Jeff's Favorite Barbecue Brisket
Submitted by ontherock
Jeff’s favorite barbecue brisket is low-and-slow smoked over charcoal and wood, basted often to stay juicy, then served with warm barbecue sauce. A pitmaster’s guide to tender, smoky beef brisket.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
1 hrsGreat barbecue brisket is all about patience and smoke. This is low-and-slow beef done the real way, over charcoal and water-soaked wood, until a tough cut turns meltingly tender and deeply smoky.
A few hard-won pointers from the cook make the difference. You don’t need heavy smoke the whole time, just about half the cook, since over-smoking can turn the meat bitter.
The most important tip? Baste often, every ten minutes or so, to keep the brisket juicy, but baste with a savory, sugar-free mop, not barbecue sauce. Anything with sugar or tomato will scorch over the long cook, leaving a burnt flavor. Save the barbecue sauce for serving, warmed, at the table.
Use a meat thermometer to cook it exactly to your liking, then rest it before slicing against the grain. Serve it with beans, potatoes, salad, and good bread.
Pro Tips
- Cook low and slow; brisket is a tough cut that needs long, gentle heat to turn tender.
- Smoke for only about half the cook time, as the recipe notes; constant heavy smoke turns bitter.
- Baste every 10 minutes with a sugar-free mop, since sugary or tomato sauces burn over long cooks.
- Use a meat thermometer for doneness, then rest the brisket and slice against the grain.
Variations
- Marinate the brisket first in Worcestershire, soy, citrus, and pepper (no salt), as the recipe suggests.
- Rub with a dry spice blend before smoking for a flavorful bark.
- Try different woods, hickory, oak, or mesquite, for different smoke profiles.
Ingredients
Directions
If you wish, marinade the meat for additional flavor or tenderness.
A good marinade can consist of water, Worcestershire Sauce, Soy Sauce, pepper, lime or lemon juice - whatever you like! (No Salt, though) Start 8 lbs.
of the charcoal and allow coals to develop gray ash over all before beginning to cook.
Reserve the remaining 2 lbs. for adding when needed later.
Add wood that has been soaking in water for an hour or so.
Cook the meat on a grate approx. 8 inches over the coals, adding charcoal and wood to fire as needed.
It isn’t necessary to keep a heavy smoke at all times, just ½ of the cooking time.
Use a meat thermometer to determine doneness of meat to your preference.
If the smoker has an indicator for temperature, a low heat is fine.
Coals and wood tend to burn at lower temperatures when enclosed in a smoker.
While cooking, it is essential to baste often with the basting sauce.
Usually every 10 minutes or even less will ensure a juicy and delicious brisket.
If basting with another sauce, remember that anything containing sugar or tomato will burn, leaving a scorched flavor.
That’s especially true with meats cooked over long periods of time.
Serve with the warmed barbecue sauce and breads, beans, salad or potatoes.
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