Brisket recipie (apply to any tough meat)

[Bpaul]

Friend of mine just sent this to me from another type of board entirely... these guys make their own stereo equipment!  Anyway, there was no name signed on it, so consider it anon.  Thanks Anon, GREAT recipie.  If someone was going to use another cut of meat to do this same thing, but it was lean I suggest putting a layer or two of bacon on top of the meat and keeping the rest as per recipie... same effect.  

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Brisket is a cut from near the shoulder of the cow. As such, it's a pretty onerous cut: tough, sinewy, fatty, and, if you prepare it right, soft as butter and melts in your mouth. Time is your friend ­ my recipe takes 13 hours.

Go to a good butcher and ask for a 5-6 lb bottom brisket. The bottom brisket has lots of fat, and that's what you want. Don't let them talk you into a whole brisket (10-15 lbs) unless that's what you want. You may have to special order it.

I rub my brisket (go ahead, make your jokes) with a special spice mix, but others don't. Some "mop", which means brushing on sauce before and during the smoking process. Rubbing means getting your hands dirty...really rub the spices into the meat and fat.

Next, to the smoker. You need a smoker or a Weber Kettle or a gas grill that lets you throw on wood chips. Brisket needs HEAVY smoke. Hickory is the preferred wood; I used Mesquite last week. Smoke the brisket, FAT SIDE UP, for four hours at LOW temperature (200 to 225). Again, heavy smoke (I chip, or add wood) every 15 minutes. Note that the wood is wet when you chip, so it smolders rather than burns. If you're using a Weber or a gas grill, the heat is indirect, or off to the side. This is the difference between barbequeing and grilling.

After four hours, remove the brisket and wrap it up tight in heavy duty foil. Ratchet-fold the foil closed so it's agood tight seal. Bake it in your oven (on a pan to catch leakage) for 9 hours at 200 degrees.

You can keep the brisket overnight or even a few days in the fridge between the smoking and baking phase. For example, I smoked what you had Friday night, wrapped it, put it in the garage, then put it in the oven at 4am to serve at 1pm.