Houston Texans=Brisket
As I’ve stated in a previous post, when it comes to making tailgate food, I really enjoy making food from the opponent’s hometown/state. It isn’t really an ode to them or anything, it is just fun for me to expand my cooking prowess. It really forces me to go outside of my comfort zone…which is so fun! I figured what a perfect way to do this with the Houston Texans in town for some scrimmages and a preseason game against the Packers! On top of that, I am getting one of those main BBQ meats done…BRISKET!
Brisket: A Tail On How It Is Done
The Cut
Let’s start off with where the brisket is! The Brisket is on the front end of the cow, located below the neck and above the legs. It’s kind of their chest. The funny thing about this cut is the fact that it is not a very good cut of meat. It is fairly tough and has A LOT of connective tissue. Hence the need to cook it the way you do.
The Prep
Once the decision to cook a brisket is decided, you have to know what to ask for and how to trim it! Jump in the 4 wheeled beater of yours and run yourself down to a local butcher shop and ask for some brisket. Now, do you want an entire brisket or just the flat? If you have the time (12 hours minimum), grab the entire brisket. If you’re like me and don’t have all the time in the world, have them cut the flat for you, but make sure they leave some fat on it!
Once you’re back on your way home with your new found love, trim up the fat cap to about 1/8-to-1/4″. After the trim, season, season, season! I personally used:
1/8 c. Black Pepper
1/8 c. Salt
1 tbsp. Garlic Powder
1 tbsp. Onion Powder
1 tbsp. Sugar
Make sure you season every part! Get into the nooks and cranny’s, season the sides, and when you think you’re done, season a tiny bit more. Wrap your seasoned Brisket with foil, place into a pan, and refrigerate over night.
Check Out These Other Smoked Meats! Click the link above!
The Cook
According to Franklin BBQ, (probably the best place to get Brisket in the entire world!), at 250F your meat will take about 1 hour to an hour and 15 minutes per pound. This bad boy was right around 6 pounds and they were pretty much spot on!
The Dreaded Stall
As shown in a previous picture, there is a fat cap that runs through the middle of the flat. It is perfect for flavor but not so perfect for cooking. Once that fat really begins to render, the stall happens. This is when you sit and watch your beautiful meat continue to rise towards the goal internal temperature (203F!!), then out of no where (usually between 150-170F) it stops dead in it’s tracks. You have a few choices when this happens:
1) If you have the patience, time is the best idea. It will eventually start going back up.
2) Turn smoker from 250F to 300F.
3) Wrap in either foil or butchers paper, place back on smoker. Pull at 203F.
Once your meat reaches 203F, pull, and if not wrapped, wrap in foil and rest for 1 hour minimum. I REPEAT, ONE HOUR MINIMUM!
Check Out This Beer Pizza Dough with BBQ Brisket On Top!
To sum it up, the Packers are playing the Texans and Brisket is from Texas. I enjoy cooking things from my team’s opponents hometown/state. Brisket takes a long to time to cook. It tastes good. Nailed that post!
**BEER PAIRING**
Night Rye’d
Company Brewing
Click Picture For Full Review!
Brisket
Ingredients
- 6 lb. Brisket (flat)
- 1/8 c. Black Pepper
- 1/8 c. Salt
- 1 tbsp. Garlic Powder
- 1 tbsp. Onion Powder
- 1 tbsp. Sugar
Instructions
- Mix Black Pepper, Salt, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, and Sugar. Set aside.
- While Brisket is cold, trim fat to 1/8″-1/4″. Once trimmed, sprinkle entire mixture onto Brisket. Cover entire piece of meat, side and all.
- Rest in fridge over night.
- Pull from fridge 1-2 hours before cooking.
- Preheat smoker/oven to 250F. (If using oven place wire rack on baking sheet). While preheating, place temp probe in large end, making sure it is not in a fat cap.
- Place Brisket on smoker/wire rack.
- Cook until the temp stalls (usually around 160F). Pull and wrap with foil or Pink Butchers Paper.
- Place back onto smoker and cook until internal temperature is 203F.
- Pull once proper temperature. Wrap in foil. Rest for 1 hour.
- Slice, dice, add BBQ sauce. Try not to eat 6 lbs. of meat by yourself.
Notes
The Stall
1) If you have the patience, time is the best idea. The temperature will eventually start going back up.
2) Turn smoker/oven from 250F to 300F.
3) Wrap in either, foil or butchers paper, place back on smoker. Pull at 203F.
If cooking in oven, add some smoke flavoring by adding Smoked Paprika to the seasoning mixture.
Spritz with even mixture of Worcestershire and Water every hour while smoking.
SMOKE TO TEMPERATURE NOT TIME! I wrote 6 hours because that is how long mine took. They could take much longer!
