Texas Barbecued Brisket
Submitted by Rayvenn
Texas-style smoked brisket with a spicy chili rub and a beer-based mop sauce. Smoked low and slow over wood chips for tender, smoky bark and pink smoke ring.
YIELD
24 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
4 hrsREADY
4 hrsA proper Texas-style smoked brisket, built on two pillars of Lone Star barbecue: a spicy dry rub pressed into the meat before smoking, and a beer-and-Worcestershire mop sauce brushed on during the final cooking hours. This is not the sweet Kansas City style or the vinegar-forward Carolina style. Texas barbecue is about beef, smoke, and heat, with sauce as accent rather than main event.
The rub leans hot: ground hot chili pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, black pepper, and a pinch of cumin. A wash of apple cider vinegar brushed on first helps the rub adhere and adds a tangy counterpoint that shows up in the finished bark. Pack the rub in generously on all sides and let the beef sit at room temperature while the smoker comes up to heat.
Smoking goes slow. Fat side up over a drip pan, lid closed, for 2½ to 3 hours with soaked wood chips fed in as needed. Post oak is the traditional Texas wood, but hickory, pecan, or mesquite all work. The beer-based sauce (onion, garlic, beer, Worcestershire, vinegar) gets simmered 30 minutes on the side and brushed on during the last hour to 90 minutes of cooking. Slice across the grain and serve with the extra sauce alongside.
Pit Tips
- Always slice brisket across the grain. Grain runs in two different directions on brisket (flat and point); follow each direction separately for tender slices.
- Use a meat thermometer. Pull the brisket at 195 to 205°F (90 to 96°C) internal temperature for fork-tender texture.
- Rest the brisket for 30 to 60 minutes wrapped in foil and a towel before slicing. This redistributes juices and prevents them from running out on the cutting board.
- Soak wood chips for 30 minutes before adding to the coals. Wet chips smoke longer; dry chips burn too fast.
Variations
- Add a tablespoon of brown sugar to the rub for a slightly sweeter bark.
- Swap the beer in the sauce for Dr. Pepper or root beer for the classic Texas cola variation.
- Serve with white bread, pickles, and onions for traditional BBQ joint presentation.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine the dry ingredients for the rub except the vinegar.
Brush the brisket with the vinegar and thoroughly coat the meat with the rub.
Place the brisket on the grill, fat side up, over a drip pan.
Close the lid and smoke for 2½ to 3 hours, adding more soaked wood chips as needed.
To make the sauce, sauté the onion and garlic in a little of the oil until soft.
Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes.
Generously brush the brisket with the sauce a couple of times during the last 1 to ½ hours of cooking.
Keep the sauce warm and add additional ketchup to achieve the desired consistency.
To serve, cut the brisket across the grain and serve with the sauce on the side.
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