K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
A high heat brisket cook: a rare, 8.6-pound packer which, as is often the case, I did not trim at all. Rub of coffee, cocoa, garlic, onion, extra hot NM chile, sugar, marjoram, sumac, fenugreek, sage, coriander, cumin, clove.
As always, I salted the meat first, let the salt draw some moisture, then applied the rub - fairly heavily in this case - over the salt.
I Minioned the start with 24 lit (Comp K) and loaded the meat in immediately (I never wait for the cooker to come to temp and do not get why anyone would). Oak, the wood. I had to squash the brisket in between the grate handles so I put a piece of foil under the flat end to protect it from the direct heat. (I don't worry about the point end.)
Temps to 275 in ~30 min - cracked the door - temps to 375, a bit higher than my usual target of ~335 but I really don't care. I dislike fussing with the cooker and hanging onto its every move. Because of the higher temps I foiled earlier than usual, about 2:15 after starting rather than 2:30. Just before foiling:
Temps hit 400 not long after foiling; closed vents most of the way and let the temps come down somewhat - back to 365-375. Because of the higher temps and the relative thinness of the brisket I checked for done sooner than usual - about 3:15 into the cook (just an hour after foiliing). Done at 3:30 total. Poured off most of the juices that the meat exuded (about 1.5 c) and rested, tented, about 30 min.
Opened with roasted corn with chipotle mayo:
Sliced on the board:
While the brisket cooked I made sauce, tomato-based, with caramelized onion, roasted red bell, pear, and starfruit, with a little chipotle, plus I added a good dose of captured defatted juices:
Plated with the sauce, roasted broccoli spears, roasted new yellow potatoes:
*********
A few days ago, a salad of spinach and rocket, sweet onion, pear and toasted almond, sauvignon blanc vinegar-maple syrup vinaigrette; meatloaf with sautéed crimini mushrooms, with roasted cauliflower and asparagus, garlic mashed Yukon Golds:
**********
And last week, or thereabouts, a salad of spinach, sweet onion, avocado, fig vinaigrette; grill-roasted rubbed bone-in chicken breast, freeform pasta, asparagus sauce with asparagus tips:
As always, I salted the meat first, let the salt draw some moisture, then applied the rub - fairly heavily in this case - over the salt.
I Minioned the start with 24 lit (Comp K) and loaded the meat in immediately (I never wait for the cooker to come to temp and do not get why anyone would). Oak, the wood. I had to squash the brisket in between the grate handles so I put a piece of foil under the flat end to protect it from the direct heat. (I don't worry about the point end.)
Temps to 275 in ~30 min - cracked the door - temps to 375, a bit higher than my usual target of ~335 but I really don't care. I dislike fussing with the cooker and hanging onto its every move. Because of the higher temps I foiled earlier than usual, about 2:15 after starting rather than 2:30. Just before foiling:
Temps hit 400 not long after foiling; closed vents most of the way and let the temps come down somewhat - back to 365-375. Because of the higher temps and the relative thinness of the brisket I checked for done sooner than usual - about 3:15 into the cook (just an hour after foiliing). Done at 3:30 total. Poured off most of the juices that the meat exuded (about 1.5 c) and rested, tented, about 30 min.
Opened with roasted corn with chipotle mayo:
Sliced on the board:
While the brisket cooked I made sauce, tomato-based, with caramelized onion, roasted red bell, pear, and starfruit, with a little chipotle, plus I added a good dose of captured defatted juices:
Plated with the sauce, roasted broccoli spears, roasted new yellow potatoes:
*********
A few days ago, a salad of spinach and rocket, sweet onion, pear and toasted almond, sauvignon blanc vinegar-maple syrup vinaigrette; meatloaf with sautéed crimini mushrooms, with roasted cauliflower and asparagus, garlic mashed Yukon Golds:
**********
And last week, or thereabouts, a salad of spinach, sweet onion, avocado, fig vinaigrette; grill-roasted rubbed bone-in chicken breast, freeform pasta, asparagus sauce with asparagus tips:
