There are many different methods to smoking brisket, some include injections, others brines, and still more that are just rubs and mopping. The most success I have had has been with brined briskets. For this adventure, I chose a beer brine that I like to use. The lighter the beer the more subtle the beer flavor, and the darker the beer the more prominent. Any quality craft beer will do, and you can experience a bunch of them at the NEW Craft Beer Festival presented by Festival Foods . I went with a straight down the middle with an Amber from the Capital Brewery.
Here is the recipe for the brine:
- 2 cups of the beer of your choice
- 1/4 cup of honey mustard
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- a medium onion
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup green onions
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 Tablespoon pickling spice
- 1 Tablespoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds.
Mix the beer, mustard, oil, salt and pepper and together until the salt crystals have dissolved. Then add in the remaining ingredients.
Score the fat cap on the brisket and place it in a large ziploc bag with the brisket for 4-6 hours.
After brining, I covered the brisket with a basic BBQ rub and put it in the smoker at 225° for about 12 hours. I used mesquite wood for the first six hours and then cooked the meat until it reached my optimum temp for brisket – 205°.
As always, let the meat sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before slicing. I used mine in brisket tacos with some Rufus Teague’s BBQ sauce.
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