# I give unto you...the ultimate brisket



## Poppinfresh (Mar 8, 2006)

Since I asked a question in the Q&A section, only fair I pass along a recipe that was passed along to me--the single greatest brisket I've ever had the pleasure of having.  It's sorta complicated and takes the better part of a day, but it's WELL worth it.  

The rub:

1     cup sugar 
              1/4 cup season salt 
              1/4 cup garlic salt
              1/4 cup onion salt
              1/4 cup celery salt
              1/3 cup paprika, 1/2 cup if desired
              1/4 cup chili powder
              1/4 cup black pepper
              1     teaspoon ground mustard
              1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
              1/2 teaspoon all spice
              1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1 teaspoon ginger (I've had good success removing this item and using cumin, as well)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon nutmeg

The mop:

3/4 cup apple cider vinegar 
1 can of beer (I always use Michelob)
1/4 cup water 
1/4 cup vegetable oil 
1 tablespoon of the rub
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 
1 teaspoon black pepper

*  Mix mop ingredients together, heat up and simmer for 10 minutes

The mustard:

1 cup yellow mustard  
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 
1/4 teaspoon sea salt (has to be sea salt...needs to be very fine)
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

*Mix together, simmer for 10 minutes.

The BBQ sauce:

1/2 cup finely chopped onions 
2 tablespoons butter 
1 cup tomato sauce 
1 cup ketchup 
1/3 cup chili sauce 
3/4 cup dark brown sugar 
1/2 cup honey 
1 cup white vinegar 
1 teaspoon allspice 
1 tablespoon dry mustard 
2 teaspoons ground black pepper 
2 teaspoons chili powder 
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 
1 teaspoon garlic powder 
1 tablespoon paprika 
3 tablespoons lemon juice 
3 tablespoons maple syrup
(OPTIONAL):  I sometimes add a couple shakes of habernero sauce to this, but it tends to *really* heat things up.  Use at own risk.

*Heat large sauce pan to medium, saute the onions in the butter until they go soft.  Add everything else and bring up to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for another 20 minutes.


The piece de resistance:

1 whole brisket, about 8 pounds

The prep:

Rub the brisket well with the dry rub--more ya rub it in, the better it'll be.  It breaks up the connective tissues or some such.  Refrigerate it overnight.

The heat:

Get your smoker up between 200 and 220 degrees.  You'll need 6 cups of wood chips (I prefer hickory; my wife prefers mesquite...I'm right).  Soak 1/3 of them in water for half an hour.  Trim the brisket of all but 1/4 of an inch of fat and let set at room temperature for an hour to get the inside of the meat the same temp as the outside.   Put in 1 cup wet wood chips to 2 cupsdry into the smoker, toss the brisket on, and mop with the mustard sauce.  Cook it for 3 hours, add the remaining wood chips and mop with the beer based mop sauce this time.

Cook it for another 2 hours, then transfer the brisket onto some heavy duty aluminum foil and "bowl" it, pour about 1/3 cup of the beer based mop into the bowl, and close up the aluminum foil and seal the whole thing up tight.  Put the wrapped brisket back on the smoker and cook it for another 2-5 hours--remove when the internal temperature reaches 185.   Remove the brisket from the pouch, tent and let rest for about 15 minutes.  Cover it with the barbecue sauce and become the envy of those around you.


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## pdswife (Mar 8, 2006)

Sounds good ( maybe a little toooo spicy though) can I reduce the amount of HEAT?


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## Poppinfresh (Mar 8, 2006)

Just don't use the habernero pepper sauce (I'd recommend at least putting a little extra vinegar to replace it though so it'll still have some bite).  I know that recipe list has a lot of hot ingredients to it, but they really mellow out during the smoking.  If you really want to take it down just don't put in ginger or cumin in the rub, but honestly, it doesn't end up all that spicy.  My wife doesn't really dig spicy foods either (unless it's my jambalaya; a recipe I shall take to my grave--she'll take the heartburn to have that) and she loves it.


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## pdswife (Mar 8, 2006)

Thank you Poppinfresh!


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## Robo410 (Mar 8, 2006)

my that sounds fine


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## callie (Mar 8, 2006)

Thanks, 'fresh!  Looks well worth the time and effort.


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## Phil (Mar 14, 2006)

*I like the idea of low heat...*

...preferably below the boiling point. I'll bet the brisket would be great done in the oven with the sauce, a little thinner though. You're BBQ sauce sounds awfully familiar to a Voo-Doo sauce recipe I have. BTW, does the brisket know the difference in beer


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## Poppinfresh (Mar 14, 2006)

Most BBQ sauces are about the same...I've got 7 or 8 of em stored and they're all (with one exception) within a couple ingredients of eachtoher.

On the beer issue...I tried it with Guinness once...didn't work.  So I'd avoid stouts or microbrews (which typically don't serve well for cooking), but other than that, fair game.


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## phinz (Mar 14, 2006)

Really dark beers tend to get bitter when used in cooking. At least that's my experience. I'd say a mid-grade domestic usually works best. I've use hefeweizens before with pretty good luck.


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## Chef_Jimmy (Mar 14, 2006)

and we all know phinz knows his beer!..........


