Brisket Philly Cheesesteak Pizza

Making pizza around the Three Dogs household has become a bit of a family event around here.  With the new BBQ toy, everyone comes over and it is a build your own pizza party.  A few weeks ago, with some leftover smoked brisket in the refrigerator, I decided to try my hand at a Philly Cheesesteak Pizza.  Off to the kitchen we go!

As always, Hope whipped up a batch of dough in the bread machine.  While the dough was rising, I sautéed some onions and peppers and then slowly caramelized some mushrooms at low temperature.  Once that was done, I cubed up some leftover smoked brisket as well.    

Once the dough was ready, Hope spread the dough out on our cast iron pizza pan and built the pizza.  We placed a very light coat of olive oil on top of the dough.  Then, that was followed up with thinly sliced provolone cheese, followed by the peppers, onions, mushrooms, and smoked brisket.

Next, the pie went into the hot pizza oven for about 14 minutes total, with a flip after seven minutes.  Strange when all you can smell coming from the pizza oven is smoked brisket.

I like my cheesesteak sandwiches with a little mayo when I buy them from the local sandwich shop.  For experimentation, I whipped up some sriracha mayo to try as a secondary experiment on one slice.  while the taste was ok, I don't think I would do this again.  It was a good idea that did not live up to expectations.  

This is good stuff folks.  Give this one a try the next time you have some leftover brisket.  

Thanks for stopping by,

Bill

Brisket isn't just for Dinner anymore: Homemade Brisket Hash

I love corned beef or roast beef hash, perfectly cooked with a little bit of crispiness.  When paired with a fried egg, there are not many breakfast combinations that are better.  So, with the absolute last few pieces of our Super Bowl brisket, I made some hash for breakfast.

First, I cut the following:

1/2 of a sweet onion with a rough dice.
1/2 of green pepper with a rough dice.
2 small potatoes, run through a mandolin for a fine julianne cut.  I soak in salted water to remove moisture from the potato.
1 cup of brisket with a rough dice.

Next, I heated some olive oil in a pan then sautéed my onion and pepper with a grinding of sea salt and pepper.  Sauté until the onion is translucent.

Then I drained my potato and added to sauté.

Once the potato was cooked and had a nice crispy crust, I added my diced brisket and cooked until warmed through.

I topped my hash with a fried egg and served with toasted English muffin bread and a dollop of jalapeño ketchup.

This hash was outstanding.  Much better than the stuff you get in a can.  Smoky, crispy, and perfect with a dippy egg.  Give this a try with some of your left over brisket in the future.

Thanks for stopping by,

Bill

Shepherds Pie, Brisket Style

After our Super Bowl party and few days of picking through leftovers, we still had some leftover brisket.  What to do with this leftover meat?  Freeze?  Perhaps.  But why dull something that is so good.

With some inspiration from a fellow smoker friend, I decided to try my hand at some shepherds pie made with the reserved au jus from my brisket smoke, the rest of our left over brisket, and some leftover mashed potato casserole.

First, I took the reserved au jus, skimmed the fat off of the top, and placed the liquid in a medium sauce pan.  This amounted to two cups.  I then heated and brought the au jus to a gentle boil.  The infused smoke aroma was intoxicating to say the least.  

While the above was heating, I took two cups of beef stock and added a half cup of flour and whisked until the lumps were incorporated and the resulting mixture was smooth.

I then added the flour/stock mixture to the boiling au jus and whisked to incorporate.  Then, I lowered the heat to low and simmered to thicken, stirring occasionally.

Once thickened, I added about three cups of cubed brisket, fat removed, and one package of frozen mixed vegetables.

Then I stirred to make uniform.

I poured the above mixture into a 9x13 pan lightly sprayed with cooking spray.  Then, I took the leftover mashed potato casserole and added some milk to make it some what spreadable.  You could also use freshly prepared mashed potatoes.

I then slid the dish into an oven pre-heated to 350 F and baked for 45 minutes, or until brown on top and bubbly inside.

How was this shepherds pie?

Rich, thick, decedent, and smoky.  The brisket meat was tender and falling apart.  The potatoes could have been a little more crusty on top, but using fresh mashed potatoes will solve that problem.  Maybe even a few minutes under the broiler would work as well.  This was perfect on a cold evening.  We will be making this with leftover brisket again.

Thanks for stopping by,

Bill

Brisket: The Low and Slow Method

Our last post focused on the Hot and Fast method of smoking a brisket.  This method seems to be all the rage these days on the BBQ circuit.  But, now I go back to a method where I made my best brisket, from a tenderness standpoint: going Low and Slow.

Twelve years ago for a house warming party (I've lived here this long?  Where does time go?) I smoked a nice brisket on my Weber kettle.  It took all day long, but it was tender.  So, lets see how low and slow works on a proper smoker.

