Recipe: Smoked Brisket Recipe (with great spice rub recipe too!)
Look what I am cooking this weekend! Yum….
I literally made this within the last week. I adopted this recipe from something I had at a restaurant in the south, and there are many similar variations floating around. This one I can tell you is the best smoked brisket I’ve ever made. Well, it is if you like a smoky brisket that isn’t too salty, but has a great outer bark with lots of flavor and is oh so juicy.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 (5-pound) beef brisket, trimmed – but keeps layer of fat
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cayenne
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- Mesquite wood chips Barbecue Sauce, recipe follows
Regarding the brisket, I highly recommend getting a trimmed brisket that still has a thin layer of fat on its top. Sorry folks – but fat IS flavor. At the very least, cook with it, and your guests can cut it away (like my wife does) when eating it. But in truth, I cringe when folks do that. Oh the flavor! The bark! Yum!
Step 1 – Get a large flat surface to work on, and place large sheets of plastic wrap down. You’re going to be placing spices on it, laying brisket on top, covering it again with more spices, and wrapping the whole think up in the plastic wrap. So have a quantity of plastic wrap big enough that you’ll end up wrapping your brisket.
Step 2 – In a medium bowl combine the dark brown sugar, chili power, paprika, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, cayenne, dry mustard, and cumin thoroughly.
Step 3 – sprinkle a quantity of the mixture on the plastic wrap. You’ll be placing the brisket on top of this – and we want spices touching all of the brisket.
Step 4 – Rub the remaining mixture onto the brisket and wrap tightly in the plastic wrap. Place on a baking sheet and let marinate refrigerated at least 6 hours or overnight. I actually let the brisket sit for a full 36 hours. Remove the meat from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature.
Step 5 – Soak mesquite wood chips in a large bowl of water for 1 to 2 hours. Remove, drain and set aside.
Step 6 – Prepare a smoker with charcoal and the wood chips according to the manufacturer’s instructions to 180 to 200 degrees F. Place the water pan in the smoker and add water to the fill line, about 2/3 full. Place the unwrapped brisket on the lower rack off the direct heat, close the lid, and cook, regularly stoking the fire and adding additional chips, until an instant-read thermometer registers an internal temperature of 185 to 195 degrees F., or until the meat is tender, about 4 to 5 hours. (Mine took nearly 7 hours, but I got a bigger cut) Remove the meat from the grill and let rest for 20 minutes before carving the meat against the grain.
Step 2 – In a medium bowl combine the dark brown sugar, chili power, paprika, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, cayenne, dry mustard, and cumin thoroughly.
Step 3 – sprinkle a quantity of the mixture on the plastic wrap. You’ll be placing the brisket on top of this – and we want spices touching all of the brisket.
Step 4 – Rub the remaining mixture onto the brisket and wrap tightly in the plastic wrap. Place on a baking sheet and let marinate refrigerated at least 6 hours or overnight. I actually let the brisket sit for a full 36 hours. Remove the meat from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature.
Step 5 – Soak mesquite wood chips in a large bowl of water for 1 to 2 hours. Remove, drain and set aside.
Step 6 – Prepare a smoker with charcoal and the wood chips according to the manufacturer’s instructions to 180 to 200 degrees F. Place the water pan in the smoker and add water to the fill line, about 2/3 full. Place the unwrapped brisket on the lower rack off the direct heat, close the lid, and cook, regularly stoking the fire and adding additional chips, until an instant-read thermometer registers an internal temperature of 185 to 195 degrees F., or until the meat is tender, about 4 to 5 hours. (Mine took nearly 7 hours, but I got a bigger cut) Remove the meat from the grill and let rest for 20 minutes before carving the meat against the grain.
Serve with Barbecue Sauce on the side for dipping.
You can make this sauce while your brisket is smoking.
You can make this sauce while your brisket is smoking.
Barbecue Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup chopped yellow onions
- 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
- 4 cups ketchup
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup yellow mustard
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons hot red pepper sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
Step 1 – In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire, hot sauce, Essence, and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened and the flavors marry, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly before serving.
