Are you looking to add a little more zing to your next smoked brisket? If so, a homemade rub and sauce is the solution. This recipe for smoked beef brisket starts with a simple, yet flavorful, barbecue rub. After smoking and then resting, the meat is sliced and served with a tangy fresh lime and cilantro sauce. So, heat up that smoker, and let’s get smoking.
In our house, grilling and smoking meat is a team effort. My job is to come up with the seasoning mixes, rubs, marinades, and sauces. B.O.B. Bob’s job is to actually grill or smoke the meat. There have been a few occasions when we’ve switched those roles without too much disaster. However, I think we can both agree that we are each at our best when not doing the other person’s job. That, my friends, is the key to a good relationship. Knowing when to say, “Hey, you’re better at this than me. It’s all yours. Have at it.”
Unlike me, my darling and much beloved B.O.B. Bob is not so good at measuring and balancing flavors. And me, well let’s just say that I lack the focus that grilling and smoking meat requires. I tend to go about the house doing ten things at a time, which does not bode well when someone needs to actually be focused on a grill or smoker temperature. So, I’m quite happy to whip up a rub and sauce mixture, send B.O.B. Bob outside to do the cooking, and then continue on with what I’m best at. Making potato salad to go with the brisket.
Ingredients:
Brisket Rub:
- 1/3 Cup Light Brown Sugar, Packed
- 1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 2 Teaspoons Chili Powder
- 2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 2 Teaspoons Onion Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cayenne
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- 8 to 10 Pound Beef Brisket
Sauce:
- 1 Bunch Fresh Cilantro
- 1/2 Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- Juice of 4 Limes
- 2 Garlic Cloves, Crushed or Finely Minced
- 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Directions:
Brisket Rub:
- Place the brown sugar, salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne into a small bowl and stir until incorporated. Set aside.
- Trim any excess fat off of the brisket. A 1/4-inch of fat is the most you will need. You want the smoke to be able to penetrate the meat.
- Slather the entire brisket with mustard and then rub the seasoning mix onto the meat.
- Wrap the brisket tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- Smoke the brisket, fat side up, over indirect heat, in a smoker with a temperature of 200 to 250 degrees. It is best to stay as close as you can to 225 degrees.
- Rotate the brisket 180 degrees during the middle of its cooking time.
- Smoke the brisket until it reaches a 185-degree internal temperature. Remove the brisket, wrap it tightly in foil, and then place it into a clean cooler with the lid closed. Allow the brisket to rest for 2 hours before slicing.
- Slice the meat against the grain.
Sauce:
- Place all of the ingredients into a blender and purée until smooth. Drizzle the sauce over the sliced brisket when serving.
Suggestions:
- I suggest wearing plastic food-safe gloves when placing the mustard and rub onto the brisket.
- Each pound of a beef brisket should take approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes to smoke. This will vary depending on the heat of your smoker.
- When the brisket reaches around 150 degrees, the smoking may plateau, which is called “the stall.” You can wait it out, or you can wrap the meat tightly in foil with a 1/2-cup of apple juice. For this recipe, we chose to wait it out.
- A properly smoked brisket is 195 degrees, however, remember that the internal temperature can increase by at least 10 degrees after it has been removed from the grill. You do not want to overcook a brisket or the meat will become dry. A great way to test for doneness is to stick a fork into the brisket. If it twists easily then the meat is done.
Improvements:
- If you don’t like cilantro, replace it with parsley.
- Add 2-teaspoons of ground cumin to the dry rub.
- Replace the lime juice with orange juice.
Ingredients:
- 1/3 Cup Light Brown Sugar, Packed
- 1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 2 Teaspoons Chili Powder
- 2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 2 Teaspoons Onion Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cayenne
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- 8 to 10 Pound Beef Brisket
- 1 Bunch Fresh Cilantro
- 1/2 Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- Juice of 4 Limes
- 2 Garlic Cloves, Crushed or Finely Minced
- 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Directions:
- Place the brown sugar, salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne into a small bowl and stir until incorporated. Set aside.
- Trim any excess fat off of the brisket. A 1/4-inch of fat is the most you will need. You want the smoke to be able to penetrate the meat.
- Slather the entire brisket with mustard and then rub the seasoning mix onto the meat.
- Wrap the brisket tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- Smoke the brisket, fat side up, over indirect heat, in a smoker with a temperature of 200 to 250 degrees. It is best to stay as close as you can to 225 degrees.
- Rotate the brisket 180 degrees during the middle of its cooking time.
- Smoke the brisket until it reaches a 185-degree internal temperature. Remove the brisket, wrap it tightly in foil, and then place it into a clean cooler with the lid closed. Allow the brisket to rest for 2 hours before slicing.
- Slice the meat against the grain.
- Place all of the ingredients into a blender and purée until smooth. Drizzle the sauce over the sliced brisket when serving.
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