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 H-E-B
Cooking Tips
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Slow-Smoked Brisket Secrets Revealed by an Expert Courtesy of H-E-B Culinary Department Many a barbecue cook guards his techniques. This is the tale of how one Central Texas barbecue specialist turns a 10-pound brisket into a delicacy. After much pleading one hot afternoon next to a giant barbecue pit called the Grill Mobile, Tommy Williamson, a 20-year H-E-B meat man, gave in and revealed this story to H-E-B's Culinary Manager.  It's All in the Technique"You want to know how I cook a barbecued brisket? Well," Tommy paused and leaned to place a log in the firebox, "you should understand: cooking brisket is a ritual with me. I like to make it an event -- about 8 or 10 hours of cooking to make a 10-pound brisket. That's when I have the most fun. For the family, if I'm just doing one brisket, maybe 6 to 8 hours. I've pretty much developed my technique over a lot of years, mostly through trial and error and some from cooking with other guys I enjoy cooking with," explained Tommy. Let's Do Grill Talk "The first thing you'll need for true smoking with indirect heat is a good stainless-steel smoker grill. You need a fire chamber with a good draw and a heat deflector designed to direct the hot air under the meat and to prevent hot spots. A separate opening to the firebox is a must so you can tend the fire or stir the coals without disrupting the meat. "Pick a packer-trimmed brisket, one with 1/4-inch of fat trim. Otherwise, the meat will be dry. Rub both sides of the untrimmed brisket about 2 hours ahead. I use my own special blend of brisket seasoning, paprika, onion powder and pepper. "Build your fire hot enough in the firebox or to one side of the grill barrel to sear the meat," advised Tommy. Light Your Fire "My way of starting a fire? Well, I use wood chips that come in a bag. I pile them high, about half a bag or so. I crumple some newspaper under the chips, light it and the wood takes off. Have the lid, side and chimney vents open so you'll have a good draw while it catches. "Once the flame is going I add two pieces of wood - either mesquite, pecan or oak. Oak's preferred by some. Mesquite can get a little strong. I like to mix the two. Now, to really smoke the right way, split the wood into three-inch widths. Actually," stressed Tommy, " you want a wedge shaped piece of wood because it catches fire faster. "Dry wood, about eight months old, provides the heat you need for cooking. Green wood, which means it was just cut, smokes more and doesn't burn as fast, so it sustains the length of the fire. I mix half and half; dry wood and green wood. "If you were going to cook, say, 15 or 20 briskets for a big church crowd or something, a long-bed pickup truck full of wood would be about the right amount. For cooking one brisket, you'll need about 15 to 20 pieces of split wood. Add a whole piece, one at a time, in between turning the brisket to keep a constant heat. "Once the flames die down, while the embers are hot and there's still a little flame, but not so hot they blacken the meat, sear in the juices 20 minutes per side. Put the brisket close to the firebox or directly over the coals -- the lean side first, then the fat side." Where There's Smoke, There's Flavor Enthusiastic, with a clap of his hands, Tommy continued, "Now you're ready to start smoking the brisket!" Move your brisket away from the firebox. If you're cooking in a barrel, put it on the other side, away from the fire. Close the lid to raise the temperature of the chamber. "It's a good idea to leave the fat side down for the first hour or so. I do to protect the meat from drying too much until my fire settles to the temperature where I want to cook. "I also like to put an inch or two of water in the bottom of the barrel under the grill grate to hold heat, keep the heat even and keep the meat moist. So it's helpful if the smoker or pit has a drain in the bottom to let the water out," he said chuckling. "If not, you can put water on the bottom in a foil pan positioned under the brisket. The Secret's in the Sop "Oh, yeah. Before you close the lid and really get cooking, be sure you completely shower the brisket with sop. I mean, get it good and wet until it's drippy. I prefer a spray bottle. Some use a mop. This will work, and they have those little ones you can buy now. To me, a sprayer keeps from taking your rub off the meat and let's you stand back a little bit from the heat of the fire, if you know what I mean?" Tommy stated and winked. "What's sop? Oh, well, that's a sauce, sometimes beer and vinegar. But I like to mix a can of beer, a can of water, half a jar of onion juice and a can of vinegar for mine. Four of my buddies and I came up with that one afternoon a few years back at the ranch," he reminisces. "Once you catch on, it'll be easy to maintain your heat level in the cooking chamber between 250 and 270 degrees. Check the temperature every 30 or 40 minutes. If you're cooking more than one brisket, be sure they don't overlap so you'll have good heat circulation.  For smokehouse results, a grill with an offset firebox is helpful. Fireboxes provide heat and temperature control. Hotter air travels into the chamber, is drawn toward the chimney and cooks food, adding flavor as it flows. "So, anyway, turn your brisket after the first hour so the fat side is up. Rubber insulated gloves, I like the kind cement-finishing workers use, are the best way to handle and turn the brisket so you don't pierce the meat. "Thoroughly douse the brisket with soppin' sauce again after you turn it. After that, turn the brisket about every two hours and sop it every time you turn it." Then Tommy said with energy, passionate about brisket, "Just keep checking the heat from the fire, turn the brisket now and then, and sop, sop, sop in between to keep the brisket moist the whole time. That's all there is to it! Is It Done Yet? "You want to know how to check the doneness? That's easy. It's a matter of taste testing! The outside of the meat will look charred. Don't worry. It's supposed to look that way. "Just reach in there and cut a little slice off the end with your pocket knife. You're looking for a smoke ring when you slice into the brisket. Four hours into the cooking and beyond, the ring really starts to develop. "Depending on the brisket weight and temperature of your fire -- I mean it's not an exact science --- it might be ready in six hours, usually seven, but sometimes longer. At our house, sometimes we take it inside, cut a slice, and if it's not done, we just take it back out and cook it a little longer until we like it. Try These Carving Tips "Before I carve a brisket, I like to separate the web portion, or what they call the point, from the flat. I trim off the deckle fat from the thicker point end and off the flat portion, too, before I start slicing. It's a good idea to separate the two portions because the grain of the meat runs in opposite directions, and it's easier to carve against the grain when you separate them. Quarter-inch slices are the way to go. That's All! "That's about all. I've told you just about everything I think I know about cooking brisket. Of course, someone else might not agree with me, but I think I'm pretty good at it." Laughing and kicking his toe a bit in the dirt, Tommy concluded, "The two hundred or so people I cook for every year using a big pit in the ground at our church picnic think so. Some of them might know if you ask them if I'm any good at it! "Oh, you're welcome. You don't have to thank me for sharing my secrets. For H-E-B customers? Anytime. I'm just glad to help." Helpful Equipment for Barbecuing Brisket
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