Recipe: Braggin' Rights Brisket

I got the recipe from Lynda on AOL.

Braggin' Rights Brisket
(Lynda/LyndaMc994)

The medieval alchemists, who sought to turn base metals into gold, should have tried barbecuing a brisket on a wood-burning pit. The transformation of the meat is on the same magnitude of magic and much more successful.

Wild Willy's Number One-derful Rub:
3/4 cup paprika
1/4 cup ground black pepper
1/4 cup coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 TBS chili powder
2 TBS garlic powder
2 TBS onion powder
2 tsp ground cayenne

8-pound to 12-pound packer-trimmed beef brisket

Basic Beer Mop:
12 ounces beer
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1 TBS Wild Willy's number One-derful Rub

Tomato-based barbecue sauce (optional)

Serves 12 to 18

The night before you plan to barbecue, combine the rub ingredients in a small bowl. Apply the rub evenly to the brisket, massaging it into every little pore, reserving at least 1 TBS of the rub. Place the brisket in a plastic bag and refrigerate it overnight.

Before you begin to barbecue, remove the brisket from the refrigerator. Let the brisket sit at room temperature for 45 minutes.

Prepare the smoker for barbecuing, bringing the temperature to 200 F to 220 F.

In a saucepan, mix together the mop ingredients with 1/2 cup water and warm over low heat.

Transfer the brisket to the coolest part of the smoker, fat side up, so the juices will help baste the meat. Cook the brisket until well-done and tender, 1 to 1-1/4 hours per pound. Every hour or so, baste the blackening hunk with the mop.

When the meat is cooked, remove it from the smoker and let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Then cut the fatty top section away from the leaner bottom portion. An easily identifiable layer of fat separates the two areas. Trim the excess fat from both pieces and slice them thinly against the grain. Watch what you're doing because the grain changes direction. If you wish, serve tomato-based barbecue sauce on the side.

Pam