Classic Reuben Sandwich
January 9, 2023
How to choose the perfect brisket
April 27, 2023Low & Slow Smoked Brisket
My brisket recipe is something that I have been working on for a lot of years. I have found that it brings together the perfect combination of flavors, makes a super tender finished product and forms a nice thick, firm bark.
For a more detailed explanation and run down of every single step-including step by step videos and instructions, check out the brisket Masterclass HERE.
Ingredients
- Whole packer brisket 14-16 lbs
- ½ bottle Grim Reaper Rub (Grab yours HERE)
- ½ cup yellow mustard
- 2 cups Beef stock
- 2 cups beef tallow
Pro Tips
Brisket is one of those meats where often the recipe is less impactful than the techniques used while cooking it. The below tips and techniques are just some ways that you can get the most out of your brisket while cooking. For more info, go ahead and check out the Brisket course HERE. This brisket masterclass takes you through everything you need to know in order to get the most out of your brisket cook-first time.
Here are a couple of tried and true tips and tricks that will help you make your brisket more tender, juicy & flavorful.
Choosing the right brisket
Tender brisket starts with choosing the right piece of meat. Even the most skilled pitmaster will have trouble making a poor piece of meat tender and juicy. As you are choosing your brisket, consider the size, shape, amount of exterior fat that will need to be trimmed, color, shape and grade. In the Brisket Masterclass we run through this in detail and break down all nine factors for the perfect brisket.Smoke to Temperature
Almost always, if there is an issue with the tenderness, juiciness or texture of a brisket-it comes back to being cooked to the incorrect temperature. In most cases, brisket should be cooked to somewhere between 200F and 203F. This kind of precision will require using an internal meat thermometer use the Thermopro Tempspike. Use my code 62RX2WIO for 25% off.Rest your brisket
When meat is cooked, the fibres inside of the meat tense up. Between these fibres, the moisture and juice inside the meat is held. If we were to slice the brisket while these fibres were still tensed up, we would lose a lot of the moisture that we have worked so hard to achieve.To combat this, resting the meat is critical. Resting allows the meat to settle down, lowers the temperature so that it is more edible and lets the fibres in the meat relax. This means that when they are sliced, the meat releases less moisture and the meat is ultimately much juicier.
Slice against the grain
Cutting with the grain and cutting against the grain is something that most people have heard of, but are you familiar with why? Think of your meat like a strand of rubber bands running in the same direction. This is our grain. when we slice our meat in line with the grain, we would be cutting some of these long rubber band-like fibres, but the bulk of them would be intact. This would leave us with long, tough meat that is chewy and rubbery.If we were to cut these fibres against the grain however, just like if we were cutting rubber bands from side to side, we would significantly reduce the length of these fibres. These smaller fibres are significantly more tender and much more pleasant to eat.
Method
1. Begin by trimming your brisket. Remove the fat from the exterior of the point (Fatty half) and leave 1/4 inch of fat across the flat (Lean half). Remove the silver skin and the thick, stringy membrane. To help the center fat render, cut into the seam of fat which runs between the two brisket muscles, about 1 inch.
2. Spread a thin layer of yellow mustard on all sides of the brisket. This will act as a binder and help the rub stick to the meat. Additionally (And maybe more importantly) It will help to build up the bark on the brisket.
3.Liberally season all sides of the brisket, with the Grim Reaper Rub. This rub is designed to bring a lot of flavor and help to build the bark on your brisket. For a 14-16 pound brisket, you will use about 1/2-3/4 of a bottle of the rub. As you season, focus on keeping the rub layered evenly and getting consistent coverage.
4. Place brisket onto a preheated smoker at 225F and add your favorite smoking wood. Brisket is a large cut of meat, so just about any smoking wood will work. Oak and Hickory are common. Add a water pan between the meat and the heat source. Place a foil tray with your fat trim beneath the brisket to catch drippings and allow the fat to render as the brisket cooks
5. Allow the brisket to smoke directly on the grills, with the thickest part of the brisket towards the heat. After the first two hours, begin spritzing all visible sides of your brisket with the beef stock every 90 minutes.
6. Once your brisket hits about 150F, place a double layer of foil beneath the brisket and curl up the edges on all sides to form a boat shape. If the foil isn’t wide enough, you may have to stagger the foil to make it a large enough boat for your brisket. Curl up the sides to about 1 inch high.
7. Place your brisket back onto the smoker and spoon your rendered tallow onto the brisket. Continue to spritz regularly (Every 90 minutes or so) with beef stock.
8. Smoke the brisket until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the brisket hits 200F. Check that the probe slides into both the point and the flat easily. For a brisket this size, it will take about 15-17 hours.
9. Remove the brisket from the cooker and tent lightly in foil for 120 minutes before slicing against the grain and serving.
10. Remember, the grain of the brisket runs in different directions on the point and the flat. To help with slicing against the grain, begin by slicing the brisket width ways, separating the two muscles. Slice the flat into 1/4 inch thick slices and the point into 1/3 of inch slices.
See other recipes
Reverse Sear Tri-tip
Equipment
- 1 Spritzer
Ingredients
- 1 Whole Tri-tip approximately 3 lbs
- 1/4 Cup Grim Reaper Rub Get yours HERE.
- 1/2 Cup Beef Stock
- 1/2 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
Instructions
- Begin by seasoning your tri-tip well on all sides. Focus on creating an even coating across the whole tri-tip.
- Preheat your smoker to 225F (Optional add a piece of your favorite smoking wood). Place your meat inside the smoker, as far from the heat source as possible and smoke until the steak hits your desired doneness. For me this is usually about 125F-135F.
- In a spritzer, mix vinegar and beef stock. Mid way through the cook and again right before you remove the tri-tip from the smoker, thoroughly spritz all sides of the tri-tip with the liquid.
- Searing tri-tip steak is best done in a cast iron skillet or directly over the coals, but use whatever you have available. Preheat your cast iron or your fire and get it to sear temperature approximately 500F.
- Place your steak on the heat and cook for about 1 minute on all sides, until you have developed a strong sear. Your steak is already cooked to the doneness you want, so all we are doing in this step is adding a crust.
- Slice against the grain and serve immediately.
