Brisket is the one piece of meat where our cooking process has changed over time. The goal is to have a good smoke ring, tender slices that break down with a fork, and a finishing saucewith a slight amount of heat to complete the flavor profile.
Start with the entire brisket – not just the flat part
You will need to trim the meat, removing membranes and I remove a large percentage of the “hard fat” since it won’t render and you can put rub in the cavities where the hard fat was removed.
The Brisket Marinate and Injection should be applied to the meat 24 hours before cooking. Use a large plastic bag to keep juices near the meat, and yes injecting does improve the flavor.
Doctor Dolans Rub for Brisket is has a couple of changes from the original Paul Kirk version. Apply the rub just before starting to cook – cover the bottom (fat side) first, then turn over, cover the top side, then back over and cover again.
Cook in an aluminum pan on a rack, put the injection in the bottom of the pan and add water as needed.
Cook for at least 6 hours – temperature can be higher/lower depending on your preference. The meat will only take smoke to 165 degrees, you want the final temperature to be above 180 degrees.
You can wrap the pan in foil after meat reaches 165 degrees – this will help with heat cooking consistency (and reduce total cooking time).
Apply the Finishing Mop about an hour before planning to remove from the heat source. Don’t put the foil back on the pan after applying the Mop
It is important for the meat to sit at least 2 hours after removed from the heat source. Put the foil back on the pan and wrap in a blanket or heavy towel.
Make sure to cut the meat across the grain – the lower section (the flat) is typically used for burnt ends, the real meat is in the thicker part.
You can use a grease separator to create an au jus from the pan drippings, this might work depending on the rub. You just need to separate, then taste to decide if this can be served with the meat. Serve the remaining Finishing Mop as another option.