I made probably my finest brisket this weekend. 10 lb with a mustard slather and a new rub. Smoked with 6oz hickory at 225 for just about 9 hrs. Pulled at 186, foiled to hold and placed into a cooler with newspaper. Held for 6hrs and sliced thin...awsome. The family and friends raved! Great flavor and very moist. Now the question...Aside from a tomato style bbq sauce does anyone have a "finishing sauce" to serve on the side? Thanks for your response.

Do a search 'aaron Brooks' (the 2000/2001 contest winner) than go to brisket recipe(by smokin Okie) for the best brisket finishing sauce i have ever tried.

RT

rt64, I've used Aaron Brook's recipe before and it was wonderful...but this time I just wanted to try something different. Any other great finishing sauces out there?

What do you consider a finishing sauce,and what are you wanting it to do?

The drippings with a little ketchup to thicken is a quick and easy sauce.

I like Dr BBQ's French Dip Brisket Sandwiches, page 197, from his "Big Time" cookbook.

We eliminated the rub; use Swanson lower sodium beef broth; 3X the onions; and added mushrooms.

2 T. Butter (I go 1/2 stick)
1 onion (and mushrooms)
1 T. flour
16 oz Swanson lower salt beef broth
Brisket
Rolls
Rub to taste

Saute onion, mushroom and butter.
Add flour and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Whisk in broth and simmer.
Dip meat in broth and put in rolls (I butter and toast rolls on griddle).
Top with onions and shrooms.
Put broth in bowls for dipping.

I also do Ray's Shortcut Brisket, page 61, and Big Cow Injection (with the same Swansons broth).

Good Luck! Roger

I just looked at Aaron's recipe in the brisket archives. It was posted by formosabbq last year. It looks great, but the measurements are messed up with ? marks.

Does anyone have a clean copy they could post, please.

Thanks,

Hook

Tom, I'm not quite sure...I wanted something I could serve on the side that wasn't a tomato based sauce and not quite a "broth". When you compete in contests, do you put sauce on the side or "brush" the meat in any way? Thanks for your input...

quote:

Originally posted by rt64:
Do a search 'aaron Brooks' (the 2000/2001 contest winner) than go to brisket recipe(by smokin Okie) for the best brisket finishing sauce i have ever tried.

RT

rt64 - Where did you find Smokin Okies' brisket finishing sauce? Checked Brisket 101 and did a search with no luck.

Hey I'm with RT on this one, where did you find it? Heck, I've got so many posts in here I don't remember.

Here is the post for the Brisket recipe.
Winning Brisket recipe


I think what happened is that the recipe, when we moved from old to new, modified the characters. That's also why many, many, MANY of the old links don't work. (I don't like that part, too many links not working, but I'm a non-paid moderator)

I'll see if I can fix the recipe.

Not sure what brisket thing I posted, anyone find it or have it?

Mornin' pigisgood.

Sauce on the side is only in MIM contests,and they are pork only.

The Tx folks don't allow anything brushed onto the meat for turnins.

The thoughts are that if it is cooked correctly,it shouldn't need sauce.

At home,use what you like.

A popular choice is to defat the drippings[although a little fat adds flavor] that collect while the brisket is holding in the foil.

Add a little bbq sauce of your choice,to make a thin sauce with a flavor that suits you.

If it is too salty,you can always cut it with a little apple juice.

As suggested,a little losalt beef stock is handy to work with.

A touch of cayenne will add a little back heat.

Seems a bunch of folks out there use Cookshack mild sauce,thinned with drippin's.

The goal ,for me,is something that tastes and eats like BEEF brisket and a little moisture can be added to keep from drying out after slicing/chopping and accents the flavor.

Hope this helps a little.

Tom, thanks for the response. I've never had "real" Texas brisket so I needed some expert advise. Seems like I'm happy doing what I'm doing but just needed a lil direction. Thanks again...

2000-2001 Recipe Contest

Grand Prize Winner
Smoked Beef Brisket
Aaron Brooks

10 lb. brisket, packer trim

Marinade
½ cup orange juice
½ cup coke
1-½ tbsp. fresh ground black pepper
1-½ tbsp. celery salt
1-½ tbsp. cinnamon
1-½ tbsp. sea salt
1-½ tbsp. garlic pepper
1-½ tbsp. oregano
Place the brisket and marinade in a pan and cover with plastic wrap. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
Remove the brisket from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature.

Rub
1-½ tbsp. fresh ground black pepper
1-½ tbsp. celery salt
1 tbsp. chili powder
1-½ tbsp. sea salt
1-½ tbsp. garlic pepper
1-½ tbsp. oregano
While the brisket is coming to room temperature, apply rub. Smoke-cook at 225 degrees F for 12 hours with ½ hickory and ½ oak wood. Turn smoker temperature control to 150 degrees F.

Finishing Sauce
¼ cup brown sugar
1/8 c. honey
1/8 c. orange juice
1/8 c. ketchup
Remove the brisket from the smoker and place on a piece of aluminum foil large enough to wrap the brisket. Pour finishing sauce over the brisket. Wrap securely.
Place in smoker for 1 hour at 150 degrees F.
Remove brisket from smoker and open the foil to let steam escape. Let rest for 20 minutes. Slice thinly across the grain of the meat. Baste and serve with accumulated juices.

Don't know about the expert part,but you are welcome.

Folks might even want to try cooking like brisket,rather than "a contest winner" and see the difference.

quote:

Originally posted by Tom:
Folks might even want to try cooking like brisket,rather than "a contest winner" and see the difference.

Yeah, you're last brisket only missed first by .0002 (oops, sorry to bring that up) but you KNOW briskets.

So, don't surgar coat it Tom, are you saying you don't like the OJ/Coke marinade?