Real Barbecue Brisket Recipes

REAL BARBECUE BRISKET

Steps:

• 1. First things first. Take the brisket out of the fridge at least 2-3 hours ahead of cooking, so it can get to room temperature.
• 2. Get your smoker going. I use nothing but seasoned wood - oak, post oak, when I can get it, hickory, cherry, or any combination. Its just fine to use charcoal and wood chunks. Just don't soak them. Otherwise you're steaming the food. You want a bed of coals and a temperature in the smoke chamber of 225-250 degrees.
• 3. While the fire is getting ready, in a bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients. If you don't want to use the coriander, that's fine. My people like the extra flavor it imparts into the meat, slight tho it may be. If you want to inject your brisket with beef stock or beef bone broth that's fine too. Use 1/3-1/2 cup of the rub on each side of the brisket. When its good and coated, put it in the middle of the smoke chamber. and close the lid.
• 4. Try and keep the temperature between 225-250, adding wood or charcoal (or both) as necessary. I don't normally go by meat temperature, but for those doing this the first time, cook the meat until the temperature gets to 165-175 (see picture). At this point, using your fingers (best tools known to man), press various parts of the meat to get an idea of what the meat feels like during the cook. Once you reach that temp, wrap the brisket. I use pink butcher paper, but you can use aluminum foil, if you don't have the paper (see it here: https://www.amazon.com/pink-butcher-paper/s?k=pink+butcher+paper). Put it back on the smoker, and cook until the temp reaches 203-205. Some folks cook it to 195-205. But you want as much of the fat to render as you can get without ruining the brisket (read: overcook). And I like 203-205.
• 5. So when its done or up to temp, take it off the smoker, put it in a roasting pan or deep dish (to catch the liquid that inevitably escapes the paper/foil) and let it rest in the oven (DO NOT TURN OVEN ON) with the door closed for about 2 hours. When you can't wait any longer, and the hungry hordes invade your kitchen, take it out of the oven, remove the paper, and transfer very, VERY carefully to a cutting board for slicing. Slice it thick or thin, whatever floats your boat. You can use some of the liquid that escaped the butt to add some flavor to your favorite store-bought barbecue sauce. Or, you can add it to your favorite recipe. Just make sure you taste the sauce after each small addition. A little goes a long way. Serve with white bread, Texas toast, or corn bread, pickles, barbecue onions and cole slaw. Or whatever you like. My family likes it all!

BARBECUED BEEF BRISKET

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine the first nine ingredients; cook and stir over medium heat 3-4 minutes or until brown sugar is dissolved. Transfer to a disposable foil pan., In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Brown brisket on both sides. Place in foil pan, turning to coat with sauce. Cover pan tightly with foil., Place pan on grill rack over indirect medium heat. Grill, covered, 2 to 2-1/4 hours or until meat is tender., Remove from heat. Remove brisket from pan; tent with foil and let stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile, skim fat from sauce in pan. Cut brisket diagonally across the grain into thin slices; serve with sauce.

TEXAS-STYLE BARBECUED BRISKET

Steps:

• 1. Rinse the brisket under cold running water and blot it dry with paper towels.
• 2. Combine the salt, chili powder, sugar, pepper, and cumin in a bowl and toss with your fingers to mix. Rub the spice mixture on the brisket on all sides. If you have time, wrap the brisket in plastic and let it cure, in the refrigerator, for 4 to 8 hours (or even overnight), but don't worry if you don't have time for this-it will be plenty flavorful, even if you cook it right away.
• 3. Set up a charcoal grill for indirect grilling and preheat it to low. No drip pan is necessary for this recipe.
• 4. When ready to cook, toss 1 1/2 cups of the wood chips on the coals (3/4 cup per side). Place the brisket, fat side up, in an aluminum foil pan (or make a pan with a double sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil). Place the pan in the center of the hot grate, away from the heat. Cover the grill.
• 5. Smoke cook the brisket until tender enough to shred with your fingers; 6 hours will likely do it, but it may take as long as 8 (the cooking time will depend on the size of the brisket and heat of the grill). Baste the brisket from time to time with the fat and juices that accumulate in the pan. You'll need to add 10 to 12 fresh coals to each side every hour and toss more wood chips on the fresh coals; add about 3/4 cup chips per side every time you replenish the coals during the first 3 hours.
• 6. Remove the brisket pan from the grill and let rest for 15 minutes. Transfer the brisket to a cutting board and thinly slice it across the grain, using a sharp knife, electric knife, or cleaver. Transfer the sliced meat to a platter, pour the pan juices on top, and serve at once.
• Barbecue Sauce, the Texas Way
• The best Texas-style barbecue sauce combines the sweetness of Kansas City-style tomato sauces with the mouth-puckering tartness of a North Carolina vinegar sauce. I've come up with my own version-mix together equal parts of the Basic Barbecue Sauce and the North Carolina Vinegar Sauce . Serve this with barbecued brisket. For a really good sauce, add some meat drippings or a little chopped brisket.

REAL TEXAS BRISKET (SMOKED) (SOUTHWEST)

Steps:

• Trim brisket leaving 1/2" layer of fat on top. Determine the direction of the grain of the meet and cut off a slice across the grain. This way when the meet is done, and covered with a dark brown crust, you'll be able to see which direction you should slice.
• Brush with 1/4 cup of lemon juice (bottle juice is fine).
• In a bowl, combine lemon pepper, oregano, celery salt, garlic salt, and seasoned salt.
• Rub brisket with 1/2 of this mixture, cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.
• Remove brisket and let it come to room temp before cooking. Putting a cold piece of meat in a smoker is a sure fire recipe for disaster--the meet will be very bitter.
• Prepare your smoker according to the manufacturer's direction. Heat the smoker to 225°F at the cooking level.
• Place the brisket in the smoker, fat side up.
• Keep the temperature as close to 200°F as you can for the first 2-3 hours by adjusting the air intake, and adding small pieces of wood every 30 minutes. Do not adjust the out vent, it should always remain full open. You know your cooking properly when there is very little smoke coming out of the smoker, and the hot air coming out of the top vent is clear for the first foot, then it turns to a grayish white smoke. If smoke is billowing out of every opening, the smoke is cold and the air flow is too low--your brisket will taste like tar. You can let the temperature creep up to 225°F , but not much over that.
• In a small bowl, combine the Worcestershire sauce, and remaining lemon juice and rub mixture.
• Mop on the sauce every hour as you turn the meat. Be sure to turn the meat over and also rotate to ensure even cooking. This should be the only time you open the cooking area.
• Smoke 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours per pound, until the internal temperature is 190°F . If you go much past that, your brisket will not slice up, and you'll have pulled beef.
• Remove and wrap in aluminum foil. Let the meat rest for about 1 hour.
• Cut the point (the pyramid shaped portion) off following a natural fat layer between the point and the flat.
• Trim off excess fat.
• Slice the brisket across the grain, using the starter slice you should have done at the beginning as a guide. Slices should be 1/4" thick. If a portion of brisket is falling apart rather than slicing, don't despair. Save the shredded portions and the burnt ends. They will make the best BBQ beef sandwiches later, when chopped and mixed with BBQ sauce.