I really wanted to try and make a brisket for Christmas day. I realize that you should never make something you've never tried when guests are coming, but I decided to gamble.
I started with a whole "packer brisket" from the local Sam's Club. My local grocer sells this variety on occasion, but Sam's is much more reasonable. The brisket I picked was 12.45 pounds.
I could have marinated or brined it prior to using a dry rub, but I didnt have the time. Here is how I did it:
I removed the brisket from the plastic and coated liberally with dry rub. The recipe is:
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons ground cumin
While the brisket was coming to room temperature with the rub, I completely cleaned out the Big Green Egg. This meant removing the fire ring and fire box. I wanted to make sure that there was nothing restricting the airflow. To build the fire, I started with larger pieces of lump and kept adding pieces by hand till the lump was at the top of the fire box. I placed a few handfuls of lump in the chimney starter (half full) and fired it up. After about 15 minutes the chimney starter was ready and i dumped the burning lump in a circular pattern. The goal was to hav ethe fire burn slowly and continuosly. I added the plate setter, drip pan and grate and stabilized the temperature at 250 degrees.
I inserted my wireless thermometer and put the brisket on the grill. Since we were planning on eating the next day around noon, I put the brisket on at 8:15 at night. The egg seemed stable so i set an alarm on the thermometer and went to bed around midnight. Unfortunately for me, the wireless thermometer couldn't reach the bedroom and was having technical difficulties. Since I didn't have a plan B, I set an alarm for every 1.5 - 2 hours to wake up and check the fire. I hate waking up like that so that was the most difficult part of the cook. Sometime in the middle of the night, it started to rain. I was worried the egg would have issue, but it stayed on temperature like a champ. i had to adjust the vents slightly, but I was impressed by how well it maintained temperature.
After about 14.5 hours, the brisket was 195 degrees. I took it off, let it rest over an hour (guests weren't here yet), then sliced it. I may have messed up the whole against the grain cutting, but I loved it. This is by far the best brisket I have ever made.
I love my Big Green Egg. Here are the pictures:
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| Whole packer cut brisket |
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| Rub added and waiting to go on the egg |
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| After 14.5 hours, it is finally done |
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| Ready for slicing |
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| Awesomeness |
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| It was tender and tasted great |
