I dream of buying a dilapidated shack in Middle-Of-Nowhere, Texas. All this shack needs is a small kitchen, a BBQ Pit, a sturdy lawn chair, and a butcher’s block. I would spend the wee hours of the morning prepping brisket after brisket, chicken after chicken, coercing a steady fire into life. When the time was right, the meat would hit the pit, I would plant myself in the lawn chair, and wait. The remainder of my workday would be spent checking the heat, tending to my meaty charges, and whipping up the occasional batch of sauce. I’d close up shop at 2:00 PM or when the meat sells out, whichever comes first.
Unfortunately, this is just a dream and it doesn’t show any signs of turning into a reality any time soon. Until that happens, I have to take solace in the occasional opportunity to cook for friends and family. Phurnace had such an occasion yesterday and I jumped at the chance to spend a day fighting the smoky beast instead of testing software.
HOW I COOK A BRISKET:
The Rub:
- 1 cup Paprika
- ¼ cup Kosher or Fine Sea Salt
- ¼ cup Fresh Ground Pepper
- 1 tbsp Granulated Garlic
- 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
Prepping the meat:
An untrimmed brisket is pretty fatty. I usually trim the fat down to a thickness of about ¼ inch wherever I can. Once it’s trimmed, I’ll flip it over and score the top of the brisket perpendicular to the grain. This kind of gives me a guide for cutting the brisket after it’s done. After it’s trimmed comes the seasoning. I usually coat the entire brisket with a thin layer of mustard. This gives the crust that develops during cooking a little tang and crunch and helps the rub adhere to the brisket. Sprinkle the rub liberally over all surfaces but don’t feel like you need to cram it in every little nook and cranny.
Cooking the meat:
I won’t get into how you build and maintain an indirect fire here because it differs from cooker to cooker. The most important thing to remember is you want to maintain as steady a temperature as possible. I usually shoot for a temperature of 240. Put the brisket on your cooker and add some wood chunks to the fire. I usually use oak and/or apple wood chunks. Check the fire once an hour. Add more charcoal and wood chunks as needed.
Typically the brisket will take about 1.5 hours per pound to cook at this temperature. About halfway through cooking time, I start rotating my brisket every 2 or 3 hours and basting it every hour on the hour. The baste I use is pretty simple and will make your heart explode if you drink it straight. It’s 2 cups of beef broth, a stick of butter, ¼ cup of Worcestershire, ¼ cup of lemon juice, and a couple tablespoons of leftover rub.
When’s it done? Whenever the internal temperature reaches about 160 or you can pierce it with a fork easily and it pulls out with little to no resistance. Let it sit for about a half hour and then slice it, using the score marks you made during prep time as a guide. Slicing against the grain yields the most tender results.
In Brisket, BBQ
Comment (0)
Read More...
