Salt And Pepper Brisket

QansasjayhawQ

QansasjayhawQ

is Blowin Smoke!
Joined
Jun 21, 2006
Messages
1,515
Reaction score
255
Points
0
Location
Lawrence...
I've read a few of the threads with regard to using only salt and pepper on brisket which seems to be a kind of Texas style.

It took me about 21 briskets before I was happy with my brisket flavors, but NONE of them have ever used only salt and pepper. Right now I use rubs and other seasonings plus injection.

Could any of you with salt and pepper brisket experience lend some advice on the best way to go about cooking a salt and pepper only brisket?

What kinds of wood? Do you ever wrap? Cook directly over the coals? Indirect? Best temperatures? etc. etc. etc.

Thank you very much!
 
Rock Chalk!! That is all...

Seriously though, I am no brisket expert. However, everything I have seen is just cook it like you would any other brisket. Only instead of using your normal rub, use S&P only??
 
I'm far from a brisket expert, too (haven't even done the 21 that you have), but the best briskets that I have made were salt and pepper only. The best one, and it wasn't just good compared to my other briskets, it was damn good anyways, was made rubbed with mustard, then flake salt and cracked black pepper. I didn't measure anything, just went until I felt the ratio and cover was good.

I cooked it at ~250* using briquettes and cherry wood chunks in my vertical offset. When the bark was visually appealing, I wrapped it in foil and started checking for probe tender when I got to the 190's for the internal temp. Once it was probe tender at the thick part of the flat, I pulled it and let it breathe for about 10-15 minutes prior to adding some of the drippings that I caught, wrapping tightly, and resting in a cooler for just over 2 hours.

I'll experiment with some other rubs, recipes, and such on the point to try new things, but it'll be hard to talk me off of salt and pepper.
 
I'm no expert, but I do cook brisket from time to time and am generally happy with the results. My favorite way for brisket is S&P - same for short ribs as well. I use kosher salt and cracked black pepper 50/50 by weight and hit the brisket pretty hard with that rub, but not caked on. Then just cook it till it's tender. Wrap if and when the bark gets to where you like it, rest, slice and eat.
 
BluDawgs Brisket

K.I S.S. some of the best brisket you will ever eat! Total cook time including the rest 8 hrs or less. I promise it will be as moist as mornin dew on the lilly, tender as a mothers love, pure beefy smoky goodness.

1 packer 12-15 lb
Trim off the hard fat on each side of the flat thin the fat cap to 1/4"

Mix your Rub
1 part kosher salt 4 parts Med grind Black peppa by volume( this is a true 50/50 BY weight)
apply a coat of rub you need to be able to see the meat through the rub clearly.

Pre heat the pit to 300 deg
place brisket on the pit Fat Cap Down and point to the firebox unless it is a RF cooker then point to away from FB

Maintain pit between 275-325 if cookin on a stick burner
cook Brisket 4 hrs
remove from pit wrap in a single layer of Butcher paper Return to pit Fat cap up.
after 1 hr probe the thicket part of the Flat only! If it isn't *probe tender it should be within 1 hr.
once it is probe tender remove from the pit keep it wrapped in the paper you cooked it in and allow it to rest on your counter until the Internal temp reaches 150 this will take about two hrs.
Don't ever slice more than you can eat big pieces retain moisture and won't dry up on you like slices will.
*PROBE TENDER>This is the feel that is mimicked by cutting room temperature butter with a hot knife, there should be no drag
 
I am an expert at EATING Texas brisket, and I love it done with just salt and pepper. You really taste the beef and smoke.

I have seen everything from a 50/50 by volume, to one with more pepper than salt. Aaron Franklin uses a 50/50 mix of kosher salt and coarse ground pepper by volume (the same thing I use on steaks).

You don't want to go too thick with an S&P rub, which is more of a "heavy seasoning" than a "rub." You want to enhance the meat and smoke flavors, not bury them.

Good luck! I hope you like it.

CD
 
gtr said:
I'm no expert, but I do cook brisket from time to time and am generally happy with the results. My favorite way for brisket is S&P - same for short ribs as well. I use kosher salt and cracked black pepper 50/50 by weight and hit the brisket pretty hard with that rub, but not caked on. Then just cook it till it's tender. Wrap if and when the bark gets to where you like it, rest, slice and eat.
Click to expand...

