Get a taste of perfectly cooked BBQ at Barn & Company's monthly Pitmaster Dinner, Wednesday August 29th, 7PM-9PM. The theme is the Texas Hill Country Dinner and will feature dishes such as toasted rattlesnake ravioli and Mikeska Texas spicy beef sausage.
Tickets may be purchased at www.barnandcompany.com for $40.
Barn & Company
950 W. Wrightwood
Chicago
(773) 832-4000
Gary's BBQ Tips:
- It all starts and ends with the beef. To ensure a tasty finished product, inspect your piece of brisket, making sure there is a full packer cut brisket point and the flat (inside lean surface) has the fat cap is intact. The fat should be trimmed to a 1/4-inch all around, your butcher can do this for you.
- Season the meat with a rub such as a mixture of kosher salt and cracked pepper.
- A 15lb. full packer cut brisket should typically be smoked at the 212-225° range. Start with the fat side up and flip the brisket twice during the cook, because the meat should finish cooking fat side up. This maximizes the flavors on the fatty crusty bark.
-In the last third of the cook, I foil the very outer edge of the flat (similar to what one would do with the end of a turkey drumstick) so it does not dry out
-A ballpark estimate for my cooking style is 10-12 hours. A two-tined meat fork should slide easily into the brisket and the flesh itself should have a slight wobble when poked. Slicing the brisket against the grain will keep the meat more tender.
