*  Exported from  MasterCook  *
 
                        Texas Barbecued Beef Brisket
 
 Recipe By     :=20
 Serving Size  : 8    Preparation Time :0:00
 Categories    : Barbecue                         Thrill Of T
                 Meats
 
   Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
 --------  ------------  --------------------------------
   10      pounds        Beef brisket
    2      cups          All-south barbecue rub -- see
    2      cups          Basic all-american bbq sauce
 
 Recipe by: The Thrill of the Grill by Chris Schlesinger 1. Rub the brisket=
  thoroughly on all its sides with the barbecue rub, and allow it to come to=
  room temperature.
 
  2. In the pit of a covered grill, build a very small fire on one side as=
  far up against one wall as possible. Place the brisket on the grill on the=
  side opposite from the fire so that none of the brisket is directly over=
  the flame. Put the top on the cooker, pull up a chair, and grab the cooler.
 
  This is where a person learns about the Zen of Barbecue. You gotta keep the=
  fire going, but very quietly. If you've got a thermometer on your covered=
  grill, you want to keep the temperature between 180 and 220 F. Remer, “Slow=
  and low is the way to go.” You have to figure out your own personal=
  refueling policy. The one I like is one handful of coals or wood chunks to=
  every beer.
 
  This goes on for about 8 to 10 hours or however long you can make it, the=
  longer the better. Don't be scared by the darkening of the exterior, the=
  outside of the brisket will be superdark--my personal favorite part.
 
  3. Upon completion, pull the brisket out, trim off any excess fat, and=
  slice it thin. Serve with barbecue sauce on the side--no pro would ever=
  cover properly cooked brisket with sauce, he'd just dab on a touch.
 
  Obviously the key here is a tremendous amount of patience and a day when=
  you want to do nothing but sit around. But the end product is one of those=
  great culinary events that results from spending a lot of time doing=
  something that is relaxing and enjoyable. Make sure you have plenty of tall=
  boys for eating this.
 
  -Accompanying commentary=20
  In my estimation, beef brisket just might be why the barbecue process was=
  invented. My research, sketchy as it is, shows that there was a strong=
  German immigrant communitu in Texas around the turn of the century. It has=
  some of these Germans working in the booming Texas cattle industry, and=
  others working in butcher shops, what with their strong background in=
  butchering and charcuterie. It being common knowledge that butchers are=
  constantly trying to turn tough or inexpensive cuts of meat into a usable=
  product that brings a higher cost (witness sausages and pates), it has=
  these German butchers faced with the brisket. This cut of beef is=
  particularly unwanted because of the huge percentage of fat that runs ont=
  only on the surface, but throughout the cut. Traditional technique would=
  braise or pickle this cut to tenderize it, but the brisket also has a lot=
  of beef flavor. In my personal opinion, a vey smart German butcher who ws=
  looking for a way to market this cut barbecued it. We're not talking here=
  about the open-pit roasting that was already popular in this area, but=
  rather closed-pit cooking, in which the cooking is done by convection=
  ratherr than conduction. It is similar to braising in theory, with the=
  smoke replacing the water. It is cooked at very low heat for a long period=
  of time, and the high fat content protects the meat from drying out but=
  also disappears through the 10 - 18 hour cooking process. What you are left=
  with is very tender meat with little or no fat and a tremendous smoky beef=
  flavor. I think the meat and the process were literally invented for each=
  other.
 
  Now, I don't think that you will get any disagreement from the professional=
  barbecue industry when I say that brisket is the hardest to master--but,=
  hey, learning is half the fun. And, in the words of Remus Powers, famous=
  barbecue aficianado, “The best barbecue I ever had is the one on the plate=
  in front of me.”=20
  These are guidelines for the closed-pit barbecuing of brisket, a basic=
  technique with many variables which is wide open for personal=
  interpretations.
 
  Chris Schlesinger
 
                    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -=20
 

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