Texas Beef Barbecue
Submitted by miller_544
Whole beef brisket slow-smoked over charcoal for 4 to 5 hours, basted in a tangy homemade sauce with green chiles and hickory-finished until it practically crumbles. Pile it on buns and let the napkins fly.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
5 hrsREADY
5 hrsIf you want to know what real Texas barbecue tastes like, this is your starting line.
A whole brisket goes fat-side up over indirect heat, cooking low and slow while you baste it with a from-scratch sauce that’s got some serious backbone. Ketchup and cider vinegar bring the tang, Worcestershire and butter add richness, and green chile plus chili powder give it that unmistakable Lone Star kick.
The finishing move? Soaked hickory chips tossed on the coals to blanket everything in smoke. By the time you pull this brisket off the grill, it’s falling apart under its own weight.
Pile the shredded meat onto buttered buns with extra sauce and you’ve got yourself a spread that feeds a crowd.
Kitchen Tips
- Keep your coals moderate, not raging. This isn’t a steak sear. Replenish as needed but never pile them high. Patience is the secret ingredient here.
- Soak your hickory chips at least 30 minutes. Wet chips smolder and smoke instead of flaming out, giving you that deep, woodsy flavor without burning.
- Brisket freezes beautifully. Shred the leftovers, toss them in sauce, and freeze in portions. You’ll have ready-made barbecue sandwiches for weeks.
Ingredients
Directions
When the fire has burned down to hot coals, spread to provide moderate heat and fit a drip pan in front of in the center of the coals.
Place the brisket, fat side up, over the drip pan.
Cover the grill and adjust the dampers to maintain slow steady heat.
While the meat is cooking, in a sauce pan combine all of the other ingredients, blending well, and simmer for 10 minutes.
After 1 hour, baste the meat lightly with the sauce and turn the meat as needed to cook evenly.
Replenish the fire as needed, but don’t pile the coals, as the brisket should cook slowly.
Cook 4 to 5 hours total until the meat almost falls apart.
Sprinkle 2 to 3 handfuls of hickory chips, that have been soaked in water, over the coals.
Cover the grill or enclose the top of the meat in a sheet of foil, tucked around the bottom edges of the meat and let the hickory smoke the meat for 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove the cover and brush the meat with the sauce.
Place the meat on a platter and slice.
It will crumble.
Serve the meat and the remaining sauce on split and buttered sandwich buns.
Any leftover sandwiches can be frozen and reheated in a Microwave or conventional oven, or the shredded meat and sauce can be frozen together to reheat later for sandwiches.
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