Brisket for Sunday - An Experiment

[DTAggie]

Mighty fine indeed

[Pachanga]

It's in the fridge so I can go to bed.

I'm an advocate of simple.  S&P does it for me on roast beef - well maybe a little garlic.  The Pachanga rub, with 147 ingredients and the mustard slather really worked well on the brisket.  I'll do the reheat later today.

I cut up some smoked beef tenderloin about a week ago.  I cut off some of the not so nice pieces and left it on the cutting board while I went to the bathroom.  They're reserved for the raccoons.  When I got back, there's a cat on the counter chownin' down.

A cat isn't easily trained but they learn very well.  They know which cabinet has what and what the fridge is for.  They're survivors.

There are only 139 ingredients in the rub.  ;D Glad it worked out.  I was worried about the dry heat in the oven and thought about chiming in on adding some moisture in a separate pan but it looked like you had plenty of good advice coming your way.

Salt and pepper work fine.  The difference between a good cook and a great cook is knowing how to use salt and pepper in the right quantities.  However, I believe other ingredients add to the Wow factor because the brain is not used to those flavors.  I am an advocate of the beef standing on its own with the bark and rub acting as a condiment that compliments the beef and tickles the taste buds making them wonder "what was that?" 

Lately I have been experimenting with the nuances of dried peppers such as ancho, pasilla, chile piquin, cascabel, petines, New Mexico chiles and chile de arbol.  Most people automatically say they do not like chiles because they are too hot.  The fact is that many chiles are mild with no heat at all; just flavor.  The flavor enhancements and varying heat can really take meats to the next level when used as a compliment and not as a mask of the meat flavor.  The different combinations in salsas is very interesting with each pepper playing a distinctive role.  The flavor profiles of salsas is infinite.  If your salsa comes out of a jar, you are missing out.

I was in New York recently and ate at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill.  I had a chile rubbed pork tenderloin with a Bourbon sauce made with anchos.  The rub was pasillas, anchos and chile de arbol along with cinnamon and several other ingredients.   It was outstanding and very interesting since I have been working with the same chile combinations.  I have since duplicated it at home with great success (had all the ingredients in my pantry and bar).  Again, the rub and sauce act as a compliment and condiment, not a masking of the meat.

Good luck and slow smoking,

Pachanga

[Caneyscud]

Arnie - as long as momma is happy, all is well. 

Congrats. 

Grits - I can't just eat one.  So many ways to enjoy them.  Maybe some Shrimp-n-grits for this weekend! hmmmm

[Pachanga]

Arnie - as long as momma is happy, all is well. 

You got that right.

Pachanga

[BuyLowSellHigh]

If you like dried chile I've been buying from these folks for many years - great products and reasonable prices.

[ArnieM]

Pachanga,

As a matter of fact, I did put an aluminum foil pan with water in the oven a few inches below the brisket.  The extra moisture in the oven may have helped to avoid drying it out.

Also, the trick of using MTQ in the rub in place of regular salt worked well.

I sliced it all up so everyone could take some home.  Even the raccoon got a piece.  :D

[hal4uk]

Grits - I can't just eat one. 

LMFAO!!!

[ArnieM]

Grits - I can't just eat one. 

LMFAO!!!

I can usually go fro two  ;D ;D ;D