BARBECUE SAUCE FOR BRISKET RECIPES

Steps:

• Crush salt flakes in a bowl with your fingertips to a finer texture and stir in pepper. Place brisket on a large baking tray and sprinkle heavily and evenly with salt and pepper mixture all over the brisket, patting lightly so it adheres. Rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, prepare the barbecue (see note below). When the temperature stabilises at 120C, place brisket fat-side up on the side of the barbecue grate opposite the briquettes and above the water pan. Make sure the fatter end of the brisket is facing towards the lit briquettes. Fold a 30cm-square piece of foil in half and place it under the part of the brisket facing the lit briquettes so it acts as a shield from the fire. Place the lid on the barbecue with the vents directly above the brisket so the smoke carries over the brisket as it exits the barbecue. Maintain the temperature of the barbecue between 110C and 120C, adjusting the vent as needed. If the brisket seems to be colouring too quickly on the side facing the fire, rotate it 180 degrees. Check the aluminium tray every so often and top up with boiling water as needed.
• When the briquette chain reaches the final portion of lit briquettes, work quickly to remove the top grate with the brisket and build another briquette chain. (There is no need to add more wood – enough smoke flavour will have already permeated the brisket.) Be sure to return the water pan to the side of the barbecue opposite the unlit briquettes. Replace top grate and brisket on the barbecue, placing brisket above water pan, and cover. Continue to cook brisket, checking internal temperature at the centre, until it reaches 65C-75C and brisket forms a dark crust or “bark” (6-8 hours).
• Remove from barbecue and wrap as tightly as possible in a large piece of unwaxed butcher’s paper about 60cm x 75cm. Return brisket to barbecue and cook until internal temperature is 90C-95C (3½-4 hours; when testing for doneness, pay attention to how easily the thermometer probe goes in and out of the brisket. When brisket is ready, it should just barely yield to the probe). Trim burnt ends to serve now or for Southern barbecue beans, thinly slice brisket across the grain and serve.

Steps:

• 1. Using a very sharp knife, trim the fat on the fatty side of the brisket so that it is about 5 mm thick, but no less. On the meatier side, remove the web-like membrane so that the coarsely grained meat underneath is visible. Make sure to remove any hard clumps of fat on either side of the brisket.
• 2. Mix the salt and pepper, and then rub the brisket evenly on both sides with the seasoning. Put the brisket in the fridge until you’re ready to cook.
• 3. Prepare the barbecue for indirect cooking at very low heat (110° C). (Refer to our smoking guide for advise on how to set up)
• 4. Spray the brisket on both sides with water to make the surface wet. Add half of the wood chunks to the barbecue. When smoke appears, place the brisket, fat side down, on the top cooking grate, close the lid, and cook over indirect, very low heat until it has a nice dark crust on the surface, i.e. for about 4 hours. After the first hour, add the remaining wood chunks to the barbecue. The surface colour of the meat indicates that you have created a good ‘bark’, and that the brisket will no longer absorb much smoke, so it is time to wrap it up. While colour is the primary indication, you should also check the internal temperature of the meat at this point. It should be somewhere between 65 and 70° C in the thickest part of the meat.
• 5. Remove the brisket from the barbecue, and spray it on both sides with water. Then wrap the brisket in damp baking paper before tightly wrapping it in heavy-duty aluminium foil.
• 6. Place the wrapped brisket, fat side down, on the top grate of the barbecue and continue cooking over indirect very low heat, with the lid closed, until the meat is so tender that when you press it with your fingers through the foil, it feels like a giant marshmallow and the internal temperature is 90–95° C, i.e. for 2 to 4 hours or more (tenderness is a more important indicator of doneness than temperature). The amount of time required will depend on the particular breed of cattle and other characteristics of the meat.
• 7. Transfer the brisket, still wrapped in foil, to a dry, insulated coolbox. Close the lid and let the meat rest for 2 to 4 hours.
• 8. Unwrap the brisket and place it on a cutting board, being careful to keep the precious meat juices in the foil.
• 9. Warm the barbecue sauce over a medium heat on the stove for about 5 minutes. Cut the brisket across the grain into thin slices, and serve with as much or as little sauce as you like. If desired, add the meat juices to the sauce. If the meat from the flat is a little dry, coarsely chop it and mix with as much sauce as you like.
• 10. Serve warm on buns, or with a side of coleslaw or barbecued beans, for a typical Texan treat!