PITMASTER PEARSE

The most complex but equally rewarding cook in the low 'n' slow recipe book. This complexity of this cook is only for the brave; every factor has to be nailed to produce brisket worthy of Texan tradition. This all boils down to the quality of the meat, levels of intramuscular fat, the trim, seasoning and fire management. Fully render the fat down for a juicy, buttery-like richness that simply melts in your mouth, contrasted with a crunchy yet beautifully peppery bark.

Brisket: I simply urge you to buy the best marbling you can afford. It is a complete waste of your time slaving away for 10 hours plus, smoking poor quality brisket. If you're going down the USDA route, do not go lower than Choice and avoid Select like the plague. USDA Prime is king, however if this is out of pocket I've had great success with grain fed over grass fed due to higher levels of marbling that grain produces. The only exception rumoured to be Black Rock Mountain XM Gold Brisket found here.The brisket pictured above is grain fed, imported from Australia courtesy of the fine men at Village Butchers and I must say, came out pretty damn well! Even 400 IG'ers agree so I must have done something right!.

Wood: Oak or Hickory. These strong woods penetrate the brisket and give it that deep smokey flavour.

Preparation: I shall refer you to Chud's Brisket Trimming video for this but to summarise; remove the decal fat, leave 1/4 inch on the fat cap and ensure a smooth, well rounded aerodynamic trim. This will avoid pooling of juices which will destroy the bark and allow for a deep smoke penetration to best allow for that wonderful smoke ring. NB you can't EAT a smoke ring, it is merely a chemical reaction and does not, and I repeat, DOES NOT mean your brisket won't be tender or smokey.  

Rubs:  The simplest part -  Pepper & Salt at a 1:1 ratio. DON'T FORGET THE SIDES!

Instructions: Rule #1 of Brisket Club. Patience is required. This is a MEGA long cook. Rule #2 use a water pan in the chamber to help keep moisture. Rule #3, Patience my friend. If you're lookin' you ain't cooking! Avoid the urge to continuosly open the chamber and salivate over what is to come. You're just delaying the process (unless you're intermittently spritzing - more on this later).

Every brisket is different and there is no set time that a brisket is ready. for a 5kg/11lb pound brisket I'd recommend factoring in AT LEAST 10h cooking time. The stall can be one long m*therfucker and patience is required. First thing's first; for the first few hours don't even bother checking in on the brisket. Just manage your fire. You are an unwelcomed guest to the chamber in this time period so resist any temptations. AFter this, feel free to spritz some apple cider vinegar and top up the water pan if needed. Do this every 30-45 mins until you hit the 160F/70C and you hit the dreaded Stall. But before, we wrap.

The Wrap: now there are three methods. #1 Leave unwrapped until you hit the 195F/90C as per Goldee's BBQ, currently voted the undisputed king of Texas BBQ. Wrap once pushed through the stall in unwaxed butcher paprt with some beef tallow. #2 The Foil Boat method courtesy of Chuds and LeRoy   Lewis otherwise known as the Texas Crunch. #3 last but not least, Franklin's wrap. Just as you hit the stall, wrap in butcher paper (tallow is optional) and continue through the stall. Personally I've only used #3 and only had great results. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. But do go for what works best for YOU! All 3 methids will result in a fantastic brisket regardless. Jeremy Yoder (aka Mad Scientist) has a super handy comparison video should you be left undecided here

The Stall: This usually occurs around the 160F/70C mark where 'evaporative cooling' occurs. In laymans term, this scientific theory suggests the meat appears to 'sweat' (much like the human body),cooling it down and thus requiring several hours at prolonged heat to overcome. For beginners, this is iincredibly dauting and super frustrating. Don't doubt your ability. Don't question yourself. Instead, simply push the temp up a little more, kick back and grab yourself a beer of whiskey (I highly recommend Whistepig Farmstock . Eventually the meat WILL start to gradually increase in temperature. Just like melting humans. Another rookie error, do not go solely off temp - it's all about the feel. Use a towel, unless you have asbestos hands and can tolerate heat like a god, and the underside should feel jiggly. If not, continue cooking a little longer and check every 15 minutes. You don't want to overcook your brisket and end up with a sloppy mess.

Resting: like fine wines, briskets get better with age. Well a few hours but you get my drift. Wrap in an old towel and place in a cool box (Yeti, Coleman and Igloo are your go to brands). This can stay in there for hours on end ensuring the brisket is ready to go for when you need it.

Slicing: Where the point meets the flat, cut right through it and watch the juices squirt out. It's beautiful. For the point, cut with the grain. Never against. This will ensure maximum tenderness for every bite. Cut into pencil width pieces. For the point, spin 90 degrees so you're cutting through the point (not across like the flat). Slightly thicker pieces here. Or cube up and turn into burnt ends. Both are stunning.

There you are my friend. Maybe your first brisket, maybe your hundreth, but hopefully you've learnt something new here. Whilst there is currently no video (there may well be one day) I shall leave a few links which I have found incredibly useful for visual stimulus: Chuds / Franklin's / Meat Church / Wilson's BBQ