Steven Raichlen's Brisket


 
Steve Whiting

Steve Whiting

TVWBB All-Star
So I was watching Primal Grilling with Steven Raichlen this past weekend and it served to only confuse me more.
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I understand that there are many ways to cook a brisket and to each his own but I guess I wish there was only one sure fire way to do it right. On this episode he smoked a small flat and a huge packer side by side. He didn’t mention trimming and if he did trim the packer it did not make the show. He went on to apply a simple rub to the meat and then put the two briskets in the smoker (a very heavy looking off-set). The part that threw me is that he created a mop sauce and claimed to mop the briskets once each hour. That is a lot of work and something I rarely hear of being done here on the TVWB but I must admit the final results looked terrific.
So I guess now I am going to have to try using a mop and see if it works for me. I am curious how many of you guys and girls do this to your brisket?
 
i just spray some apple juice on it every hour or so. some mop some don't. just depends on what taste you want. this is whats great about q, you get to experiment. so go forth and seek------
 
Originally posted by Steve Whiting:
The part that threw me is that he created a mop sauce and claimed to mop the briskets once each hour. That is a lot of work
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If you want to try it just to see what you get, it's not much work. Lift the lid, few seconds to mop, close the lid. A few things though: 1) The mop will only moisten the surface, most will drip down into your water pan 2)Lifting the lid once an hour will add 15 or so minutes to your cook each time 3) Lifting the lid will give your fire a gulp of oxygen each time. Is it worth it? Not for me, but if you are curious, try it and see what you think. Don't forget, he sells alot of products that he showcases on these shows.
 
Originally posted by Steve Whiting:
in the smoker (a very heavy looking off-set
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I'd love to know what kind of offset that is. I've asked before, but no one responded.
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FWIW, I haven't done a whole packer, but I wouldn't use a mop. When I did my first and only flat I used foil.
 
I think there are two camps here just like water in the water pan. Personally, I fall in the no mop camp.
 
Yup, I saw that episode. I really like Raichlen, met him a couple yrs ago, a very nice, guy. I don't think there is a need to mop a brisket. The Midnight brisket method on the WSM works very well. It always turns out well with me. Fun to watch his shows anyways.
 
I think the most important thing is a meat thermometer. I don`t think a mop will penetrate either so... I`m making one this weekend I think... at least thats the plan!
 
Originally posted by Michael C.:
Yup, I saw that episode. I really like Raichlen, met him a couple yrs ago, a very nice, guy. I don't think there is a need to mop a brisket. The Midnight brisket method on the WSM works very well. It always turns out well with me. Fun to watch his shows anyways.
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I agree. He's one of two guys that got me really paying attention to what and how I grill. The other being Robert Rainford on the never-to-be-seen-around-here-anymore License to Grill.
 
I don't mop briskets. I don't take the lid off my smoker for the first 8 or so hours as I don't want to lose heat / moisture. I think the benefits of mopping are outweighed by the negatives in a WSM.
 
Originally posted by Pat McCreight:
I don't mop briskets. I don't take the lid off my smoker for the first 8 or so hours as I don't want to lose heat / moisture. I think the benefits of mopping are outweighed by the negatives in a WSM.
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Would mopping then not have a negative effect in say an off-set smoker where the heat is maintained in a firebox and therefore not effected when the cooking chamber lid is raised?
 
Originally posted by Steve Whiting:
Would mopping then not have a negative effect in say an off-set smoker where the heat is maintained in a firebox and therefore not effected when the cooking chamber lid is raised?
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You'd surely lose the heat in the cooking chamber which would then have to come back up temp.
 
Some spices and flavors do not hold up to long cooks so mopping can add those flavors to the finish product. I don't mop brisket and designed my rub so it is not needed but I have had brisket from folks that do and it was quite good.
 
I sometimes spray with a combination of apple juice, beer and a shot of Jack Daniels.

I sometimes mop using the recipe from Walter Jetton's LBJ barbecue cook book (I'll put it at the bottom of the post in case anyone's interested). But I don't baste every hour, I use Paul Kirk's method of halving -- If you're doing a 12 hour cook you would mop after 6 hours, then again after another 3 hours, then after another hour and a half, then after 45 minutes, etc. I like the flavor this mop adds to the brisket and when your guests arrive it looks like you're doing something when they see you mop. And if I have a drip pan under the brisket I'll collect the mop that ran off the meat along with the other drippings and use it to make a sauce for the brisket to serve along side the standard barbecue sauce.

Then I sometimes don't baste or mop at all. I don't think one method is particularly better than the others, but I like to mix it up a little.

Bill



Walter Jetton's Mop for all Barbecue Meats (I usually use 1/2 or sometimes 1/4 of the ingredients to make smaller batches)

4 quarts bone stock (beef stock)
2 pints Worcestershire Sauce
1 pint vinegar
1 pint oil
3 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons dry mustard
3 tablespoons MSG
3 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons Louisiana Hot Sauce
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground bay leaf

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let stand overnight.
This recipe is exactly the way Water Jetton wrote it down. I modified the instructions a little because he calls for you to make the "bone stock" yourself and most people ask we what exactly is "bone stock". If you are a stickler for authenticity then get a couple of "good stout beef bones" and boil them until you have a good stock. On another note, this recipe makes a gallon of mop, you might want to cut it down a little.
 
one more vote for no mop. but it may be good, not sure i never have yet. heck i don't even foil anymore.
 
I watch all Raichlens shows and always mopped until I got WSM and saw postings here. I guess depends on fat cap on top too.

Just got 5.5 lb pound brisket on sale at ShopRite that was fully trimmed. Too much IMO, but they were on sale due to Roshashonah (sp?) not for BBQing. I may have to cover with bacon or mop it looks like it may dry out.

Bill Freiberger wrote:

"...and when your guests arrive it looks like you're doing something when they see you mop."

Raichlen states that BBQing and grilling is "performance art" so mopping is part of the show you put on for others at party.
 
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