Labor Day is upon us already – it seems like the summer has just flown by. Smoking some meat on the grill is a great way to grab onto the last of the long, hot days before fall descends with its cooler, shorter days. And what’s better than a brisket at the end of the summer?
Brisket done right is a culinary delight, and one that we wanted to master. So The Grill-Meister and I worked on our brisket recipe in advance of the long weekend, and we’re happy with it. In fact, the finished product was so good that I forgot to stage a beautiful picture in my rush to eat it!
The Grill-Meister has a rusty old charcoal smoker pit. But it did the trick.
Glover Gardens Brisket
Ingredients
5-6 pound trimmed brisket
Spice Rub
- 1/4 cup paprika
- 1/4 cup ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup course salt
- 2 tbsp ground chiles (ancho, guajillo or chipotle; cayenne only if you don’t have any of the others)
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp onion powder
- 2 tsp ground mustard
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
Brisket Mop
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup minced onion
- 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- 1 tbsp of the spice rub
- 1/2 tsp ground mustard
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire
- 1 tbsp pickled jalapeño juice (hot)
- 1/2 cup cider or red wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 cans or bottles of beer (18 oz total; drink the rest)
Cooking Instructions
Get started the night before you plan to barbecue. Make the spice rub by combining all ingredients in a small bowl. Put the brisket on a large sheet of foil and then liberally cover it with the spice rub. Rub it in. Treat it like you love it. There will be some spice rub left. Wrap the brisket very tightly in foil and refrigerate it overnight.
Plan to start the barbequing process at about midday, allowing about 1 – 1 1/4 hours per pound of meat. If the brisket goes on at noon, you’ll be eating at about 7:00-ish.
Get the brisket out an hour before you need to put it on the grill so it can come to room temperature. Get the grill ready with the charcoal on one side of the large portion of the pit and wood chips in the wood smoke box. It should be at about 200 – 225 degrees.
Make the Brisket Mop: first, sauté the onion and garlic in the vegetable oil for 3-4 minutes on medium heat. Add the tbsp of the spice rub and the ground mustard and stir, then cover and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the Worcestershire, jalapeño juice, vinegar and beer and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for several minutes.
Put the brisket on the cool part of the grill, fat side up, and baste liberally with the mop. Baste every hour or so. Cook for the desired amount of time, until the brisket is at about 180 degrees (you just don’t cook brisket rare). Keep adding the wood chips to the smoker box for a nicely smoked flavor.
After you remove the brisket from the barbecue, let it sit for 20 minutes or more, then slice and get after it.
Join Us as We Cook
Serving Suggestions
We served our brisket as sandwiches on onion rolls the first night, then we had brisket nachos the second night and finally, we had brisket tostadas.
It was all good. I mean, it was really, really good. Labor Day good, that is!
And if you’re lucky enough to have even more brisket left, the possibilities are almost endless:
- Brisket tacos with avocado, pickled onions, cilantro and a squeeze of lime
- Brisket quesadillas with plenty of melty cheese and sliced jalapeños
- Brisket breakfast hash with potatoes, peppers, onions and a fried egg on top
- Brisket grilled cheese with cheddar, pepper jack or smoked Gouda
- Brisket mac and cheese, stirred in or piled on top
- Brisket-stuffed baked potatoes with cheese, sour cream and green onions
- Brisket chili, with black, pinto and kidney beans
- Brisket pizza or flatbread with barbecue sauce, red onion and cheese
- Brisket eggs Benedict for a rather glorious weekend breakfast
- Brisket shepherd’s pie with vegetables, gravy and mashed potatoes
© 2015, Glover Gardens
