Jan
Low & Slow: ‘Cue the Texas BBQ
Smokey goodness: 13 hours of hickory and oak
With nothin’ but blue skies and breezes this weekend — and a visit last week to Lockhart Smokehouse fresh on my mind — I fired up the Big Green Egg with post oak and hickory, set the grill to low-and-slow, and cooked a 11-pound brisket.
[youtube]a5Wv2y8ilNk[/youtube]
Like most respectable ‘cue purists in Texas, I like to season my meat simply. I use a blend of one part kosher salt and five parts coursely ground black pepper, occasionally adding a light dusting of paprika for color.
My set-up is pretty simple, with a twist of technobabble.
I start with lump charcoal–no briquets, which contain fillers and binders. (I especially like the products they sell at Premier Grilling.) Once the coals are slightly ashen gray, I throw on a couple of hickory logs and some post oak chunks for their smokey flavor.
When the coals are hot, add chunks of post oak and hickory wood
The best way I’ve found to keep a steady temperature in my Egg is to use a computer-controlled stoker fan called, appropriately, the Stoker, from Rock’s Bar-B-Que.
When combined with an ambient temperature probe and a meat thermometer probe, I just enter the temperature I want to Egg to maintain, and the Stoker does the rest. Failproof. Idiotproof. Just what I need.
Hiller recommends using the Stoker to precisely regulate your BGE
I smoke my brisket at 229F, until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 190F–the magic temperature at which the collagen and connective tissue melts. That’s when the brisket surrenders into tender goodness and becomes magically delicious.
A steady stream of smoke early in the 'cue
This brisket took 13 hours. Hungry?
Getting hungry?
(oh, how about some beef ribs, smoked for five hours…)
Beef ribs, smoked in the Big Green Egg. No rib rack; stand them up with bamboo skewers
A plate of magically delicious beef ribs
Print 
PDF
This Way In (All Posts)
Drink This
This Way Out (Travel)
The Awesomist
Food & Wine Events
How's Your Drink?
Mix This
State Fare
Stay Here
8 Comments
Chuck, I own a current model of the Karubuecue (it’s actually the first one Bill sold), which I purchased at full price. I love it. Bill is a terrific resource for all things bbq. He’s an engineer by trade and a passionate bbq pilgrim. Of all the people I’ve met on the bbg circuit – including my friend Daniel Vaughn, Bill is the most knowledgeable about the science and art of cue. (But that’s why the author of Modernist Cuisine owns a Karubecue, too, and cited Bill in his book).
I would like to know more about the Karubecue. Have you personally used it?
David–I used only salt and pepper (and a bit of sweet paprika) for both the ribs and the brisket, and rubbed the mixture in right before placing the meat on the grill. Be sure to check out the karubecue at karubecue.com — I like it even better than the Egg for smoking.
Two questions:
(1) For the Brisket, did you just salt / pepper rub and put it on or let the rub sink in overnight?
(2) For the Ribs, did you use anything different than the Brisket?
Sounds awesome.
I’ve discovered something I like even better than the BGE: the Karubecue. It’s made by one of your Southlake neighbors, too.
we love love love our XL BGE :) For my husbands birthday I got him the iGrill at the Southlake Apple Store, now his iPad or iPhone tells him exactly what the internal temp is of whatever he’s making on his :) this was the best $$$ ever spent on our outdoor kitchen!
Very interesting post. I’d heard that the egg was good for smoking but I’ve never seen it in action. Now it’s either going to be a big egg or a weber smoker for me. Please post more barbecue!
looks great man; have always gotten good results with my Weber kettle usin a similar recipe and procedure of smoking. Like my pecan wood real well though! Keepit comin.