Recipe Station

If you can’t get your hands on the Texas brand Big Bad Beef Rub, don’t worry, just choose a beef rub from your local grocery store or just use one that you already know you like. This is where your main source of seasoning flavor is going to come from, so make sure the one you are using has a lot of flavor. You will also need a thermometer probe.

Ingredients To Gather

• 1/2 cup Big Bad Beef Rub

• 4 tablespoons kosher salt

• 1 whole packer brisket about 12 pounds, untrimmed, USDA Choice grade or higher

• 1/8 cup of beef broth per pound of raw meat for injecting

• 1/2 cup of beef broth for use in the Texas Crutch

Step By Step Directions To Follow

1) Trim. Rinse the meat and dry it with paper towels and trim any fat.

2) Pump. Over a sink, pump in about 1 ounce of beef broth per pound of raw meat by inserting the needle parallel to the grain in several locations about 1″ apart and back it out as you press the plunger.

3) Rub. Anywhere from 12 hours to 1 hour before cooking, if you can, salt the meat so it can work its way in. Note the direction of the grain for when you slice and serve. Coat the meat lightly with water and sprinkle the seasoning over and rub it in.

4) Preheat. Get the temp stabilized at about 235°F. We want to cook at about 225°F, but the temp will drop a bit once you load in the cold meat.

5) Cook. Put the meat on the cooker. On a smoker with a water pan, put the meat right above the water. Place the oven temp probe on the grate next to the meat. Add about 4 ounces of wood right after the meat goes on. When the smoke stops, add 4 ounces more for the first 2 hours, usually about every 30 minutes. Keep an eye on the water in the pan. Don't let it dry out. After 3 hours, turn the meat over if the color is different from top to bottom. Otherwise leave it alone. It just lowers the temp of the meat. The meat temp will move steadily upward to the stall, somewhere around 150°F. Once in the stall zone, it will seem to take forever to rise. The stall can last 5 hours and the temp may not rise more than 5°F!

6) Texas Crutch. After about 2 to 4 hours, by which time the meat will have hit about 150°F, take it off and wrap it tightly in a double layer of heavy-duty foil. Pour 1/2 cup of beef broth around the sides of the meat being careful not to wash off the rub before you seal the foil. Then crimp it tight and put the wrapped meat back on the smoker or move it to an indoor oven at 225°F.

7) Hold. When the temp hits 200 to 205°F, get your plastic beer cooler, line it with a towel, blanket, or crumpled newspaper and put the meat, still in foil, into the cooler on top of the lining. Leave the thermometer probe in. If the foil is leaking fluids, put the meat in a large pan first. The lining is important to prevent the plastic from warping or cracking. Close the lid and let the hot meat sit in the cooler for at least 2 to 3 hours until you are ready to eat. If you have a tight cooler it should hold the meat well above 160°F for hours.

8) Slice. Don't slice until the last possible minute. Brisket dries out quickly once it is cut. Slice across the grain. As you approach the area where the point muscle lies on top of the flat, stop and cut the remaining hunk in half. Slice the center section crosswise, in the opposite direction that you sliced the flat. Then slice the remaining butt section in the same direction you sliced the flat.

Finished!

The meat should be moist and juicy. You can serve it in slices or on a sandwich made with Texas Toast. A perfect side to go with it is potatoes. You can serve baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, or even seasoned wedged potatoes.

Happy Grilling & Enjoy!

Article Source: Amazing Ribs