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前腿关节以上部分的烤法
Brisket Basics:
Brisket is a tough meat, unless it has been slow cooked. Brisket is loaded with connective tissue called
Collagen; this makes the meat tough and chewy. It is only when the Collagen has been transformed into
Gelatine that the meat will be tender. The Gelatine provides an all important “mouth feel” of juiciness.
Collagen begins to convert to gelatine at 60° C (140° F) internal temperature, but the conversion is most
rapid at temperatures over 82° C (180° F) internally. It is common for a cooking Brisket to “Stall” at 65 to
70° C (149 to 158° F); this is thought to be because of the massive amount of energy needed to convert
Collagen to Gelatine.
An oven proof Digital meat probe is recommended for cooking Brisket as an internal temperature of 98°
C (210° F) degrees must be reached to fully cook the brisket and at 100° C (212° F) the water begins to
boil and moisture is driven off. Typically a Brisket cook is stopped at roughly 95° C (203° F) as the
internal temperature will rise as the meat rests.
What little juices there are in the Brisket are normally lost to the cooking process, which is the why most
of the time it is served with barbecue sauce and why the development of the Collagen “mouth feel” is so
important. Cooking the meat with moist heat in foil (braising) is preferred, as it will conserve the juices
and utilise the heat better than just cooking in a smoker, oven or BBQ.
PREPARING THE BRISKET:
Perforate the brisket, use a large serving or table fork and pierce the brisket all over.
Dry Rub.
Use a dry rub of your liking.
Apply the rub liberally to all sides of the meat.
Cooookkiinngg tthhee PPeerrffeecctt Brriisskkeett
Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator from 4 hours to overnight (to allow all flavours to fully
permeate the meat).
1 hour before cooking, remove the brisket from the refrigerator or cooler, uncover and allow to sit and
come close to room temperature.
COOKING THE BRISKET:
Sear the fat side for 5 to 7 minutes. Then flip brisket and Smoke for 3 1/2 to 4 hours at approx 120° to
135° C (250 to 275° F) with fat side up, without touching or opening the pit, this is to allow a good
smoked flavour to develop deep into the meat and provide the characteristic “smoke ring”.
Wrap the brisket in a double layer of heavy duty foil. Spread a thinly sliced onion under the brisket and
1/2 a can of beer (a porter or stout works well) or beef broth to foil before sealing up (at this point I add a
little cumin). Make sure to seal the foil well and ensure there are no holes.
Place the wrapped Brisket into an oven or on a smoker at 120 to 135° C (250 to 275° F) and cook for 5
to 6 hours (depending on size) until fork tender and roughly 95° C (203° F) internal temperature.
Remove from oven, BBQ or smoker, loosen the foil at one end to release the steam and let the brisket
rest for 45 minutes.
After resting the brisket, carefully drain the juices from the foil into a bowl and freeze for 20 to 30
minutes to allow the fat to separate from the reserved juices from the brisket. Remove the fat from the
juices and discard, then pour up to 1 cup of the remaining juices into a saucepan with your favourite
barbecue sauce, (add some of the rub if you like), stir and heat through to combine into a spicy hot sauce.
Serve the sauce on the side, not everybody likes a lot of sauce (like me, I like Mustard or horseradish).
TO SERVE:
Separate the top and bottom of brisket, trimming off any undesired excess fat.
Slice across grain into long thin slices.
TIP:
When selecting a Brisket, pick it up and fold it in half. It should be supple enough to touch end to end
after trying a couple of times.
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2011-06-29 12:16:44
