Project Smoke

SLAM-BUNK BRISKET

I

f there’s one dish that epitomizes barbecue, that every aspiring smoke

master hopes to perfect, it’s brisket. If there’s one dish that intimidates—

even if you’ve long since reached your comfort zone with smoking pork

shoulders and ribs—it’s brisket. The challenge is the tough connective tis­

sue, not to mention a muscle structure in a whole brisket that has the

grain going in two separate directions. I’m going to tell you how to smoke

a perfect brisket every time—and that’s whether you start with the whole

18-pound packer brisket; with the 6- to 8-pound brisket flat you find at

your local butcher shop; or the trimmed (make that scalped) 3- to 5-pound

center-cut brisket often sold at the supermarket. Up first: the brisket flat.

YIELD: Serves 8 to 10. with

leftovers

METHOD: Hot-smoking

PREP TIME: 20 minutes

SMOKING TIME: 8 to 10 hours

RESTING TIME: 1 to 2 hours

FUEL: Oak. apple, mesquite,

and hickory are traditionally

associated with brisket-

enough for at least 8 hours of

smoking (see chart on page 6).

I

GEAR: An aluminum foil pan;

instant-read thermometer;

unlined butcher paper; an

insulated cooler

INGREDIENTS

1 first-cut (flat) brisket (6 to 8 pounds)

Va cup Dijon mustard (optional)

Va cup dill pickle juice (optional)

Coarse salt (sea or kosher) and cracked

black peppercorns

6 strips artisanal bacon (optional)

Beer (optional)

Favorite barbecue sauce, for serving

(optional)

:

SHOP: Buy a brisket flat

(the flat bottom muscle—see

page 68) with a generous layer

of fat on top.

f

WHAT ELSE: As you smoke

a brisket, the temperature

will steadily rise, then plateau

around 160°F (and in some

instances, actually drop a few

degrees) for an hour or so—

sometimes more. This is called

the stall and it results from the

evaporation of the moisture

from the surface of the brisket.

(You may even see a puddle of

liquid gather on the top.) This

evaporation cools the meat

much the way sweat helps

cool you off in hot weather.

Be patient—the stall will stop

and the temperature will start

climbing again.

1. Trim the brisket, leaving a fat cap
   on top at least Va inch thick. Place the
   brisket on a rimmed baking sheet. If
   using the mustard and pickle juice, mix
   them together in a small bowl, then
   brush on both sides of the brisket. Very
   generously season all over, including
   the ends, with salt and pepper. If your
   brisket lacks a sufficient fat cap, drape
   the top with bacon.

beer to a depth of 3 inches and place

it below the rack on which you’ll be

smoking the ribs. (Note; You don’t need

to do this on a ceramic cooker.) Add the

wood as specified by the manufacturer.

3. Place the brisket fat side up in your
   smoker. Cook until the outside is darkly
   browned and the internal temperature
   registers 175°F on an instant-read
   thermometer, 8 to 10 hours. (Don’t panic
   if the temperature seems to stall around
   165°F: this is normal.) Replenish the
   charcoal and wood as needed.


4. Set up your smoker following the
   manufacturer’s instructions and
   preheat to 225° to 250°F. If your
   smoker has a water pan, fill it with
   water or beer to a depth of 3 inches.
   If it doesn’t have a water pan, fill
   an aluminum foil pan with water or

!

4. Remove the brisket from the
   smoker and tightly wrap it in butcher
   paper. Return it to the smoker.

66 | BEEF

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