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## Hopz (Mar 14, 2006)

I like the looks of the recipe and process. I lived in Texas and did a lot of briskit.
As for what type of beer.... the microbrews generally have more hop flavor- which most beer-people appreciate.
Using a Michelob will guarantee you not only have little hops, but little flavor to worry about.


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## phinz (Mar 14, 2006)

Chef_Jimmy said:
			
		

> and we all know phinz knows his beer!..........


...


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## kitchenelf (Mar 14, 2006)

> (I prefer hickory; my wife prefers mesquite...I'm right).


  Sorry wife, I love the Hickory chunks too - mesquite has it's place though - more with chicken I think.

Now, about that recipe you will take to your grave?  Wouldn't it be ashame that no one can enjoy it EVER when you are gone.  I used to feel that way about a couple recipes - but not anymore.  I would hate for some of my favorite family recipes to be lost forever.    .........


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## Poppinfresh (Mar 15, 2006)

Hopz said:
			
		

> I like the looks of the recipe and process. I lived in Texas and did a lot of briskit.
> As for what type of beer.... the microbrews generally have more hop flavor- which most beer-people appreciate.
> Using a Michelob will guarantee you not only have little hops, but little flavor to worry about.



Ehhhh, I don't really think a microbrew would work.  It's one of those things where it'd be worth SOMEBODY trying, but the **** thing takes so long to make I'd not want to be the guinea pig to see whether it works or not.

Then again, I'm not a real big beer fan and figure it should be one of the accent flavors you can just *barely* detect.  There is so much already going on with the brisket that giving it another distinct flavor might be overkill.


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## phinz (Mar 15, 2006)

The thing is, "microbrew" can be *any* kind of beer. "Microbrew" is just a term for "not mass produced by someone like Budweiser." To just discount "microbrew" as not working is to discount a *huge* part of the market, unless you're just determined to use a rice-based pilsner or a generic lager in your recipe.


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## thumpershere2 (Mar 15, 2006)

Sounds perfect poppinfresh. I would love to make this recipe this summer. One of the best I have seen.


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## licia (Mar 15, 2006)

What would be the very best sides to serve with brisket?  Our neighbors are doing one next week and have asked us down. I would like to take something that really goes well. Thanks.


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## phinz (Mar 15, 2006)

Growing up in Texas we always had pinto beans, cornbread, turnip/mustard/collard greens, tomato slices, corn-on-the-cob, cole slaw, baked beans. Really, any kind of barbecue-type food.


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## Chef_Jimmy (Mar 15, 2006)

corn on the cob, cole slaw and baked beans and maybe potato salad. Keep it simple.


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## Poppinfresh (Mar 15, 2006)

I usually side it with German potato salad, smoked corn on the cob (you haven't lived till you've had smoked corn on the cob with the right kind of butter mixture...), smoked baked beans and 9 times out of 10 one of those Jell-O parfait deals.


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## Phil (Jun 6, 2006)

*At least, try the sauce....*



			
				Poppinfresh said:
			
		

> Since I asked a question in the Q&A section, only fair I pass along a recipe that was passed along to me--the single greatest brisket I've ever had the pleasure of having.  It's sorta complicated and takes the better part of a day, but it's WELL worth it.
> 
> The rub:
> 
> ...


The sauce is really good. I haven't tried the rub or mop, but I'm sure they are as good. It's summertime, people. Why cook indoors!!!


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## Todd & Kathy (Jan 5, 2007)

Thank you so much for the recipe(s), I love brisket but I have had mixed results, some were very good some not so good! I saw this and new I was going to give it a shot. I have all I need, I have rubbed the brisket and it is in the fridge. My only issue us I absolutely could not find a 8lb brisket this evening anywhere! It seems everyone around is doing brisket this weekend! Any how, I have 2, 4lb briskets and my question is what will this do to the cooking time? They are thinner than the bigger briskets that I have done before so, I am assuming they wil not need as much time. Am I correct in my assumptions? Thanks for a great site and any advice!


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## Phil (Jan 6, 2007)

I'd cook a 4lb. like it was an 8lb. I don't think it's like a turkey. I cook a two pound meatloaf for an hour, the same as a one pound meat loaf. I have used Poppinfresh's sauce all for many meats on the grill, including chicken.


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## Todd & Kathy (Jan 6, 2007)

Thanks Phil, got the smoker fired up and I am almost ready to go!


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## HWooldridge (Jan 6, 2007)

Mesquite burns hotly but contains creosote - that can be a factor in making some smoked dishes taste a little strong especially if done over a longer period of time.  I like mesquite for grilling burgers and steaks but prefer oak or pecan for smoking.

My process is similar to this recipe.  I season the brisket with a dry rub but don't mop the meat.  I put the meat in a preheated cooker, smoke the brisket for 2-3 hours, then double wrap in foil and finish.  I can fully cycle a 15-20 lb brisket in 12-16 hours but believe a 4 lb one could be finished in 6 hours.  Rule of thumb for me is 1 hour cook time per lb but this varies with the individual brisket and this is over relatively low heat (200-250 degrees).  You can also use liquid smoke in your mop if you are doing the meat indoors but the taste is different.

