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By Matthew Harvey
Texas and Texans are known for many things. Among them are our love for our state, our friendly nature…..and…. BBQ.
While many states challenge each other for who has the best BBQ and more and more people are coming out with their own variation, at one point in time everyone has fired up a grill and taken part in this age-old tradition.
There are some people that will wait for the sun to be out, the air to warm up, and for either spring or summer to appear before deciding it’s time to get things going. My personal belief is, if I have the material: my smoker, lump charcoal, and a good piece of meat; any time is a good time to barbecue.
Regardless, there is one thing that all Texans can agree upon and that is that grilling and barbecuing are two different things.
Just taking a piece of meat and putting it on flames does NOT mean you are doing anything other than grilling meat. People grill steaks, chicken, pork chops, and burgers. This is a much quicker cooking method than barbecuing. BBQ is meant to be low temp and slow.
As we all know, its purpose is to take a tough cut of meat and allow flavor and tenderness to be imparted into it by the end of the cooking process. Some refer to this as smoking, but in Texas, that is what makes for very good barbecue.
While there are many types of meat that can be used for good barbecue, my two personal favorites are pork shoulder and everyone’s favorite, brisket. Both cuts of meat are large, and able to handle almost anything one can dish out. What is truly great about these two cuts of meat, is their ability to take on the flavors that are used in a marinade or a rub.
THE SECRET REVEALED
My secret to good flavor, is the extended time the meat is allowed to sit in a rub or marinade. There are many people who will say the only true way to treat meat is with a dry rub, and there is an equal amount of people who will say a wet, saucy rub. Here is the beauty of BBQ, both can work, and both can be just as flavorful as the other.
What makes it the most flavorful is the amount of time you let it sit. I recommend between 24 and 48 hours. Depending on the meat, I will use a dry or wet rub and let the meat sit in my fridge for this length of time allowing the flavors to saturate into the meat.
WET RUB RECIPE
With pork shoulder, when it is time to prepare, I’ll unwrap the meat and make a wet rub that consists of the following: brown sugar, kosher salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, black pepper, vegetable oil, and barbecue sauce (I love the taste of The Jank Original at H-E-B). Now I know, there are a lot of people who say true barbecue does not use sauce, but hear me out. I started adding this into my wet rub to again, enhance the flavor of the meat, and add a wonderful caramelization to the outside of the pork. I mix all the ingredients together, then I will make small incisions into the pork shoulder (I prefer bone-in as it allows for more flavor, in my opinion.)
Coat the meat thoroughly with the rub, make sure to get it into the incisions. Once coated, allow the meat to rest for a minimum of 24 hours in the refrigerator. Again, this allows time for the rub to be absorbed by the meat, and the refrigerator smells fantastic as a bonus.
COOKING PROCESS – LOW AND SLOW
Now we move on to the cooking. I prefer using a smoking box to contain wood chips that are soaked, and lump charcoal in the smoker itself. Set the fire early, and get the temperature regulated between 200 and 250 degrees.
Remove the pork out of the refrigerator and allow it to come up to room temperature. Why? It will allow for a more even cooking time than if you merely put a cold slab of meat on the smoker. Once the meat has warmed up, and the smoker is ready, add the meat.
Personally, when smoking any larger cut of meat, be it pork shoulder or brisket I turn the meat once about every 2 hours. This again ensures even cooking and prevents one side from being over done by sitting on the grates too long.
A decent pork shoulder will take anywhere from 6 to 8 hours I have found if the temperature stays low. There is a reason we use the term low and slow.
You want to give ample time for the heat to cook the meat, and to break down the fats and collagen within the meats, resulting in more tender meat, and more flavor. If you are in a pinch for time, and want to speed up the process, while not recommended, it is possible.
After a few hours, after both sides have had ample time on the grates of the smoker, remove the pork shoulder and wrap in foil. This will allow for the meat to cook a bit quicker and will also allow the juices to stay with the meat as it cooks. Make sure you have a decent probe thermometer available, as you do not want to remove the meat until the internal temperature hits around 190 degrees.
