Typically I hate going to the market, it just sucks most of the time. Prices go up, portions go down and the closer to Christmas the busier it gets.
Three things can change my mind about it though - brisket on sale, ribs on sale, and/or pork shoulders on sale. Today it was brisket on sale. Any day you find whole briskets for under two dollars a pound you know is going to be a good day. I scooped up two and headed to the checkout. I hurriedly headed for my car stashing the goods in my trunk and rushing home feeling like I had just robbed a local bank.
Upon arriving home I quickly threw one of them in the deep freeze and then headed to the kitchen with the other. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning and was already salivating at the thought of what was to come later this evening. I headed outside to fire up my smoker setting it to the magic temperature of 225 degrees.
I should pause here to explain the subtleties between barbecuing and smoking meats. Pork ribs, beef ribs, you barbeque. Chicken, bratwurst, sausage, you barbeque. Brisket and pork shoulders however are smoked slowly over low heat using wood chips like hickory, oak, apple, or mesquite. Got it? Ok, now that you understand that we can be friends 🤣.
So first things first, back inside to trim the brisket and prepare it for the smoker. I start by trimming most of the fat off leaving only a little over the top. Now it's time to season it.
First, rub it all over with a light coating of yellow mustard so the seasoning sticks to it then rub in generous portions of salt, pepper, and ground garlic in equal amounts. When you are finished it should look something like the one above. Now let's head outside.
You will want a drip pan, some apple cider, and some of your favorite wood chips. I will be using applewood for this one. Place the drip pan on the lowest rack just above the wood chips and then put about 2 cups of the apple cider in it. Put the wood chips in the chip tray. Now put the brisket (or pork shoulder) on the middle rack. I had to cut my brisket in half because it was too large for my smoker racks, the thicker piece goes in the middle and the thinner portion on the top rack.
After about 5-6 hrs you should have something that looks like the picture above.
Now, this is the point that separates the men from the Pit Masters - in other words, this is where most people blow it. They most often pull it off thinking it is done or they just leave it to continue cooking and it dries out! The secret at this point is to take the brisket (or pork shoulder) and wrap it tightly in two layers of butcher paper and return it to the smoker for about 3-5 more hours. If you don't have access to butcher paper aluminum foil will work in a pinch but it will cook slightly faster.
After about 2 more hours start to check the inside temp of the meat with a quick read thermometer every 45 minutes until it hits 225 degrees. At this point pull it off the smoker and put it on a cutting board, still wrapped, to rest for 30-45 minutes. Yeah I know, your just dying to open it! Me too!
This is truly an exercise in patience and a labor of love but it is well worth it. Now unwrap and slice the brisket in 1/4 inch thick strips across the grain of the meat, this will ensure it is juicy and oh so tender when you eat it. Good brisket should not fall apart but it should pull in two easily. I could have let this one go a bit longer smoking before I wrapped it, I tend to like the smoke ring (that dark red under the crust) to penetrate deeper into the meat for more smokey flavor but it was still extremely delish!!!
Feel free to ask questions in the comments if you have any or if you have any of your own secret bbq or smoking tips you want to share with us.
Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed the post.