Brisket: Smoking
| Long before Sam Houston moved to Texas, Mexican
Cowboys would cook up a big bull's head in an underground pit.
They called this |
About
Brisket
You Guide to the best Brisket
| Barbacoa de Cabeza. It remained a
popular dish for cowboys on the cattle drive until German immigrants
in Texas decided that brains and sweetbreads were too good to waste
in a pit. They started the use of Brisket, usually a throw away cut,
in Texas Barbecue. They found that cooked properly it was quite the
delicacy. The proper way to cook Brisket is low and slow, with a
good amount of smoke, a sweet or spicy rub and a tasty sauce.
Throughout Texas and much of the mid-west, this recipe for Brisket
thrives.
To follow this recipe requires the right equipment. You need a
smoker. What kind of smoker (or pit as the Texans generally refer to
them) is up to you. You can mortgage the house or go cheap. Whatever
you use you need to know your equipment and know how to maintain a
steady temperature for as much as 10 to 15 hours.
With the brisket prepared
you need to get the smoker ready. You will want a fire of about
220o to 240o. At this temperature you can
expect the cooking time to be about 1 1/2 hours per pound. Do the
math ahead of time so you know how long you will need to keep the
fire going. At this temperature range the collagen in the meat will
breakdown nicely and make the meat tender and tasty.
Once you have the smoker ready place the brisket fat side up in
the center of the cooking grate. If you are using a water smoker you
can leave it fat side up the whole time. With an off set smoker you
will want to turn it after a few hours to keep the bottom from
drying out. You will also need to baste, or mop it every hour to
keep the surface moist. With a water smoker you need to make sure it
doesn't run out of water. Brisket can dry out easily even with a
good fat cap so be prepared to mop it if necessary, or if you want
to. If you are using an off set horizontal smoker you should add a
water pan to the smoking chamber to keep the moisture up.
Because of the drying problem, if you are planning on going very
low and slow you might try wrapping the brisket after the first 5-6
hours. Though there are people who swear they go 20 hours naked to
the smoke most people find that the meat eventually dries out.
Mopping helps but sometimes you just have to go the extra step of
wrapping the brisket in foil to finish it off. It's important that
you keep a good eye on it to make sure it is staying moist. I have
heard some people complain that after about 8 to 10 hours that the
meat can get too smoky. If you like a more mild smoke flavor then
you have another reason to wrap the brisket.
The general temperature to aim for is 165o. You want
to measure that with a good meat thermometer in the thickest part of
the meat being careful to keep it away from the fat. When you have
reached this temperature the brisket is done. However some people
will continue smoking, letting the fire die down a little and being
very careful to avoid drying.
On the point of wrapping, many people have pointed out that if
you are going to do this you might as well put the Brisket in the
oven at 220 degrees and finish it there. After all you have better
temperature control in the average oven than you do in a smoker.
Purists scoff at the idea of using the oven. The reason for the
wrapping is to keep the Brisket moist. But if you have a good fat
layer, your temperature isn't too high and you keep a good supply of
water in the smoker you shouldn't have any trouble with the meat
drying out.
When the brisket is done. Remove from the smoker and let stand
for about 10 to 15 minutes. Then carve. There is something of an art
to carving up the brisket. This is because with a full brisket the
grain runs in different directions between the point and the flat.
Lay the brisket, fat side down and carve off the point. If you look
at the grain and fat line you should be able to see it pretty
clearly. Then carve the remaining fat layers off, stack the point on
the flat and carve across grain into thin, long strips. You should
get long rectangular pieces.
Do you have a question, recipe or comment about Brisket? Then why
not take it to the Forum.
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About
Brisket
Avoid trimming fat from meats before smoking them. The fat adds
moisture and flavor through the cooking process. Trim fats after the
meat has been cooked completely.
| 
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