Smoked Bottom Round Roast
After watching an episode of Man vs Food I got the hankering to try something different. Something the beef route. Brisket was nice but I thought what about something more economical and less time consuming. Bottom Round, that's the ticket. I picked up a 3 pounder and headed home with the thoughts of what I could do with this fine piece of meat.
I started early on Saturday morning because of the kids afternoon ballgames. After firing up the smoker I went to the spice cabinet and started the magic. With no specific recipe in mind I pulled the following spices out and began dusting all sides. First black pepper, followed by granulated garlic, sage, cumin, thyme and onion powder. Then I took mediterranean sea salt and coated all sides. I let it sit for about 45 minutes while the smoker settled down to a steady 225 degrees and was ready to go. Dropped it in the smoker and waited for the thermometer I inserted into the center of the Bottom Round (I used a wireless so I could do other things while cooking) to hit 145 degrees. I immediately pulled the roast out and wrapped it in foil and let it rest for the afternoon. An hour would be sufficient but this was going to be dinner so it waited.
I pulled out the electric knife and sliced very thin slices across the grain. I tried to get as close to deli style slices as possible. The roast was a perfect medium rare and very juicy. I had made a horse radish sauce to go with it but to be honest, it was too good to use the sauce. I even skipped dessert so I could think about what sandwiches were going to taste like for lunch tomorrow.
If you are looking for something different and like the carving stations at the big buffets then this is a great solution for your smoking itch.
After watching an episode of Man vs Food I got the hankering to try something different. Something the beef route. Brisket was nice but I thought what about something more economical and less time consuming. Bottom Round, that's the ticket. I picked up a 3 pounder and headed home with the thoughts of what I could do with this fine piece of meat.
I started early on Saturday morning because of the kids afternoon ballgames. After firing up the smoker I went to the spice cabinet and started the magic. With no specific recipe in mind I pulled the following spices out and began dusting all sides. First black pepper, followed by granulated garlic, sage, cumin, thyme and onion powder. Then I took mediterranean sea salt and coated all sides. I let it sit for about 45 minutes while the smoker settled down to a steady 225 degrees and was ready to go. Dropped it in the smoker and waited for the thermometer I inserted into the center of the Bottom Round (I used a wireless so I could do other things while cooking) to hit 145 degrees. I immediately pulled the roast out and wrapped it in foil and let it rest for the afternoon. An hour would be sufficient but this was going to be dinner so it waited.
I pulled out the electric knife and sliced very thin slices across the grain. I tried to get as close to deli style slices as possible. The roast was a perfect medium rare and very juicy. I had made a horse radish sauce to go with it but to be honest, it was too good to use the sauce. I even skipped dessert so I could think about what sandwiches were going to taste like for lunch tomorrow.
If you are looking for something different and like the carving stations at the big buffets then this is a great solution for your smoking itch.
Superbowl Party Brisket
So you want to be a Brisket Stud!
With the Super Bowl coming up at the end of the month our friends are once again holding their annual Super Bowl party. In the past I have cooked my fried honey garlic chicken wings, but this year they have requested my very studly brisket. In honor of this grand event I am posting the process and spices I will be using. I will add photos to the site later. You may note that this BBQ event will take you around 12 hours cooking time depending on the size of the brisket so you may consider doing this the day before. It may not quite have the ..mmmm... factor of coming fresh of the smoker but it is very tasty none the less.
Let's start with meat selection. If you really want to WOW your friends and you have a reliable butcher, then you should have a "Prime" cut brisket for this project. Being that we will partaking in beverages that lessen the taste bud experience (and I am not going to fork out those kind of bucks for this party) I shall opt for the Super Wal-Mart brisket that sells for a couple bucks a pound. This is a little fatty but I have used it in the past and it can produce more than respectable results. You may want to look for this a week or so ahead of time due to the fact they are not always on hand at the store. I have had difficulty in the past finding them in stock at our Wal-Mart. If you belong to Sams I have heard they are there as well and more readily available. Most of the cuts are in the 8lb range which is a nice size and will feed a good sized group of folks.
The night before I plan on firing up the smoker I will start the clean up process. Brisket is fatty and usually comes with a little silver skin that needs to come off unless you like BBQ chewing gum. Take the brisket out and trim the fat off. In the heavy fat areas I will leave about 1'8" for flavoring. Unlike a boston butt where you use all the fat to moisten the meat, I choose to make this fairly lean due to the fact we will be putting it in foil later on and the steam will keep the moisture in. You can keep the fat and after a adding the sauce put it on top for additional moisture. After removing the fat you need to look for the shiny skin that covers some of the areas. Take a sharp knife and get under the skin and loosen up enough that you can get your fingers underneath and work the skin off. This is the same stuff on the back of ribs that keeps them together. Not good eats. Once you have it cleaned up, put it back in the fridge or you can apply the rub and let it sit overnight. I don't know that the rub sitting longer helps with flavor but it does help with letting you focus on the smokers temperature the next morning.
