Outlawed Texas Brisket

[gsevelle]

I've got to share this one as it is one of the most popular items that people request of me.

Texas Brisket is a slow cooked whole brisket that has been dry rubbed with with spices and herbs then smoked low and slow, or (and here is the secret Sous Vide for a long time). Why did I label this Outlawed, well seems that the Kansas City BBQ Association feels that Sous Vide is "unfair", which translates to better than traditional cooking methods.

Ok, so lets get started. For me it starts with the rub here is my recipe do with it what you want.

1 cup paprika (I use Hungarian or Smoked for full flavor)
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup course ground pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
1/4 cup onion powder
1/8 cup ground dried oregano
1/8 cup ground dried thyme
Optional if you like heat add dried cayenne pepper or your favorite heat. You can figure out the amount based on your own taste profile.

With the dry rub made unpack your whole brisket, yes the point and flat attached with the fat cap. Do not trim the fat, fat is flavor. Liberally i.e. a lot (not the political meaning of liberal) rub the meat with the above spice mixture.

Now here is the magic. Vacuum seal the whole rubbed brisket. Yes you can cut it into two pieces if you must but don't respond to me that the final product was not as good as you expected.

Using a bucket or other large vesicle that can contain the brisket follow the instructions in the recipe for Sous Vide brisket below. I personally use 155 F. for 36 hours.

https://www.seriouseats.com/2016/08/foo ... isket.html

Alternate method is to smoke low and slow for 16 hours at 125 F. If I use this method I will place the meat in a tin and cover for the last four hours to capture the juices and keep the meat moist. Do this as a last resort, Sous Vide is the way to go.

After 36 hours in the water bath remove the brisket and either place on ice, in the frig, or go directly to the smoker. Smoke with a strong wood such as Hickory or Mesquite at 300 for 3 hours if directly out of the bath or 4 hours if out of the cold box. Save the liquid in the bag and reduce and add a can or pint of beer (light and cheep) to use as warming liquid and dredging sauce.

When the time is up pull the meat and let it rest for 30 minutes in the warming liquid.

Now you are ready to enjoy the best Beef Brisket you have ever had that has been banned from competition.

Enjoy

[wheels]

I'd ignore KCBS rules - competition BBQ is nothing like real bbq!

It looks a fine way to do it. What sort of times would you do for slicing.

Phil

[gsevelle]

I'd ignore KCBS rules - competition BBQ is nothing like real bbq!

It looks a fine way to do it. What sort of times would you do for slicing.

Phil

Phil, Not sure what you mean by "What sort of times would you do for slicing." I normally allow the meat to set half an hour before slicing so the juices don't run out. If that is what you mean. However being 1/2 Brit I don't always get the lingo so may need a bit more translation.

G.

[wheels]

So, the sous-vide cooking time remains the same regardless of pulled or sliced?

Phil

[gsevelle]

So, the sous-vide cooking time remains the same regardless of pulled or sliced?

Phil

Yes you can either pull the meat for sandwiches or it will slice nicely. Some will even chop it into cubs and put it in BBQ sauce and back into the smoker for an hour or more and call it burnt ends. This is something that is often done with the pieces of the point that have the most fat.

[wheels]

Many thanks.

[Sam Newman]

Thanks for this Wheels. I'm about to try something similar in my new smoker. My partner is making up the rub now and we're going to smoke the Brisket and some Shin on the bone inside a roasting dish. The smoker is cool. I light the fire under the bush bath and the smoke goes up a chimney into an old freezer where I can regulate the heat by how much I leave the door open. With fish I always leave the door open for the first couple of hours to make a seal to hold the juices in, but I've never smoked large cuts of beaf before, so this will be an interesting challenge that may require a few beers while I'm doing it hahaha. Once the sun goes down and the bath is hot I'll be watching the stars and moon in the bath with a plateful of meat. We're also going to do some mussels and pork belly, so will take some regulating. Especially because I've got no thermostat. It's all a matter of how long can I keep my hand in there. Oh yep, it's hot haha

[wheels]

The credit goes to gsevelle, not me Sam.

Phil

[gsevelle]

Hey Wheels and Sam, since I posted this I've probably done 20 briskets, and as I type this I have five in the bath for 36 hours. I've hooked up with a couple of caterers and it turns out their clients like the meat. If you really want to have some fun take some hot peppers and puree them and add it to your BBQ Sauce. I make the following three

Ho-Hum Jalapeno - mildly spicy with a hint of fresh pepper
Holy Habanero - Full body hot but enough sugar in the sauce to hold the heat
Holy Ghost (I actually use Carolina Reaper but I like the name) - the most popular with good strong heat but does not cause you to break out in a sweat.

In each sauce you can taste the difference in what the pepper brings to the table each has its own distinctive flavor.

Puree about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of pepper, heat your favorite BBQ sauce, one to two quarts (I make my own) add the pepper and simmer for 1/2 hour.
Each Pepper will add a different flavor and level of heat.

Enjoy.

[Sam Newman]

Sorry Gsevelle, my mistake. Yep I love hot sauce, but it might be too much for the kids hahaha. My brisket is still smoking and looking great! It's been in for 24 hours so far. We also smoked some greenlip mussels with garlic butter infused and whole inshell eggs straight from the hens bottom right at the beginning of the smoking session, which all got eaten so everyone else must have thought they were as tasty as I did. I soaked some Manuka branches in the bath too, which left a nice layer of healing oil in the water to soak my weary bones in. Best bath ever! I'm super excited to see how the brisket comes out, iit's not far from being ready now. We have no fridge or freezer here, so I figured that smoking everything is going to keep our meat and seafood for a lot longer smoked. For the rub we used rosemary, garlic and some cheap mixed dried herbs from the loval organic shop. As we are only here over summer, I can't be bothered growing herbs this year (apart from parsley of corse) & we have just started a small summer garden, just enough for a few veges etc. We are finishing our house over summer, so that we will be able to move into a fully self sufficient running place by winter time. I'll let you know how the brisket tastes. it smells devine!

[Sam Newman]

Oh and I forgot to mention the pork belly came out amazingly good. It came out of the smoker at midnight last night and didn't even make it to the table. I'll never do pork belly any other way ever again

[homer]

"It came out of the smoker at midnight last night and didn't even make it to the table"

you dropped it?

[Sam Newman]

It was so tasty we ate it right outside the smoke house

[gsevelle]

"It came out of the smoker at midnight last night and didn't even make it to the table"

you dropped it?

Did you Sous vide or the traditional low and slow?

[Sam Newman]

Cooked the pork belly hard and fast to get that crispy skin and smoked the brisket + shin on the bone over 48hrs. All came out exeptional. Will be doing this again!