Get Your Grill On

Being a barbecue kind of guy, I’ve looked every year for an appropriate main dish for holiday parties.  What I’ve come up with is simply brisket!  This has quickly become a holiday tradition at my house.

Brisket is a standard barbecue item at my house, though not all areas of the country would include it as standard.  What I like about using brisket for parties is pretty simple:

• It’s versatile.  I can serve it with horseradish sauce, redeye gravy or wine reduction sauce, and it works well with a variety of sides.  It can also go from basic barbecue to fancier meals with red wine pairings.
• It feeds a lot of people.  I can plan on feeding 10 or more people per each brisket.
• It’s just plain good!

For what I use for a rub and how I prepare my brisket, keep reading…The first thing I do to brisket is I inject it heavily to add moisture and some flavor.  I use equal parts freshly brewed dark coffee and pineapple juice, with a dash of hot sauce and some onion and garlic powder (maybe 1 Tablespoon total).  I make sure to dissolve the powders in the injection.

When I inject the brisket, I try to use only a few injection points, but I move the needle around to get as much liquid in the brisket as I can.  It’s going to leak, and I try to be ready for liquid squirting out, but it always gets someone (usually me).  Once it’s injected, I liberally apply rub, then let the brisket sit, wrapped in cellophane and foil, in a cooler or the refrigerator.  I also turn the brisket every hour or so to ensure even distribution throughout the meat.

The rub I like to use is my own, and it consists of the following, good for a couple of briskets:

• 1/4 cup turbinado sugar
• 1/8-cup ancho chile powder
• 1/8-cup paprika
• 2 Tbsp cocoa powder (not sweetened)
• 2 Tbsp chili powder
• 2 Tbsp black pepper
• 1 Tbsp onion powder
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder

Putting the ingredients in a large bowl, I mix them together with my hands.

I like the brisket to sit overnight before putting it on the smoker, allowing the injection and rub to do their thing for a while.  The longer I let it sit, the less pineapple juice I’ll use; over 12 hours, I’ll use 1 part pineapple to 2 parts coffee.

Once it’s time to cook, I get the smoker up to just over 225 degrees F, then put the brisket on.  Since I typically do several pieces of meat at a time, I like to start at a bit higher temperature; the meat will bring the temp down, and opening the door always does that a bit, too.  This allows the smoker to maintain 225 F a bit easier.  I also take the brisket right from the fridge to the smoker as this allows for a better smoke ring.  After all, holiday dinners are for having impressive meals, and a good smoke ring is impressive!

I plan on 1 1/2 hours per pound for a brisket to cook.  If I get in a hurry, I will sometimes cheat and finish in the oven at 250, with the brisket wrapped in foil.  Once the brisket gets to about 195 F, I wrap in foil from the smoker, or just remove it from the oven, and I let the brisket rest for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Remembering that presentation is important, I like to either fan out the slices or arrange in an appealing way, either on a platter or a cutting board.  A bed of greens can be used, also.

This is a holiday tradition that will stick around for years and years, I’m sure.  If you’re trying to do something new, try smoked brisket and see if your family doesn’t agree that it’s worth the time!