As long as you are going to the trouble of smoking something for 10 hours, sneak a pork shoulder, or two, in next to the brisket. That way, when the brisket disappoints your guests, you have a nice piece of pork to get their mind off of your brisket.

Seriously, If I might make a suggestion, or two... Get a weber grille or the equivalent and burn your hardwood down to coals, then add the coals to the smoker as needed to keep the temperature where you want it. Burning the hardwood directly in the smoker creates more smoke than you want, which is why the meat will "look like a blackened meteorite" when it's done. You might want to use a mix of hickory and another, milder wood.

Make a basting liquid for the pork (you might as well fill the smoker up with meat; it's a lot of work to keep it going.) Use:

1 stick butter
5-6 cloves garlic
2 TB brown sugar
1 pint vinegar

Simmer it on a stove for 10 or 15 minutes. Rub lots of freshly cracked black pepper into the meat and baste the pork occasionally with the basting liquid. At some point a little salt would be nice. I'll leave that up to you.

I'd stay closer to 225 than 250 degrees.


JR

I agree about filling the smoker up! FWIW, I use charcoal (I know, I'm a heretic :)) with chunks of hickory on top for the smoke flavor. Something I learned from the thesmokering.com links: I load my WSM (Weber Smokey Mountain) up with one chimney full of red hot briquets, and then cover them with another chimney full of unlit briquets, place the wood chunks on top and never have to touch the coals again for a 15+ hour smoke. I usually have to add more water to the bowl (once), and use a digi thermometer hanging outside to "easily" maintain a constant 225. It's really "low maintenance" this way...

Rub:
2 parts black pepper
2 parts lemon pepper
1 part lemon pepper seasoning
1 part garlic salt

Divide the flat from the point and don't remove too much of the fat layer.

Smoke for about 5 hours at 220-225 degrees with the fat layer up. Then wrap in heavy duty foil, put back in smoker (or oven) at same temp, and cook for another hour.

Remove from heat and place in a cooler lined with lots of newspaper for at least one hour and up to several hours.

Slice across the grain. Serve with a sauce if you have to, but I prefer "dry". This will be fork tender, moist, and delicious.

I don't use hardwood as the main fuel source. I use regular Kingsford charcoal with about 5-10 hardwood chunks (depending on how much smoke I want) mixed in there. On the Weber Smokey Mountain you can fill the charcoal ring at the bottom about 2/3 full with unburnt charcoal and put some wood chunks down in the bottom as well first. Then get one chimney starter full of charcoal going, put that on top of the unburnt charcoal and put a few more wood chunks on top of that. Now you are ready to smoke. The nice thing is that the charcoal on top will slowly light the charcoal underneath and the whole thing will keep burning for up to 14 hours. This avoids having to add freshly lit charcoal which loses your temp, causes temp spikes and stirs up ashes inside the smoker. Another tip is to soak your hardwood overnight in plain water. This will keep it smouldering instead of directly burning.

As for the "meteorite" look, it isn't from too much smoke. The color comes from the caramelization of the sugars in the rub on the meat, combined with the smoke coloring those sugars. Here is a picture of a properly smoked brisket:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1215697615.jpg

That's actually a valid point. I grew up near Nashville and Memphis might as well been in an entirely different country.

My obfuscated point was that for the most part Tennessee BBQ is by default 'pulled pork' with the sauce leaning towards the Carolina/Vinegar type. Memphis being the exception.

I use a smoker with a separate compartment for the wood, which gets rid of the problem of needing to open the smoking compartment to add more fuel. The black crust I was talking about can be from too much smoke. If your meat ends up looking like the inside of a chimney, you'll know what I meant. They say it's not good for you....

JR

Memphis is nearly as bad as Kansas City.

JR

I've just got to quit reading these threads before lunch! That's looks good Rick, I'll have to try your technique with the charcoal...REAL soon :)

Rick,

Is your brisket in the pic dry or fairly juicy? The one I had in Tejas was dry but good with sauce. The one I cooked...about the same. The one at the restaurant was really tender and juicy. I suspect their secret is well guarded. I'd like to try it with tri-tip as well.

I can answer for Rick...I know it's juicy :). WSM's are great!!!

I was in Knoxsville last year and asked the locals where the good BBQ was. They all told me of two places, I tried them both. One was a chain restaruant and one was a mom and pop dive.
Pretty good but not any better than the local places here like Lucy's. I was actually disapointed. I somehow had this fantasy that the BBQ in tennessee would be so much better but it was almost the same thing as what we have here.

BTW the platter I ordered had pork, chicken, sausage and brisket.

That reminds me of a place...actually two..same owner...in SF. Leon's BBQ out on Sloat near SF Zoo (?). The other location for Leon's is/was on Fillmore St just down a bit from Pacific Heights. Leon is a nice guy but I wouldn't wanna piss him off ;-)...one big dude...

Anyone in SF ever been there...is Leon's still around ?

I don't know why it took 3 BBQ threads for me to remember Sam's BBQ. It is a soul food place owned by a local family. They have the best BBQ pork, including some of the more interesting cuts, and greens and black eyed peas. The food is terrific there, and they know BBQ.

Well, Leon's is kind of the same. Next time in SF I'll have to go there. Used to eat lunch there quite regularly and, frankly, I'd forgotten it until this thread.

Just ordered my Weber Smokey Mtn. SmileWavy

Heh.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nathans_Dad
Step one is learn to trim a brisket...
Heh.

So....slap the cratch and trim the brisket..or is it the other way 'round :rolleyes:

I think that Nathans dad hit it pretty close. Basically the dry rub is brown sugar and salt. Add flavors that you like, his are basic but the basics work well. Taste the dry rub, if you like it then it is good.

I throw mine on the egg for 18 hours normally, there is enough charcole to last, at about 225 degrees. I have a wireless remote thermometer I use to monitor cooker temp. I can sleep and just let the beep wake me up if the temp gets to high.

I also like to add a couple of hours of rest time after cooking. Best way is to wrap in foil and set in ice chest (no ice!). Helps the meat reabsorb the juices.

I like to soak the wood in water for at least a few hours before tossing it in there if using chips to get smokey flavor with charcoal. Usually will wrap meat in foil and toss it in the ice chest post cooking, don't like to use much sweet(sugar, molasses, maple syrup/sugar) for grilling.

That's not my brisket, it's just a pic off the net. You guys have me all amped up to smoke soon, I'll post pics showing the brisket process when I do, probly next weekend.