First, I made a batch of my injection:

2 cans of beef stock
1 bottle of Stubbs beef marinade, strained to remove the large spices that will clog your injector
3 tbsp of butter
1 tbsp of Mesquite Liquid Smoke
1 tbsp Sriracha sauce

Bring the above to a boil, then chill to 40 F so that you can inject the brisket safely.

This time I had some advance notice as this brisket was for a Super Bowl party.  So, I had a full seven  pound flat and a seven pound point.  I injected both, rubbed liberally with Oakridge Black Ops Brisket rub, and let sit in the refrigerator overnight.

Point:

Flat:

Ready for the smoker after a night in the refrigerator:

I brought the smoker to 225 F, placed some pecan wood in the ash pan, and placed the brisket on the top rack.  Time to wait.  Here are my cooking notes:

Placed brisket on top rack in the middle at 6:45 am.

12:10 pm, flat at 159 F internal.

2:24 pm, flat at 171 F internal.

2:45 pm, flat at 175 F, time to put in pan with reserved injection and cover with foil.

Brisket before the pan.

5:30 pm, point and flat at 195 F.  Probe slides in like butter.  Time to pull and rest.

I wrapped both pans with towels and let sit in a cooler for two hours to rest.  Then, I made burnt ends with the point and sliced the flat.  Here are the results.

Point before cubing.

Flat before slicing.

Burnt Ends.

Sliced flat.

This brisket now ranks as the best brisket that I have ever made.  It was also the first brisket I have made that was ready at 195 F.  This brisket was tender and full of flavor.  It would have not scored less than an eight in any category on the KCBS judging scale.  

What do I think of the two methods?  Well, every brisket is different.  I could have been lucky that the Low and Slow produced a brisket that was perfect from a tenderness standpoint at 195 F.  I usually end up probing until the meat reaches between 200 and 205 F.  So, I will try this method one more time before May.  But, I am leaning towards low and slow.  It may mean less sleep for me at a competition.  But, it may pay off the next day with a walk to the stage.

Overall, I was glad I tried both methods.  If I need to produce a brisket on short notice, the Hot and Fast method will produce acceptable product in a short amount of time.  If I am looking for the gold standard, Low and Slow is the way to go.  

Thanks for stopping by,

Bill

Mini Texas BBQ Tour

A few weeks ago, I was in Texas on business.  My first stop was Austin and my second stop was Cleburne, just west of Dallas-Ft. Worth.  As to be expected, I took the opportunity to sample the local BBQ.

In Austin, I asked for good Que close to my hotel since it was a long day of traveling.  It was recommended by my customer to visit Vic's BBQ about a mile from my hotel.

Vic's is a little joint nestled in a small strip mall next to a convenience store.  A bit run down looking, but aren't those the best spots?  Upon walking in, you are directed to the counter situated right next to the menu.

After scanning the menu and the meat, I settled on the Three Meat combo with two sides.

Since I was in Texas, I had to try the hot links and brisket, and I chose some pork spare ribs for my third meat.  Unfortunately, beef rib night is on Thursday.  My sides were jalapeno pintos and cole slaw.  The whole platter was served with the two customary slices of squishy white bread.

How was everything.  Well, lets start with the good.  The brisket and rib meat was cooked to a perfect tenderness.  The hot link had a nice snappy skin and the cole slaw was fresh and not limp.  The beans were tender as well and the bread was fresh not stale.  Unfortunately, this plate was devoid of flavor.  Where were the jalapenos in the beans?  Where was the rub on the brisket and ribs?  Where was the spicy goodness in the hot links?  Where was the vinegar in the cole slaw?  Everything was tasteless.  Even the sauce couldn't save the taste buds on this plate.  To sum it all up, the whole plate was a perfectly cooked ode to blandness.  If you like tender meat, Vic's is for you.  If you want some spice and taste, go elsewhere.

Bottom line, Vic's BBQ gets a C.  It may have been a bad day for the spice and the perfectly tender meats saved this visit.

The next day as I was driving though Cleburne, I found this little joint, Buffalo Creek BBQ.

After the experience at Vic's the day before, I was not planning on BBQ.  I was going to go Mexican.  But, I was hungry, I couldn't find Mexican, and this place just appeared out of no where.  So, I parked and in I went.

The place is run by 5 little old ladies with an average age of around 65.  I was a bit hesitant, but I was already there and the gentleman in front of me had just picked up a pound of BBQ Bologna.  The place couldn't be all that bad.  Right?  So, I scanned the meats and made my choices.

I went again with the Three Meat combo with two sides.

