I love the smell of smoke - when it's coming from my grill. Last week, after realizing that 3 people in 2 different houses had a brisket craving on the same night, we figured it was fate. We MUST smoke beef brisket this weekend.... and smoke we did. I found a nice 10 lb piece of meat and a mouth watering recipe to match, along with side dishes good enough for being the main attractions themselves. This was going to be good! I think I was more excited about this gathering then I have been for many of them. Why? I don't know. Maybe because it was a beautiful, hot, sunny summer day or maybe it was because we had an awesome group of friends that were going to share in our feast. Either way, the day turned out perfect. Just like the food. This recipe comes from Steve Raichlen's BBQ USA. So far, he hasn't disappointed us. Let's get started, shall we? Marinate the brisket in: 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup Dijon mustard, 2 minced garlic cloves and 2 tablespoons of apple cider (or just enough to make the mixture a thick paste). Rub half of the mixture over the meat, wait 15 minutes and do it again with what's left. Next, make the rub with 1/4 cup paprika, 3 tbsp each of garlic powder & celery salt, 2 tbsp each of coarse salt, dark brown sugar, ground cumin & chili powder, 1 tablespoon each dried oregano, ground black pepper, ground white pepper and 2 tsp of cayenne powder. Mix with your fingers and sprinkle half over each side and pat down so it all really sticks. Let this marinate for about 2 hours. When it's time to cook, prepare your grill for indirect cooking (hot side, cold side) and be sure to soak some wood chips for at least one hour. Place your hot coals on one side and 2 handfuls of chips right on top of them to create delicious smoke. I used 1/2 hickory and 1/2 apple wood. Place the brisket on the cold side of the grill, fat side up, close the vents to keep it a cool fire and cook for about 2.5-3 hours until the temp of the meat reaches 165. The grill temp will probably be around 250. Keep your eye on it and replenish the coals and wood chips about every hour.
Make a mop sauce of 1 quart apple cider, 1 cup cider vinegar 1 tbsp coarse salt & 1 1/2 cups of your favorite BBQ sauce. I made the sauce I used and can you know the recipe if requested. Whisk together and mop the beef every 30 minutes or so. Since you're cooking this by heat and smoke instead of a searing fire, you don't have to worry about flipping it. Once the beef reaches 165, remove it from the grill and wrap it tightly in foil. I then put mine in an aluminum pan to finish cooking so I can use the juices later.
Cover the grill and let this smoke for about 4 more hours. I let my temp get up to about 200-210 before taking it off and letting it rest. Meanwhile, on the gas side of the grill, we made BBQ baked beans with black beans, red kidney beans and pork & beans. Mix with your BBQ sauce, brown sugar, a lb of crispy bacon, 1 chopped onion, 2 chopped poblano peppers, a chopped red bell pepper, 4-5 cloves of garlic, 3 or more jalapenos, Dijon mustard and liquid smoke. Drizzle with some bacon drippings for an added touch. Let these cook about an hour or so but be sure to let them rest a while before serving too.
You really have to try this salad!!! It's a Tex-Mex version of 7 layer salad that will make you throw out your mom's version! The dressing is so good, you can use it as a dip!!! Here's the Creamy Lime Dressing: 2 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tsp lime zest, 1/4 cup lime juice, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 clove garlic-smashed, 1 tbsp honey, 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Blend all ingredients in a blender except olive oil, until smooth. While blending, slowly drizzle in the oil until incorporated. SO GOOD!!!! Mix together drained and rinsed black beans with a packet of sazon seasoning, salt & pepper. Toss some salsa with 2 tomatoes (seeded and chopped). Cut a pan of cornbread into croutons. Toss your lettuce with 3/4 cups of the dressing. In a trifle dish or large clear bowl, start layering: black beans, Monterey jack cheese, the tomato salsa mixture, 1/2 cups shredded cheddar, the dressed romaine lettuce and top with the croutons. Serve the rest of the dressing on the side. I sure wish I had a picture of this so you'll just have to take my word on the taste. Out of this world yummy!!
Like that isn't enough food, we thought some stuffed tomatoes would be nice... and we were right! I would usually use extra virgin olive oil for this recipe, but since there was still some bacon grease in my iron skillet, I sauteed chopped onions, celery and poblano peppers in the drippings, added a jar of tomatillo salsa, a pan of crumbled corn bread, fresh cilantro & basil, salt & pepper. Stir a few minutes and spoon the mixture into hollowed out tomatoes. Stuff 'em nice and full!! Top with pepper jack cheese, replace the tomato lids and grill over medium low heat for about 30-40 minutes.
Oh hey... the brisket is ready!!! When you unwrap your beautiful package, it should look like this:
And when you cut into it:
I couldn't get enough! Even on Sunday, the smell of smoke lingered around and I just wanted to keep eating it. This was my 2nd try at brisket and I hope in the future when we do this again, that it comes out this tasty. It's a tough piece of meat to cook correctly and I think we did a pretty good job this time around. So when it was all shredded and put into another pan, all I had to do was pour the drippings over the top and serve. There was BBQ sauce served on the side but I'm not sure anyone used it.
The music was playing, the conversation was flowing, the beer and the whiskey was pouring... I must say, it was an awesome night on the deck for dinner!
Come back and join us next time. Not sure when or what we'll be fixin' but I'm sure there will be an open place at the table for you!
Ciao,
L&M
