Smoked brisket is something my husband adores, since he is from Kansas City. Since we don’t have the special smokers or “ovens”, our Weber grill did a great job of replicating a close replica of brisket that we’ve enjoyed at a few barbecue restaurants. We always look for the tell-tale “smoke ring” and that tasty smoky flavor. We figured out how to make our own smoky beef brisket using our Weber grill, charcoal and some wood chips. I even made an easy, and delicious homemade barbecue sauce. It was a bit of a waiting process, but in the end, we were so thrilled with the end result.
Ohmygosh! I almost forgot about sharing this recipe that my husband made, back in May. Today, is the “unofficial” end of summer, in our part of the hemisphere.
Though, I’m not so sure I’m going to play by the rules.
(Pssssssst. I wear white after Labor Day.) We are known to grill in October and November. We can, still, buy fresh strawberries in September. Our Weber grill doesn’t get it’s winter cover for at least another month, so we shall continue to grill
There’s a local restaurant that serves excellent brisket, according to my husband. It reminds him of his hometown of Kansas City, Missouri. They slowly grill beef brisket, over oak wood– nice and slow, for 15-20 hours. It’s served with sauce on the side, and Craig gauges the quality of smoked brisket by the “smoke rings”.
While my husband is the first to admit that he’s not a cook, he has done a fine job of learning how to grill. We give all the credit to this book:
The step-by-step photos has helped the two of us to better understand how to use our Weber grill, how to use indirect heat and how to work with wood chips, to create that smokey flavor that we’ve come to love so much.
Because of the size of our brisket, this took close to three hours to make (the recipe said 4-5 hours), but it’s worth the effort. I made the rub in the recipe from this book. (If you want more details on how we use indirect heat, for grilling, click here.) I decided to make a beer-based mopping sauce, to keep the meat moist as it slow cooked. We mopped the brisket about every 20-30 minutes. NOTE: This was our first time working with a mopping sauce.
We’re not big fans of vinegar based sauces, but this mopping sauce was less “tart”. The sauce has beer, cider vinegar, water, vegetable oil, BBQ dry rub, Worcestershire sauce and coarsely ground pepper.
I finally had an excuse to use this BBQ accessory.
While the brisket was slow cooking, I decided to make a BBQ sauce to go with it.
The ingredients list sounded like it would be a good blend of savory, sweet and smokey.
As most barbecue sauce, we always begin with sauteed onions. Here, we add bell peppers, chili and garlic powder. We add ketchup and chili sauce…
Apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, lemon juice and honey…
Last, but not least, Maple Syrup (not pancake syrup).
A little bit smokey and sweet. Ready to go.
Craig adds more coals, about every 45 minutes, which he pre-starts in the a chimney. He also adds wood chips that have been soaked in water for at least 15 minutes. He pats the chips dry, so that they don’t put out the coals.
He covers the meat, opens the vent holes and here comes the smoke!
That’s flavor, baby!
See those red smoke rings? That’s what we’re talkin’ about! Let the brisket rest for at least 15 minutes. Slice and serve.
We like our brisket with sauce on the side. It’s moist, and tender, and delicious!
We served this with Campfire Beans and Creamy Cole Slaw.
You might be wondering if you can achieve the same results with a gas grill (and we own one of those, too). I don’t think it’s exactly the same, but I’ve heard that you can buy a metal wood chip box to create that smoky flavor. We like the convenience of our gas grill, but when it comes to cooking it low and slow– there’s nothing like a Weber!
Tomorrow, we’re grilling our Santa Maria Tri-Tip and inviting a few guests for dinner. I’d better seize the moment to make a pie from the last of our summer stone fruits. Wishing all of you a wonderful and safe Labor Day weekend. Go grill!
Slow-Grilled Smoky Beef Brisket with Beer-Based Mopping Sauce and Homemade BBQ Sauce
Smoked brisket is something my husband adores, since he is from Kansas City. Since we don't have the special smokers or "ovens", our Weber grill did a great job of replicating a close replica of Kansas City smoked brisket. We loved how the brisket turned out moist, tender and the sauce was homemade and amazing!
