Smoked Beef Brisket | Matt Dunigan

Difficulty:
1/5

Yield: 10-14 Sandwiches

Ingredients

  • 1 full 6 lbs. brisket with fat cap (2.72kg)
  • 12 cups Pecan wood chips (3 litres)
  • Water for soaking
  • 12 – 15 crusty rolls with assorted mustards

Rub:

  • ½ cup Ancho chili powder (or your favourite chili powder) (125ml)
  • 2 tablespoons sweet paprika (30ml)
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin (15ml)
  • 1 tablespoon dry mustard (15ml)
  • 1 tablespoon coarse salt (15ml)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper (10ml)

Mop and sauce:

  1. 1½ cups beef stock (375ml)
  2. ¾ cup ketchup (180ml)
  3. Juice of 1 fresh lemon
  4. ½ tablespoon chili powder (7.5ml)
  5. ½ tablespoon garlic powder (7.5ml)
  6. ½ tablespoon onion powder (7.5ml)
  7. 1 teaspoon celery salt (5ml)

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, mix together spices for the rub until evenly combined.
  2. Rub spice mixture all over the brisket using slight pressure in order to tear little pockets of flavour in the meat.
  3. Place rubbed brisket in a sealable baggie or on a tray and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
  4. The following day, allow 8 cups (2 litres) of woodchips to soak in cool water for 1 hour. Set aside remaining dry woodchips for later.
  5. Prepare the mop by combining all (mop) ingredients in a saucepan set over medium low heat and cook for 20 minutes.
  6. Remove mop from heat and cool.
  7. Strain the wood chips. Place 2 cups (500ml) of wet wood chips on a large sheet of aluminum foil mix in 1 cup (250ml) of dry chips. Mix wet and dry woodchips until evenly distributed.
  8. Close the foil up loosely and make a sealed pouch. Pierce the pouch with a fork in several spots top and bottom to allow smoke to escape. Repeat steps to make another 3 pouches (4 pouches in total).
  9. Prepare barbeque for indirect cooking and smoking 220°F (104°C). Leave 2 burners off and one burner on. Place a drip pan on the side with heat turned off.
  10. Place the smoke pouch directly over the heat source.
  11. Oil grill to prevent sticking.
  12. Place the brisket over the drip pan and smoke for 6 hours, replacing the smoke pouch when smoke dissipates.
  13. After 3 hours of cooking, start mopping the brisket frequently–every ½ hour and whenever the smoke pouch needs to be changed. The brisket will be done in approximately 5-6 hours or when the meat is tender.
  14. Remove from brisket from the grill, cover with foil and let meat rest for 30 minutes before carving and serving.
  15. The meat should be almost falling apart; however, carve against the grain.
  16. Serve brisket on crusty bread with mustard.