At this point, the meat is done, and should be at its most tender. Once removed, allow the meat to rest for about 15 to 20 minutes, then begin the shred. You can use either forks or claw utensils you can get at most stores.
BRISKET
When I use brisket, I do a very similar approach. Depending on how much flavor, and what flavor I want, I will use either a wet rub or a dry rub. Again, let this sit inside your refrigerator for 2 to 3 days to allow the rub to work into the meat. Prior to applying the rub, I will trim the brisket down. Take off some of the larger chunks of fat, and on the fat side, I will trim the fat by about half, then score the remainder with a knife. Once this is done, I apply the rub. You can use your favorite combinations of salts, peppers, mesquite, hickory, garlic, onion, and even barbecue sauce. Now, AGAIN I know there are many purists who will say real Texas barbecue does not use sauce. Here is the thing. Flavor it the way you want it, and you will never be disappointed.
I will normally do dry rubs, but I have found as well, that adding a bit of sauce allows for the rub to more easily coat the meat and imparts some good flavor throughout.
TIP
A little tip when choosing a brisket I have used to determine how much fat is inside the brisket is pick it up and try to bend it lengthwise, in half. The further the bend, the less internal fat.
When cooking, use the same approach: low and slow.
A brisket in most smokers will take 12 hours, if it is a larger piece of meat. When using a smaller or more compressed smoker, the time can go down to 8 hours. Again, you want the finished internal temperature of the meat to be around 190 to 200 degrees when you remove the meat. Allow it to rest for up to 20 minutes in order for all the juices inside to settle.
DO YOU REALLY NEED A SMOKER?
Is it possible to get the same flavors if you do not have a smoker? Yes. Let us be honest. Not everyone has hundreds of dollars to spend on a smoker. Some people may only have a propane grill, some may have a charcoal grill, and some people have no grill at all. And that is alright too.
You can still have the same joys regardless. You just have to get creative. For people working on propane grills, only light half the grill. Get a metal, holed box that you can add soaked wood chips to. Place the meat on the half of the grill that the flame is not on. Again, watch your temperature. Try to keep the grill around 200 to 250 degrees.
If you have a charcoal grill, use lump charcoal, and try to use less. If you find your temperature is staying too high, then try this. Use the grill to sear the meat, then remove from the grill, and wrap it in foil. While doing this, turn your oven on to 225 and move the meat from the grill into a pan, then into the oven, wrapped in foil. If you only have an oven, if it is gas, you can achieve close to what a smoker can do using the gas oven.
STAY AWAY FROM LIQUID SMOKE
I have found a seasoning that has activated charcoal used in a gas oven that allows for a layer of smoke to impart on the meat. One thing I would recommend staying away from, and this is just my opinion, is liquid smoke. I personally have not been a fan of how it flavors the meat. I prefer using either soaked wood chips in a metal box, or a seasoning that has charcoal or a smokiness to it. The flavors just seem to be more natural that way.
FOR THE NEWBIES
What if you are new at trying this and are worried that you are not ready for something as intimidating as brisket on your first attempt. There is nothing wrong with that. Get with some friends and watch them. Ask questions of people, but honestly, just try it. When I am uncertain, I ask my dad, some of my friends, heck, I have even talked to folks at some barbecue restaurants to get their advice. Are there other things you can barbecue? Yes. You can do whole or half chickens, turkey, thick pork chops, sausage, and more. The number of items you can use is abundant. If you are unsure of what seasonings to use, most established places will have rubs for sale. Grab a bottle. Look at the ingredient list. Either buy their rub and use it or buy the ingredients and play with the ratios yourself to find a rub that suits you. Allow yourself room for error, allow yourself room for experimentation, and allow yourself room to have fun.
Regardless of the debates, the discussions, and arguments over which state has the best, or which person barbecues better, the intent is to just go out and have a good time!!