Servings: 10
Calories: 293kcal
Equipment
- Charcoal or Gas Grill
- Wood chips
Ingredients
For the brisket:
- 1 5-6 pound brisket with a layer of fat at least 1/4 inch thick;trimmed
For the rub:
- 3 Tablespoons chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon coarse salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1-1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
- 1-1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin optional, I left it out
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (up to 1 teaspoon)
For the mopping sauce:
- 3/4 cup cider vinegar
- 12 ounces beer
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon BBQ dry rub
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
For the BBQ sauce:
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/3 cup chili sauce
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
For the brisket:
- Rinse the brisket under cold running water and blot dry with paper towels.
- Combine all the ingredients for the rub in a small bowl and stir to mix. Reserve 1 tablespoon.
- Rub the mixture into the brisket on all sides. If you have the time, let the brisket stand in the refrigerator, covered, for 4-6 hours. But you can certainly cook it right away.
- Combine all the ingredients for the mop sauce in a non-reactive bowl and stir until combined.
For the BBQ Sauce:
- In a medium to large saucepan, saute the onions in the butter over medium heat until soft.
- Add remaining ingredients.
- Bring mixture to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
- NOTE: The sauce can be stored in a well-sealed container, in the fridge, for a few weeks.
- Set up the grill for indirect grilling, If using a gas grill, preheat to low. If using a gas grill, place all the wood chips in a smoker box or in a smoker pouch and preheat on high until you see smoke then reduce the heat to low.
- When ready to cook, if using a charcoal grill, toss 1 cup of wood chips on the coals. Place the brisket, fat-side up in an aluminum foil pan and place in the center of the hot grate, away from the heat and over the grill. Grill the brisket until tender, about 4-6 hours (the cooking time will depend on the size of the brisket and the heat of the grill). Baste or mop sauce once an hour for the first four hours.
- If using a charcoal grill, you’ll need to add 12 fresh coals and 1/2 cup of wood chips per side every hour.
- To test for doneness, use an instant-read thermometer; the internal temperature should be about 190F.
- Transfer the brisket to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Thinly slice across the grain; using an electric knife or sharp carving knife.
- Transfer the slice meat to plates or a platter and pour the pan juices on top, if you desire. We like to serve BBQ sauce on the side.
Nutrition
Calories: 293kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 1442mg | Potassium: 435mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 1557IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @afeastfortheeyes or tag #afeastfortheeyesblog!
What a fantastic post. I want to jump right into the screen for a taste. Hope you enjoy a long and leisurely weekend.
Sam
Popped by to check out your blog and was stopped dead in my tracks by this lovely brisket! Can't think of anything better for this Labor Day weekend. All my guys would love this!
That is one absolutely gorgeous brisket!
What a work of art! Always wondered what smoke rings looked like, yum. I make baby back ribs with rub cooked low and slow. Unbearably tender. This brisket must be incredible.
Oh Debby!!!!! this is so delicious looking, I'm drooling and I think I can smell it!!! fantastic!!
Mary x (I wear white after Labor Day too)
I am ready to pack up and drive to California for your grilled brisket Debby! How seductive your photos are! Also I wanted to let you know that I have you listed in my 'delicious blogs' blogroll over on my new WordPress blog that I am nurturing. Stop over and let me know what you think if you have a second, and hopefully follow along. At some point, the Blogger location will have to end due to lack of time to maintain both.
have a SUPER holiday! and thanks for your support!
I don't think summer's going to let up here on the east coast either so there will be plenty of time to make this brisket. It looks so perfectly cooked!
UAU Debby,
It looks so mouth watering and "melt in the mouth"…
Cheers,
Lia.
Oh. My. Gosh. My mouth is WATERING. Your food always looks so delicious, and this is no exception. I know this is something my husband and I would both enjoy! 🙂