Brisket a la Aaron Franklin

[suie]

Hi all! I picked up a copy of this book this week. The book describes a journey through Texas sampling BBQ all over the state. There are also some recipes he collected along the way, including Aaron Franklin's recipe for brisket. (well, it's really more of a guideline rather than a recipe)

book.jpg

• suie
• May 25, 2013

Aaron Franklin uses a rub of 50/50 salt & coarse ground pepper, and smokes over post oak. I ordered some post oak chunks online but they didn't get here in time. So I substituted the Jack Daniels chips. I also threw in a couple of chunks of pecan to help it along. (according to the book, that is also used in the same region)

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• suie
• May 25, 2013

The brisket is a full packer, a little over 13 pounds. I started it about 2:30am last night.

brisketpack.jpg

• suie
• May 25, 2013

This pic doesn't really do justice to the salt & pepper, there is more than what appears. This is the bottom size of the brisket. I decided to take SolarYellow's advice and not do much trimming of the fat cap. So I concentrated most of the rub on the bottom.

brisksaltpep.jpg

• suie
• May 25, 2013

Here's where the brisket is currently. Just made it through the stall. (taking a short nap made it go quick!) No wrapping needed. Below the brisket, which is a little hard to see, is Chef JJ's smoky au jus, in process.

briskstsll.jpg

• suie
• May 25, 2013

Although I'm monitoring the IT, I'm going to use the toothpick test to check for tenderness and decide when to pull it. The rest of Aaron Franklin's process involves letting the brisket rest for an hour wrapped in butcher paper. Since butcher paper was $15 a roll in the restaurant supply store, I'm going to substitute parchment paper. I plan to make burnt ends from the point, while the flat is resting. 

Quick question for anyone who is watching. Should I let the whole brisket rest for a bit before separating the point from the flat?

Thanks for looking!

Suie

 

[daveomak]

The point and flat should separate fairly easily when it has cooked awhile....  A knife would help, slicing through the fat layer....   Letting it rest as long as possible, helps in keeping the moisture inside the meat...  The meat needs to cool slowly to hold the moisture in...

 

[oldschoolbbq]

That sounds like one of my Brisky cooks

.

No better Brisket can be had, fresh off the Smoker and the taste of the Meat is the star - not some sauce or flavoring Rub.

Takes patience though, and if you can , leave the lid shut , it goes much quicker. The Bark you develope from a cook as this is Awsome . The meat stays moist and will be tender as can be. I have cut the Point off many a Brisket with my gloved hand, no knife. Some just fall apatr(Point). The flat is always good for slicing into great Brisky Sammies - no sauce needed , bread,onion,pickle and your Meat.

The tips, I like to re-burn with a dash of sauce so it Caramelizes and add a touch of suace on the Sammie when made. So good you'll be begging for more.

FOOD I HAVE COOKED - ANYTHING 015.JPG

• oldschoolbbq
• Apr 7, 2013

 The point fell off as I moved Her...

brisket cook 5-17-12 027.JPG

• oldschoolbbq
• Jul 18, 2012

 Tender,juicy and all with no foil while cooking - only to rest after cooking , if it makes it that far.

Patience is a cooks best friend, watch you temps with a good Therm. (calibrated) and take them all the way to 200*F ( I don't foil while cooking , it just Braising then and I can do that in the Kitchen.)

In true Texan's style, the more Bark the better.  Now there is a difference in Bark and Burned, cook away from the main heat ( monitored with a good calibrated Probe) and go all the way . You'll see where the Flat gets a nice color to the bottom(side heat is on/ Flat side . I always Smoke with the Fat side up) , and not burned an crispy like a stringy piece of Shoe leather.

Growing up in Texas was a HOOT, the food was always ther when you wanted , still not as good as at home , but better than most get so called BBQ restaurants.

Want to try a Brisket, search and learn the how-to's here and bite the Bullet and get one to try, just resolve to...

 

[suie]

Thanks Dave. I definitely plan on letting it rest, but I also want to get the burnt ends started ASAP. Just wondering what the minimum resting time might be before I could attempt to separate the point and flat. Then the flat could continue resting while I make the burnt ends.

 

[suie]

Stan - that looks awesome, and is just what I'm hoping for today! And I'm so jealous of you getting to grow up around all that great q! 

Thanks for the q-view inspiration!!

 

[daveomak]

Separate the point and flat when you pull it from the smoker, then wrap the flat and put the point back in for burnt ends....

 

[suie]

Separate the point and flat when you pull it from the smoker, then wrap the flat and put the point back in for burnt ends....

Thanks Dave, I'm glad to know that will work. With any luck both will be ready ti eat at the same time...

 

[kathrynn]

Pretty bark going there!

Kat

 

[fester]

Nice Job!!!

 

[suie]

Thanks all! Here's a q-view update. I'm so proud of the bark on this brisky! The IT was about 180 when I pulled it. When I inserted a toothpick it was like butter! I've always foiled before, so this was a first for me.

brisketdone.jpg

• suie
• May 25, 2013

Here's the au jus, reducing on the stove. It smells incredible!

aujus.jpg

• suie
• May 25, 2013

Since I was running around, the brisket got about a 10 minute rest before I separated them. I was able to do most of it with just my insulated gloves. Just needed the knife to cut through the last bit.

seperation.jpg

• suie
• May 25, 2013

Here's the burnt ends back on the gril with a little Sweet Baby Ray's. I found these disposable grill pans with the holes when I was buying the brisket. Hopefully the burnt ends won't dry out.

burntends.jpg

• suie
• May 25, 2013

Everything is holding now until I'm ready to eat. The flat is wrapped and back on the smoker, which is holding at about 180 degrees. The reduced Au Jus is in the fridge so I can skim the fat once it cools. I did try a slice of the flat after it rested...omg it's definitely the juiciest, most tender brisket I've ever made! I'll never wrap again!

 

[suie]

The final product(s):

briskslice.jpg

• suie
• May 25, 2013

 

[kathrynn]

Pretty!

Kat