The Rub
My goal for a brisket is a nice sweet flavor with just a little heat. I think with this cut of meat, a real hot sauce or vinegar flavor does not do it justice. Once you have the rub mixed then apply it liberally making sure to get into all the cracks and crevices. You may also want to think about soaking your wood now and letting it set overnight. With that in mind here is the rub I use.
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
This makes about 2/3 cup of rub. You can also take out the oregano and thyme, then add chili powder and dry mustard for a different flavor.
The Suace
The sauce I use is very simple. Give it a try or use your favorite. My sauce is one I read in our local paper that one of the fancy chefs uses. It seems well suited to the brisket.
1 cup spicy brown mustard
3 cups dark brown sugar
Mix well.
Simple enough. I let the rub give it heat.
The Event
First pull out the brisket and let it start coming up to room temperature. By the time the coals get going and you have the temperature set you should be there. Get your chimney out and start your charcoal going. Remember using self staring coals will cause the meat to have a chemical taste and is cause for loosing your stud card. If you don't have a chimney go buy one. It is only a couple of bucks and they really do work. A single page of news paper lit underneath and in 30-45 minutes you have perfect coals.
Put the coals in the smoker and slowly bring it up to 225 (you are using your digital thermometer to check the internal temperature aren't you?). Put on a some wood and make sure you are holding a steady 225 for about 20-30 minutes. That may seem like a long time but I have had wood start to dry out and flame up causing a temperature spike at about this time so I think it is worth the extra effort. Once you are steady pull out the brisket and put it on the smoker. I generally put is as far away from the heat source as possible.
Now I will keep an eye on my smoker about every 30 minutes because it can be tempermental at times but if you are comfortable with your smoker do as you please. Just remember if you spike high for a prolonged period you will have a tough, chewey piece of meat no matter how long you cook it. After 3 to 4 hours directly on the rack I will now add the sauce. I don't add it earlier because I don't want to inhibit the smokes penetration. After about 4 hours your meat will have absorbed the bulk of the smoke flavor and it is time to start helping to further break down the connective tissues. Mop the sauce on liberally both sides and let set for about another hour then move it to a tin pan covered with foil or just wrap completely in foil. I choose to use a tin pan so I can collect the yummy drippings for later use. To me the "wet heat" produced by covering the brisket does a more consistent job of making a tender brisket than the "dry heat" of uncovered cooking. By collecting the moisture you add steam to the brisket which will help penetrate the meat and keep it moist and loose. If you have not already done so, at this time place a thermometer in the center of the meat and return it to the smoker. Continue cooking until that thermometer reads 185-187 degrees (this could be 6-10 hours later so keep an eye on it). Pull it off the smoker and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
Slice thin across the grain and serve and have your friends marvel at your Studliness.
Conclusion
This is not for those short on time but once you cook a brisket right you will be hooked. It is something Backyard BBQ Studs use to separate themselves from the pack. Give us your ideas, recipes or tricks. Good luck!
Best Beef Brisket
After giving several tries at smoking a brisket I finally came up with a solid recipe. This recipe has a dry rub and a mop. While it takes a long time to cook, the end result is one that won't disappoint.
Buy a 5 to 8 lb brisket and trim it the night before, removing all silver skin and leaving just a small 1/8" layer of fat to help baste the meat. Then apply the rub and seal in plastic wrap. 8 hours minimum, longer is better.
Fire up the smoker and get the heat going steady at 210 degrees. Hotter than that and you tend to end up with a tougher finished product. Hickory wood is my preference, and I will mix with charcoal for a longer consistent burn on my Brinkmann Trailmaster. Smoke the meat until the internal temperature is 187 degrees. Cooking time will be approximately 2 hours per pound (12 to 16 hours). Apply the mop every hour during the cooking process. When internal temp is reached remove from smoker and place in a tray and cover with foil. Allow to rest for one hour. Slice against the grain.
Rub (2 briskets worth) Mop (apply every hour)
3/4 Cup Paprika 12 oz Beer (I prefer Amber)
1/2 Cup Black Pepper 1/2 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 Cup Salt 1/2 Cup Water
1/4 Cup Sugar 1/4 Cup Canola Oil
2 Tbsp Chili Powder 1/2 Vidalia Onion Chopped
2 Tbsp Granulated Garlic 2 Garlic Cloves Minced
2 Tbsp Onion Powder 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper 1/4 Cup Unsulphered Molasses
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
Folks there is very little that beats a good beef brisket. Give it a shot, keep the temp low and slow and you will be just fine. An idea for left overs is to take the brisket slices, heat and place on a toasted hamburger bun and top with the Kansas City Style Sauce and sliced pepperjack cheese. Once the cheese starts to melt you are ready to eat. Let me know what you think.