As stated, it also helps to let the meat rest a few minutes after you take it off the heat.  IMHO, good brisket should not be mushy and require slicing but be tender enough to be easily pulled apart with the fingers.  We serve with 'tater salad, pinto beans and Stubb's BBQ sauce...and usually no leftovers.


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## Todd & Kathy (Jan 6, 2007)

Well, this was excellent! I used the rub, the mops and the sauce. Kathy and I really enjoyed it and the 4lbs was just right for us and the son, now we have another 4lber to eat after church tomorrow. Thank you so much for sharing, I will use this recipe from now on! It took ~ 7-8 hours to smoke them to perfection, I used a mixture of hickory and oak.


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## Poppinfresh (Jan 11, 2007)

Glad you enjoyed it .  Took me a lot of experimenting before I tried taking a page out of the corned beef playbook and making a mustard mop to "see what would happen", which really brought the whole thing together on a whole new level.  I had never tried it with a 4 pounder before so couldn't offer advise as to how long it would take.  It's such a long cooking process that I prefer to do it at once as opposed to two cookings, and even for a household of just 2, an 8 pounder (since it cooks down to...I dunno, 5 or 6 pounds?)  doesn't last long enough for it to even start to become kind of "old" tasting, let alone bad what with all the randomly walking by the fridge and pulling out a slice to munch on.


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## mugsy27 (Jan 11, 2007)

sounds fantastic!!  but for those of us in cold weather, and without smokers...can this be done by slow roasting in an oven?  say 225 for 3-4 hours?

if so...would any alterations to the recipie need to happen??


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## goboenomo (Jan 11, 2007)

Wow, that's a crazy brisket. The brisket at my work comes precooked. The prep guys portion it and put a scoop of BBQ sauce in it. Then I just heat it up in the microwave and stack it on a burger bun in 1/2 lb, and 1 lb portions.

I've never actually tried brisket though.


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## Poppinfresh (Jan 12, 2007)

mugsy27 said:
			
		

> sounds fantastic!!  but for those of us in cold weather, and without smokers...can this be done by slow roasting in an oven?  say 225 for 3-4 hours?
> 
> if so...would any alterations to the recipie need to happen??



Well, I'm positive it could be roasted, but...I wouldn't really know the time frames by which to cook it, or at what temperatures.  You wouldn't be able to smoke it in an oven, however, so it obviously wouldn't carry the same flavor.


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## Poppinfresh (May 13, 2011)

Reviving kind of an old thread here, but I've altered my recipe a bit since I posted it up.

Nowadays, prior to putting the rub on the brisket, I inject the meat at various points with either something called Fat B Lite (FAB Meat Enhancing Injections for beef, brisket, chicken and pork.) if I have it, or beef broth if I don't, at a rate of 1/8c per pound.  This was something I started doing out of necessity since I transitioned from an offset smoker to a bullet style smoker, but the results have been so good that I do it no matter what I'm smoking it on now.  I also put a *very* thin layer of mustard on the brisket prior to applying the rub.  Since a lot of the spices in the rub are oil soluble, this really helps to achieve that wonderful crust that a great brisket has.

I've also transitioned from Michelob to...gasp...a microbrew.  I use Mirror Pond now.  The difference is subtle, but positive.

Also, when using a bullet style smoker, I put the brisket on fat side DOWN, just above the water pan.  It helps to serve as something of a heat shield.  I would also do this if I ever got my hands on something like a Big Green Egg.

On the ingredient side, I've discovered the joy that is the World Spice Market (sucks to be you if you don't live in Seattle), and have moved from "Paprika from the grocery store" to "smoked paprika" from the spice merchant.  Again, the difference is subtle, but positive.

For the record, these changes resulted in my brisket winning first place in a KCBS sanctioned tournament not too far back, so um....people seem to like them


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## BigAL (May 13, 2011)

Sounds great, Poppin, and congrats on the walk!  

Check this out, US BBQ Supply, Go from smoked to smoking    I got some of the deep beef and the bark one, the injection stuff.  I know the guy who makes it and some of the guys who have tried it and use it and they really like it.  Sorry I can't give you my personal opinion yet.

I also found fresh, whole spices at Penzys(sp?) and won't go back to store bought.  I was surprised at how fresh makes such a difference.  

Do you have any pix of your turn in boxes?  Any pix of anything would be nice to droooooool over.


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## Bolas De Fraile (May 13, 2011)

Poppin you are a poppet, brisket is on my list and I like spicy.
Big Al I like the inject-able swine brine


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## BigAL (May 13, 2011)

Bolas De Fraile said:


> Poppin you are a poppet, brisket is on my list and I like spicy.
> Big Al I like the inject-able swine brine


 
So do you know SmokyOkie(or how ever Tim spells it)?

check out the q-joint.


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## Bolas De Fraile (May 14, 2011)

BigAL said:


> So do you know SmokyOkie(or how ever Tim spells it)?
> 
> check out the q-joint.


Sorry Al I just clicked on your link and saw the "swine brine" and thought what an excellent forum name. I do know Okie Dokie  perhaps they are related.


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