In Texas every BBQ joint is judged by the Quality of the Brisket and Smoking a Perfect Texas Brisket is the Goal of every Pit Master in the Lone Star State.
Texas loves BBQ and the favorite BBQ cut is Beef Brisket. It is the plate by which a BBQ joint is judged and Texans have been known to queue for hours to get the Best Brisket in Texas. Just take a stroll by Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Texas and take a look at the queue if you don't believe us.
There is no simple Texas Brisket recipe to follow, it is a cooking process that can take years to master.
How to Cook Texas Brisket
Texas Brisket involves cooking the entire cut (also known as packer brisket), so the flat and the point parts of the brisket are together. This can weigh anything from 8 to over 12 pounds.
Entire Cut of Brisket
Texas Style Brisket is smoked at low and slow temperatures for 8 to 12 hours. This slow process helps turn the muscle tissue into pure tender goodness as Brisket is rich in connective tissues.
Cooking the whole packer brisket gives the Pit Master full control over the trimming process, they look for a cut with a thick flat so the larger point will cook at a similar rate to the thick flat and one which has strong marbling in the meat.
How to Season Texas Brisket
Putting Rub on Texas Brisket
The key to producing Perfect Texas Brisket isn't just some fancy rub or secret sauce, it is all about running a smoker at between 225F and 250F for eight to 12 hours straight. This produces a smoky tender meat so packed with flavor that you won't need any barbecue sauce. Aaron Franklin (the Pit Master at Franklin Barbecue) uses a texas brisket rub that consists of just a half-and-half mix of Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper.
How to Smoke Texas Brisket
Wood choice is important, green wood or strongly cured wood should be avoided, a dry wood like Post Oak with a nine to twelve month cure would be a good choice.
Post Oak is a Good Choice
How to Stop Texas Brisket from Burning
In order to prevent the brisket from burning throughout the long smoke, a water pan is used to help retain moisture within the cooking chamber. A spray bottle filled with apple juice or apple cider vinegar should be used during the first three hours.
When is Texas Brisket Ready?
Wrap Texas Brisket in Butcher Paper once a good bark has formed
Once a good bark has formed on the Brisket it can be wrapped with Butcher Paper and kept at 250F until done. Texas Brisket is done when it has an internal temperature of between 195 and 203F.
How to Slice Texas Brisket
Texas Brisket should be rested for an hour before slicing. It is cut against the grain on the flat side until the point is reached, before being turned 90 degrees and sliced against the grain once more.
Then it's time to kick back, crack open a beer and enjoy some Texas Brisket.
Time to Enjoy some Texas Brisket
