Barbecue Brisket And Cowboy Butter Recipe

Fans of barbecue can rejoice over this brisket recipe, which features the tender meat alongside a zesty cowboy butter. "Brisket has a dense meaty flavor and, when cooked low and slow, it becomes tender and melts in your mouth," recipe developer Julianne De Witt describes. This cut is also rather large, so, as she also points out, it "feeds a crowd." That being said, the leftovers can be repurposed in soups, sandwiches, tacos, and chili. If several pounds of meat still sounds like an awful lot to use up before it goes bad (De Witt estimates it will last for maybe four days in the fridge), it can also be frozen.

De Witt has a few tips when it comes to smoking brisket. For starters, she likes to use mesquite as the smoky flavor pairs well with red meat, although she does say that hickory or apple wood chips can be used if preferred. She also notes that if your grill lacks a smoker box, you can simply wrap a handful of wood chips in foil, then poke some holes on top of the packet and stick it on the hot side of the grill. Once the wood starts smoking, put the meat on the cold side (indirect heat) and cook as per the recipe directions. Keep an eye on the foil pack of wood chips, though, and replace it when it stops smoking.

In addition to the brisket itself, you'll need smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, ground mustard, cumin, and brown sugar to season it with. For the cowboy butter, a trendy condiment that De Witt describes as being "all over on Instagram and TikTok a while back (though it's no relation to cowboy hotdogs or cookies) you'll also need butter, fresh garlic, a shallot, ground chipotle, mustard, and Italian parsley.

Mix all of the brisket seasonings and sugar, then rub half the mixture over the top of the meat. Turn it over and rub the rest of the seasonings into the other half. Wrap the brisket in plastic, then stick it in the fridge for at least 5 hours, although 8 to 12 would be even better if you can swing it. Before you cook the meat, though, you'll need to take it out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for an hour.

As the meat is warming up, you'll need to soak about 4 cups of mesquite chips in enough water to cover them. They'll soak for an hour, then you'll drain them and stick them in the smoker box. Set the grill to heat up to 225 F, then, as the chips start to smoke, turn off one of the grill burners.

Stick a thermometer probe where the brisket is thickest, then plop it onto the cool side of the grill with the fatty side facing up. Smoke the meat for about 5 hours or until the thermometer reads 195 F. De Witt does caution, though, that "Sometimes when cooking brisket, [you] may you encounter what is know as the 'stall' when the meat reaches about 150 F and just doesn't budge." In this case, she recommends wrapping the meat in foil and then continuing to cook it until the temperature rises to where it needs to be.

When the meat is done cooking, cover it with a foil tent and let it sit and rest for half an hour before slicing it against the grain.

Melt the butter, then stir in all of the seasonings to "cowboy"-fy it. If the meat still needs to rest longer, keep the butter warm so it stays liquid. Pour it over each slice of meat before you eat it. Any leftover butter. like the brisket, can be stored in the refrigerator, although De Witt advises it'll only last a few days. She does say, though, that it goes well with other meats such as ribs or chicken.