on.
4. Sprinkle your choice of brisket rub. Rub in.
5. In indirect smoker, start with charcoal in fire box, then add mesquite.
6. Smoke brisket fat side UP. Close vents half way but keep smoke flowing, never stagnant VERY IMPORTANT. don't exceed 300 F. for 4 hours. Place a pie pan next to the brisket and pour in a 1/2 can of Coke (trust me).
7. Remove. Place in foil. sprinkle 1/4 cup salt (yes 1/4 CUP). Pour 12oz beer on top (yes BEER, any beer, just do it), seal.
8. Bake in OVEN, 225 F for 8-10 hours. (overnight)
9. Build another fire in fire-box. (Next day) Open all vents. Use plenty of wood for hotter temps.
10. Now remove brisket from foil and BBQ at 350-400F for another hour for crisp crust.
11. Mop frequently with any sauce during this time.
12. Allow to cool before slicing. Cut AGAINST grain with extra-sharp knife or elec. knife.
13. Serve with slices of sweet onions, dill pickle slices and a good mustard potato salad.
You just can't mess this one up...Have fun.
Also from Texas, I don't think finishing in foil is a good idea. Hard to shorten a 10-14 hour process, but would add a astep. Following above, and but add 30 min unwrapped. The foil step will keep it moist, and then you can "dry" it off plus if you add some more chunks/chips it should refresh the smoke. Make sure you keep the fat on or you will have a dry mess. I haven't tried this out, but have gone the foil route and have been disappointed.
Hickory is easier to get at stores, and imparts a bolder flavor than pecan. Mesquite is pretty harsh wood.
Texan here...
Unless you are entering a BBQ competition, there is nothing with wrapping a brisket. In fact, its called the "Texas Crutch" by the locals.
I like Pecan for smoke flavor, but recently I have been preferring Oak or Mesquite.
I have no problem with the recipe, except that I think 275 is a bit too high. I would shoot for around 225-250 and then wrap after your brisket reaches 160.
Oh...and if you are going to serve brisket to a Texan...don't sauce. Texans believe that sauce should be served on the side.
Good Luck!
-ikiru
*enjoy the sauce*
Punko - I tried the Cooks Illustrated recipe recently. Served it to my Texas in-laws. They humored me like you would a 4 year old serving up peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Nothing rude was said but I could tell it just won't up to snuff. That being said it's likely the easiest and best "quick" brisket recipe around. It's not bad, just don't serve it to Texans.
If you don't have 9 hours for a 4.5 pound brisket, go ahead and wrap it. A recent Cooks Illustrated has some nice shortcuts to a good crust on the meat.
fiddlerose2, good timing on the comment; I was thinking of making this in the next few days. Do you have a better recipe that your recommend? I'm a BBQ newbie so something fairly straightforward would be good!
Ah yes the Texas crutch - aluminum foil. Makes a great pot roast, not bbq.