^^^ This is my favorite way. :thumb:
 
salt & Pepper

I just use McCormicks Montreal Steak Seasoning. It is mostly salt & pepper.
DanB
 
Bludawg said:
BluDawgs Brisket

K.I S.S. some of the best brisket you will ever eat! Total cook time including the rest 8 hrs or less. I promise it will be as moist as mornin dew on the lilly, tender as a mothers love, pure beefy smoky goodness.

1 packer 12-15 lb
Trim off the hard fat on each side of the flat thin the fat cap to 1/4"

Mix your Rub
1 part kosher salt 4 parts Med grind Black peppa by volume( this is a true 50/50 BY weight)
apply a coat of rub you need to be able to see the meat through the rub clearly.

Pre heat the pit to 300 deg
place brisket on the pit Fat Cap Down and point to the firebox unless it is a RF cooker then point to away from FB

Maintain pit between 275-325 if cookin on a stick burner
cook Brisket 4 hrs
remove from pit wrap in a single layer of Butcher paper Return to pit Fat cap up.
after 1 hr probe the thicket part of the Flat only! If it isn't *probe tender it should be within 1 hr.
once it is probe tender remove from the pit keep it wrapped in the paper you cooked it in and allow it to rest on your counter until the Internal temp reaches 150 this will take about two hrs.
Don't ever slice more than you can eat big pieces retain moisture and won't dry up on you like slices will.
*PROBE TENDER>This is the feel that is mimicked by cutting room temperature butter with a hot knife, there should be no drag
Click to expand...
Thank you very much for that write up!
I've never used butcher paper to wrap - just aluminum foil.
So, do you mean butcher paper that's lined?
Seems like butcher paper would leak . . . but I don't know - never tried it.
Thanks again for the instructions! I appreciate it.
 
I'm in the Kosher salt and cracked black pepper group also. I have mostly used hickory wood although lately am using pecan. As far as a wrap. I prefer butcher paper if I use one.
 
I had great luck with Bluedawg's brisket last time. Only change was to do dry rub the night before (equal pts S&P by weight), then inject with beef stock 1 hr before putting on at 300 degrees. Lump plus hickory splits the whole time using my leaky RF offset. I wrapped around 150-160 using pink butcher paper that's not lined. At 200 it was probe tender - I put it in a cooler for two hrs, then in the fridge since it was like 4am at this point. But holy moly this was amazing brisket. I'm going to try at 320 this weekend to see if I can speed things up a bit. It probably helped I used a good 15lb Angus brisket from restaurant depot.
 
Well it looks like everyone's got you lined up on how to cook with salt and pepper so now lets talk wood.
If you want to try a true central Texas style brisket then you'd want to use post oak. I use oak as my primary fuel and usually that's all I use but sometimes I'll throw in a stick or two of mesquite or pecan. Oak and mesquite are great on beef!:wink:
 
I use half s and p, then foil when the color is nice, about 160 in my water cookers. And boom deadly temps dont matter as much as some say just takes longer- if its too low though you will dry it out. Some of my cookers like 250, some 275 or abit higher but none seem to settle at 225.. By the way s and p briskets taste the best to me, ill hit em with some beef brooth and s and p, its so good, I have had people think i was being an ass when i said all i use is salt and pepper :lol:
 
gtr said:
I'm no expert, but I do cook brisket from time to time and am generally happy with the results. My favorite way for brisket is S&P - same for short ribs as well. I use kosher salt and cracked black pepper 50/50 by weight and hit the brisket pretty hard with that rub, but not caked on. Then just cook it till it's tender. Wrap if and when the bark gets to where you like it, rest, slice and eat.
Click to expand...

This right here is what I typically do. The last month or so I have been fiddling with injections and rubs to practice for my first competition. They are good briskets, but I prefer my salt and pepper briskets over the injected and rubbed briskets.

Cook a brisket right and you will find that you do not need a complex rub to make it taste good.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
K.I.S.S Brisket
Replies
5
Views
531
Big George's BBQ
Big George's BBQ
16Adams
Why Brisket Too Dam High, and a Thank You
2 3
Replies
50
Views
2K
gcs
G
S
Favorite rubs and marinades
Replies
5
Views
400
IamMadMan
IamMadMan
cayenne
Vacuum Sealers: Need Recommendations (Brand, External vs Chamber, Bags)...?
2 3
Replies
40
Views
2K
cayenne
cayenne
cayenne
RUBS: Why do you do store-bought rather than home made?
2 3
Replies
42
Views
2K
Shiv
S
Back
Top