I had the hot links, brisket, and smoked turkey with the spicy sauce and for sides I had the pintos and cornbread salad.  How was it?  Pure heaven.

Again, the meat was cooked to the perfect tenderness.  But, this stuff had flavor.  The hot links were bursting with garlic and spice.  The brisket was fork tender and seasoned to perfection with just the right amount of heat.  The turkey was the biggest surprise.  It was brined perfectly with a slightly sweet and spicy rub.  The hickory smoke was just right.  The beans were tender and had a nice level of spice that left the lips tingling and begging for more.  I had never had Cornbread Salad before, but it was wonderful.  The best I can tell it is day old sweet cornbread that is coarsely crumbled.  To it, they added smoked bacon cooked crisp, finely diced green pepper and onion, and just enough mayo to hold it all together.  I will be trying to make this at home.

Overall, A+!  The best BBQ I have ever had that was not from a competition.  I wish they were within driving distance.  If you are ever in Cleburne, Buffalo Creek BBQ is a must add to your bucket list.

Thanks for stopping by...

Bill

Saturday Brisket, Santa Maria Style

Well, we picked up a nice brisket for some practice this weekend before our last competition.  It was a nice five pound flat that required minimal trimming...

First, I injected with 1/2 cup of Moore's Marinade, 1/2 cup of beef stock, and 1/4 cup of canola oil.  I injected in a grid pattern with my Spitjack injector gun set for #3 on the dial...

After injecting, the brisket received an even coat of Oakridge BBQ Santa Maria rub.

Bottom...

Top...

Then, I covered with foil, put the pan in the refrigerator, and let the brisket get happy over night.  Total happy time was about 12 hours.

After happy time...

Then, onto the smoker at 250 F with hickory wood in the ash pan, fat side up...

After three hours, I flipped with the fat side down until the internal temperature reached 165 F.

After the flip...

Once the internal temp hit 165 F, I placed the brisket in a pan with 1 cup of beef stock, covered with foil, and placed back in the smoker until the internal temp hit 195.  Once the brisket hit 195 F, I wrapped the pan in towels and let rest in a cooler for three hours.  The brisket needed 7 hours to get to 195 F.  So, total time, with resting, was 10 hours.

Here is a picture after removing from the foil...

Sliced...

Yes, I know.  Some of the slices are a bit thick.  It was late, I was tired, and I didn't feel like digging for the electric knife.  What I can tell you is that the flavor was outstanding.  Not as tender as I would have liked, but tender enough.

I can't rave enough about the Oakridge BBQ Santa Maria seasoning.  I loved the package from the sampler pack so much, I went out a bought a pound.

I also reserved the Au Jus for later.  I am going to experiment with that later this week.  I'll report back then.

Thanks for stopping by...

Bill

Brisket on Ole Blue

Well, I have been wanting to try a meld of some brisket techniques to see if we can improve our brisket for the judges.  After yesterdays cook, I think we have something...

First, I injected with a mix of Colony Sauce (a local prime rib marinade) and canola oil.  Then, I rubbed with some of our All Purpose Blend, placed in a pan, and let sit in the frig overnight.  Here is the brisket after overnight happy time:

I then fired Ole Blue up to 325 and scraped the racks down.  Then, the brisket went on the middle rack, fat side up, hickory and peach in the ash pan...

1 hour, 325, then,  flipped to fat side down and lowered the pit temp to 250.  As you can see, I had some nice bark formation...

At 250 F, I then cooked to 165 F internal.  Then, into a pan with 1 cup Yeungling lager, 1 cup beef broth, and 1 tbsp of AP rub.  Covered with foil, back into Ole Blue at 250 F...

Once it was 195 F internal, I started probing with my thermometer for tenderness.  This brisket was like butter at 200 F.  When done, I opened the foil and released the steam to promote bark formation, resealed, then I put into a cooler with towels to rest.  This brisket had about 3 hours of rest time...

Look at all that nice Au Jus...

Separated the point from the flat and cubed for Burnt Ends...

Trimmed up the sides and sliced the flat thin...

Nice bark, tender, but not too tender.  Great flavor, especially with some Au Jus...

Back to the Burnt Ends...  Tossed the cubes with more rub and a thin coat of sauce.  Placed in a pan and back on Ole Blue for 30 minutes...

Sweet, spicy, caramelized goodness.  I love Burnt Ends.  I think they are the best part of the brisket.

So, to review:

1.  Inject and rub.
2.  Sit overnight.
3.  1 hour, 325 F, fat side up.
4.  Flip fat side down, lower temp to 250, cook till 165 F.
5.  Put in pan with beer/beef broth/rub.  Cook to 195 F and start checking for doneness.
6.  Rest for at least 2 hours in cooler.
7.  Slice and stand back.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for stopping by...

Bill