We’re coming in HOT to start 2023! I have a couple posts lined up, but I thought – nah – let’s come out of the corner swinging this year. This will be the brisket that convinced me to finally get me a Cambro. As you’ll read this journey, you’ll see the journey this brisket went on.. and it could’ve been so much better transporting it the right way.
That being said, it was tailgate season for us in the Midwest. We saw a lot of hot dogs and hamburgers from fellow tailgaters, but no one had a brisket (let alone two of them – post coming in March for that one.. spoiler). We were also busting out the last of the prized seasoning for this one. Let’s go!
The Prep Table
The secret spice – the unspoken blend – the enhancer that was and will be made again. Let me introduce you again to the “Meaty Bits Texas Premium” proprietary rub that is transcendent. Can’t tell you all my secrets, but it’s Texas.. so it’s a Salt & Pepper. Just salt. and just pepper. Hand-ground by me, and imported peppercorns.. but that’s really all it is.
The Process
I teased it earlier, I was already doing a brisket flat for a future post (pushed to early-mid March for what may be a purposeful reason). Got the call for a tailgate, and just in case the brisket flat experiment failed – I needed a back-up plan. My back-up plan was a full packer brisket. Stopped at a big name market on the way home on a Friday and this is what they had. Let’s trim it up and make it pretty.
All that’s left is to rub it down and throw her on the grates. I like briskets for their simplicity, hate ’em for the time it takes, love ’em for the taste, and also hate ’em again for the hours of rest when you’re hoping it’s good but not knowing.
Saturday morning came quick and when we’re crutching. 165F and wrap. I had a time to have it done, drive an hour.. drive another hour.. set up tailgate, and eat. In the cold. That’s why I said a Cambro is necessary.
Had to give you a shot of it before I wrapped it up. Last time I was going to see it before the unveil and slice. Double wrap of butcher paper and back in for the rest of the morning.
I was about a half hour early on the cook. Was hoping to actually put her in the cooler and leave, but I mismanaged the time by about 30 minutes. Placed ’em in a full pan, double foil seal, towel wrap, and in the cooler. Took the dog out to the garage to watch me work. He was all about it (shocker).
The Result
A few hours later, we get to the tailgate and I get to the slicing. I knew when I picked it up, it had lost too much heat. It was still very warm, but it didn’t survive the cross-state trek like I would have wanted. It was pretty cold this afternoon which didn’t help much either, but any brisket is better than no brisket at all.
Still, when you’re doing the unveil.. and it looks like this, it’s a thing of beauty. The mystery flat was going to be the star of the show and this was my back-up. I decided to do a thicker slice so we pick up and eat without too much hassle. Cubed up the point – again – finger foods.
That rub is far and away my favorite for briskets. It’s absolutely perfect when combined with the smoke (look at that ring, beautiful) and – if you know me – has a kick of course. Brought some of my homemade BBQ and failed to mention that it also .. has a kick. As soon as these briskets – and meat prices in general – decide to drop in price a little bit, I look forward to sharing many more with you this year.
Let’s make 2023 a banner year – let’s do this!
Update 03 January: So I took my Monday holiday and finally went searching for the Cambro I’ve desperately needed. And every store was closed. Only one store is listed on their site in my area – and the restaurant equipment store was closed to even try. Dammmnnn itt.
The Recipe
Full Packer Brisket
Ingredients
- 1 Full Packer Brisket Point and Flat
- 1 Cup Texas Rub (50/50 Salt & Pepper) Estimated – enough to coat
Instructions
- Trim all the hard fat off the "top" of the brisket. There will be a layer of fat on the "bottom" – trim that to about 1/8" of an inch or so. Everything else, get rid of that hard fat, trim off the soft stuff on the surface. Rip a significant cut off the side and remove the processor's edge. Round everything off to prevent edges from burning.
- Evenly coat the brisket with the 50/50 blend. No binder necessary.
- Preheat Smoker to 225 (Mesquite Wood) and probe where point meets the flat. Cook until the stall (160-170 degrees).
- Remove from smoker, wrap in butcher paper – re-probe, and cook until over 200 degrees.
- Once over 200, use your instant read thermometer and check around the point/flat for an even temp.
- Remove from smoker, keep wrapped. Place in full-pan, seal with aluminum foil, wrap in a towel and place into insulated container (cooler, cambro)
- REST PERIOD IS IMPORTANT. I'd say at least 3 hours. Remove and slice. Start at flat, slice 1/2" slices until you reach the fatty "point". Rotate 90 degrees, slice remaining meat in half. Slice 3/4" inch slices until you get to the "burnt ends".
- I cube up the ends, but if you want to go full Kansas City, put the cubes in the tray with some extra fat (butter), bbq sauce, rub and make those traditional Burnt Ends!