Rob Anderson

Mike Barkley wrote:Ahhh, yesterday was St. Patrick's Day. That explains why the grocery store had corned beef for sale. Tiny things vacuum sealed in plastic with gooey looking spices or something. Bzzzt, I think that's the wrong way bubbas. I think daylight savings time started a few days ago too. Sneaky.

To me (being from TX) brisket IS BBQ. All the other smoked & grilled meats are just something to munch on while the brisket is cooking. East of the Mississippi River pulled pork is mainly what is called BBQ. It's hard to find brisket in TN stores or restaurants. I truly enjoy a NY deli style corned beef sandwich or a nice pulled pork but in my opinion those aren't BBQ.

The big secret to cooking brisket is patience. It takes about 12-16 hours to BBQ one like a born & raised Texan. I start a day or two before by brining it in salty water. Then somewhere between midnight & 3 am on the day you want to eat start the fire & make some hot coals. Lots of them. I like using a combination of oak & mesquite wood. Careful with the mesquite if you're not accustomed to it. Very pungent stuff. Put the brisket(s) over the hot coals for a few minutes to sear it a bit. Sear both sides. Then remove about half the coals or raise the grill to use less heat. Then cook it directly over the coals for an hour or maybe two, fat side up. Once the coals die down & it seems partially cooked I start using a smoker process. Lots of smoke & indirect heat for the duration of the cooking process. Low & slow with fat side up is crucial to a tender result.

When it's done there will be some "bark", especially on the small end & any bumpy parts. Bark is basically charred meat. Some might call it burnt. Let it rest 15-20 minutes after removing from the smoker so the juices don't escape. Cut it across the grain. There should be a reddish layer (about 1/8") toward the outside, which indicates it was smoked long enough. The few restaurants who serve it here in TN seem to use meat slicers to cut it thin & then toss it under heat lamps. Please don't do that.

In TX it's traditionally served with potato salad, cole slaw, & beans or as a sandwich. There are many other tasty uses though. One of my favorites is chopped up on top of cheese enchiladas with a spicy TexMex enchilada sauce. Or in migas. Makes a darn good taco too!

This is an excellent & famous BBQ place that does FedEx deliveries. Their BBQ sauces are amazing too. Best lemonade I've ever tasted. https://saltlickbbq.com/

Stay calm & brisket on y'all!

Do you wrap? Paper or foil?

There is a little known cut (in the United Kingdom, at least) named Suadero, which is extensively used in Mexico and other Central/South American countries for tacos (amongst other dishes). Sitting between the brisket and the flank, my favoured local butcher used to just use it in his burger grind, but on request he will save it for me.

It is extremely "US BBQ Brisket" like in texture after a long slow cook submerged in fat (a confit, I guess, but generally on a much larger scale than you might do a couple of duck legs, and actually far more similar to the process used for carnitas - another Mexican taco classic).

If you have a friendly butcher nearby, or know someone who butchers their own meat, I'd absolutely recommend trying it. If there's interest, I can throw a recipe together.

In this instance, just vinegar/salt/sugar.

I have done some fermentation of other products, with varying success, so could definitely try this with future blackberry hauls.

Hi folks, first post here so go easy on me.

I've pickled a very small amount of the masses of blackberries picked (both wild and on a family member's allotment) a few weeks ago.

I intend to use them on dishes such as tacos, where a sweet/sharp/salty combo will work well.

I don't think this is a very common preservation method for blackberries, so I'll report back once I've tried them.

Yes, I would love to tackle this in an English kitchen. Thanks for this opportunity.