A REAL competition brisket recipe that has won actual prize money - now you can try it out at home, or use it to obliterate your next BBQ competition. Have fun winning!
Being well prepared is half the work, and for a cook like this you wanna do the hard work before going anywhere near the smoker. Remember - you’re trying to impress the competition judges here, and being confident as you progress will result in a cleaner end product.
Step one, as with every cut of meat, is cleaning and trimming. Rinse the brisket under cold, running water, and pat it dry with paper towels. Then put it on the cutting board, and remove any hard fat, loose flaps of meat, and membranes. These will all get in the way of the smoke penetrating and flavoring your meat, and might ruin the texture as well.
Next up, you want to inject the brisket. This will add both moisture to the brisket, as well as flavor beneath its surface. Follow the directions on the Reserve Blend package to prepare the marinade, and inject it into the brisket. If you want to know how I do this, you might want to check out our meat injection guide.
The final step before getting to the actual cook, is seasoning the brisket on the outside. This is a large chunk of meat, so it can take quite a lot - a layer of Texas Beef, followed by a layer of Cow Cover will do the trick. Just make sure you have coated the brisket on all sides.
Let’s get that fire started! Once your pit is up and running, stabilize the temperature in the 275-300°F (135-149°C). Depending on your setup, you might have to install a deflector plate or arrange the charcoal in a certain way to achieve the indirect cooking we’re looking for.
Once the pit is up to temp, throw the brisket on and close the lid. For the first leg of the cook, you will be going by color, not temperature. When the outside is a rich mahogany, it’s time to pull the brisket off the heat and wrap it.
Lay down a double layer of aluminum foil, and place the brisket on top. Start bending the foil to make a “boat”, and pour in a 50/50 blend of Brisket Mop and beef consomme. Then finish the wrap, sealing tightly around the brisket (careful not to tear or puncture the foil!).
Place the wrapped brisket back on the cooker, and insert a meat thermometer in the thickest part. You’re looking for a core temperature of 198°F (92°C), at which point you want to pull the brisket off the heat, and let it rest: open up the foil, until it stops steaming, to stop the cooking process. The cooking process will continue for a few minutes, and will bring the internal temperature up another 5 to 10 degrees.
Your competition brisket is good to go! Now slice it (against the grain!) and present it to the judges, guests, or family alongside a dollop of Competition BBQ Sauce.
Catch you on the next recipe!
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