Texas Beef Brisket

Brisket is the national food of the Republic of Texas, and a whole 12-pound packer brisket is a great excuse for a party.

Brisket is a huge clod of cow that can come off the pit almost black, looking more like a meteorite than a meal. But it is not burnt, and beneath the crust is the most tender, juicy, luscious smoky meat—if you cook it right. But like a Clint Eastwood cowboy, brisket is unforgiving.

Controversy abounds in brisket cooking: what kind of rub to use, whether to inject the meat, at what temperature to cook it, whether to use a mop, whether use the Texas crutch (see page 60), whether to sauce it, and even how to slice it. I’m going to skip the controversies and give you a method and recipe that yield excellent results.

This is a long cook, so make sure you have plenty of fuel and wood. You’ll also need a faux Cambro (see page 50). Don’t forget a comfy chair, a book, tunes, and plenty of adult beverages.

Makes about 12 servings

Takes about 30 minutes to trim, 2 to 24 hours to dry brine, 10 minutes to rub, and 12 to 14 hours to cook. The timing can vary significantly, depending on the size of the brisket, its moisture and fat content, the nature of your cooker, the outside air temperature, and the accuracy of your meat thermometer.

1. Prep. Rinse the meat and dry it with paper towels. Trim off most of the fat cap, leaving only about ¼ inch. Until you get the hang of trimming a packer, you might accidentally cut off some of the meat while trimming, which is OK. On the flip side, slice off any silverskin and excess fat. As discussed on page 44, melting fat does not penetrate the meat, and if you leave too much, people will cut it off at the table, along with your rub.

2. Sprinkle the meat with kosher salt, applying it more thickly where the meat is thickest.

3. Refrigerate the meat until you’re ready to cook it. Chilled meat attracts more smoke. Just before cooking, dampen the meat with water and sprinkle liberally with the Big Bad Beef Rub, rubbing it in. Insert a toothpick parallel to the grain as a guide so you can carve the meat perpendicular to the grain when it is done.

4. Fire up. Get your smoker up to 225°F or set up the grill for two-zone cooking and shoot for about 225°F on the indirect side. Use a water pan if possible.

5. Cook. Put the meat on the cooker. Add about 4 ounces of wood right after the meat goes on. Add about 4 ounces more every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours. Keep an eye on the water in the pan and make sure it does not dry out. After 3 hours, turn the meat over if the color is different from top to bottom. Otherwise, leave it alone. The meat temperature will steadily climb to the stall zone (see page 59), somewhere around 150°F. Once in the stall, it will seem to take forever to rise. The stall can last 5 hours and the temperature may not rise more than 5°F! To combat the stall employ the Texas crutch (see page 60). Wrap the meat tightly in two layers of foil so it doesn’t leak. You can then insert your meat temperature probe up high so liquid doesn’t escape the hole.

6. When the temperature of the meat hits 203°F, put it in a faux Cambro, close the lid, and let the hot meat sit there for at least 2 hours. If you have a tight cooler, it should hold the meat well above 160°F for hours. Holding the big thick brisket cooked almost to the boiling point allows the internal temperature to even out and the collagens to continue to melt. This carryover cooking results in more tender and juicy meat.

7. Now let’s firm up the crust a bit. Unwrap the meat and put it over a hot grill or under a broiler for a few minutes on each side. Watch it closely so it doesn’t burn.

8. Slice the meat at the last possible minute (see page 262). Brisket dries out quickly once it is cut. Turn the meat fat side up so the juices will run onto the meat as you slice.

9. If the meat is perfectly cooked, it should be moist and juicy. You can serve it simply sliced on a plate or as a sandwich made with Texas toast. If you wish, drizzle some Texas Mop Sauce mixed with some of the drippings from the crutch on top of the meat (taste this carefully because the drippings can be very salty).