Tip#1 Find the right meat. Of all the beef brisket tips, this is probably the most important. Brisket cooking in a smoker means using a packer brisket. It should include the deckle- the top piece. Also, it should have a large fat cap that covers almost the entire brisket.
Tip#2 Use the right wood. Brisket, which has a lot of mass, and takes quite a bit of time, needs an assertive wood. I prefer a mixture of oak, hickory, and pecan. For a big piece of meat like this, you could use mesquite and its very strong smoke.
This is probably one of the only cases where I would use mesquite to smoke, although I use it regularly for grilling.
Generally, though, I use what is local if possible- it keeps the cost down.
The only woods I avoid are fruit wood like the apple that is brilliant with ribs and bacon, but way too mild for brisket. And, it goes without saying to avoid woods with the pitch- right?
Tip#3 Smoke at the right temperature. Unless you have a super-deluxe gas assisted thermostat controlled smoker, making bbq at home is an exercise in controlling the heat and smoke of your fire.
I will go into more depth about controlling the fire in coming pages but ideally, you'd like to smoke the brisket at an average temperature of 200 degrees. It can fluctuate but try to keep it in this window.
Tip#4 Use the right rub. The right rub is the rub you like- after all- you are doing the work. I have said it before and I will again, the only rub for brisket that I use is KOSHER SALT and medium grind BLACK PEPPER.
Period.
This is one of the more surprising beef brisket tips that I give out. People just want to use a funky rub concoction.I use the salt and pepper in a ratio of 1 part pepper for every 2 parts salt. Normally I put it in a Tupperware container, mix it up and apply.
Tip#5 Use enough rub. Don't be chicken. Remember: there is a lot of fat you are going to trim way. Also, there is a lot of areas to cover!
If you use enough rub, you will not need to apply any other seasoning after cooking, because as you slice the brisket, you will get a nicely seasoned crust along with the interior of the meat (unless you are making burnt ends and use some of this crust)
Tip#6 Do not turn your brisket. EVER! This is the easiest of the beef brisket tips. You need the fat on top to melt through the meat and keep it moist.
(Once in the early days of my second restaurant one of our less than intelligent workers smoked a whole case (70lbs) of brisket upside down. We had tho toss all of it in the trash- way too dry.
Tip#7 You really don't need to mop the brisket. If you want to, fine. But unless you are introducing a whole new flavor why bother? You have more than enough fat to lubricate the meat. And really, what are you basing? The fat cap?
Tip#8 Rub your meat (oh the jokes I could make) up to 24 hours in advance. In the restaurant setting, this rarely happens, and it doesn't make a huge difference anyway.
Tip#9 If you are making burnt ends, great. Love 'em. I would encourage you to use the deckle for this and the flat portion underneath for regular sliced plates. There are a lot of folks who just want plain sliced lean beef.
So, I use the deckle and it's ample amount of crust-to-meat ratio and its yes, lovely fatty meat, to do burnt ends.
Tip#10 You must serve your brisket plates with pickles and onions. If you're not from Texas, this will sound weird. But it works. Take a bit of brisket on your fork with a piece of pickle and onion. The acidity in the pickles and sharpness of the white onion temper the fat in the meat.
Tip#11 When making brisket sandwiches, you can use either a hamburger bun or a hoagie roll, or any bread really as long as it's white. (please don't ever think of wheat bread for this.)
I like to spread mine with butter and toast it on the griddle. This adds insult to injury. And for me, I like to "white trash it up a bit" and spread mayo on the toasted bun. Then step back and let the magic happen.
Tip#12 You can reheat brisket! It is great. (one of the beef brisket tips most restaurants never admit to)
Any large leftover pieces, once cold, should be wrapped in saran wrap first and then foil. In a 300 degree oven it takes a whole piece about 3 hours to heat up, so that is about an hour for every 2 pounds or so, I think.
Also, if you have the slices left- vacuum seal them. I like to take any big chunks and trim and cut them after they are cold. Then I seal and freeze them for later.
Tip #13 How much to serve? 4 oz. of cooked meat for a sandwich is fine.
8 oz. of cooked meat for a standard bbq plate with 2 sides is plenty.
If you have other meats or sides you will have to re-figure this, especially whether it is lunch or dinner.
I typically allow 8 oz (total) of meat and 2 sides for a hungry person at dinner. If I had ribs as well, It would be 6 oz of meat and 1 rib.
No comments:
Post a Comment