• About
  • Contact
  • Work with me
  • As Seen In

84th&3rd

Unprocessed allergy-friendly recipes

84thand3rd
  • Food
    • *THAT* Chocolate Cake
    • Recipes
    • Dining Out
  • Travel
  • Life
« February Photo Challenge 2014 #eatfoodphotos: The Food Photo-A-Day!
How to Cut a Watermelon – a simple yet brilliant technique (Video) »

Slow Smoked Pepper-Crusted BBQ Brisket

January 29, 2014 By JJ 17 Comments

Slow Smoked Pepper-Crusted BBQ Brisket

Remember how I said I was going to work my way through drafts and archives? This is one of those, written in the beginning of December 2013 then filed away (but certainly not forgotten) in favour of far too many Christmas dessert recipes, it happens. In any case, instead of changing it to suit late summer I’m leaving it as is, because I can. Stay tuned for all the sides too.

——

Yesterday (well yesterday when I wrote this on 2 December) was the first day of summer in Sydney. For some strange reason Australia assigns the change in seasons to the first day of a month, rather than using a solstice or equinox as in the Northern Hemisphere…

Slightly arbitrary, perhaps, but let’s be honest — Mother Nature does whatever she likes, whenever she likes, regardless of what our calendars and retail sales cycles are currently promoting.

Slow Smoked Pepper-Crusted BBQ Brisket

Besides, we all know that contrary to what the rest of the world is raging on about, I do pretty much whatever I like too. So let’s talk barbeque.

During our recent holiday we had the pleasure of experiencing sauce-up-to-your-elbows-smoke-in-your-hair proper Texas BBQ.

It was the kind of barbeque where you queue at 10 am to wait for meat — cut to order and served by weight — that has been slow cooking for nearly a day.

The kind were there is a live country rock band playing the time away, and help-yourself-Bloody-Marys in a cooler jug, and picnic tables sporting loaves of white bread and rolls of paper towel, and more y’all’s than a beauty pagent.

Slow Smoked Pepper-Crusted BBQ Brisket

The brisket was dripping with juice and knobbly with a pepper crust. The ribs fell off the bone. The baked squash was heavier with cheese and cream than squash (lest anyone risk delaying heart disease with a vegetable). The sauce was a stew of onions and pan drippings, just because it could be.

Our visit to John Mueller Meat Co deserves a post on its own — and will get one some day — but this here is what happened a few weeks after we returned home when RJ looked at me with puppy-dog eyes and asked if I could make BBQ Brisket.

Slow Smoked Pepper-Crusted BBQ Brisket

A stop at the local butcher shop with a request for a cut of brisket saw the man behind the counter pop into the cool room and slice a couple kilos of meat off a beast hanging from the ceiling.

A check of the fire warnings confirmed we could light up the Weber.

A make-it-up-as-I-go recipe emerged slowly as did the smoke — lots of smoke — and a whole bunch of sides because BBQ isn’t BBQ without sauce, and beans, and cornbread to sop it all up.

Slow Smoked Pepper-Crusted BBQ Brisket DSC_7080-600-w
Slow Smoked Pepper-Crusted BBQ Brisket Slow Smoked Pepper-Crusted BBQ Brisket

I’m pretty darn impressed at how it turned out, especially for a first attempt. Next time — you know there will be a next time — I’ll make sure to keep the temp better regulated and cook it for a bit longer. And while it’s just the meat featuring here today, you can bet the rest of the dishes will emerge over the few weeks too…

Because it’s summer and summer means barbeque. Y’all come back now ya’hear.

Slow Smoked Pepper-Crusted BBQ Brisket

(For those keeping score, the second photo in this post was taken the evening the brisket came off the BBQ. It was still warm and melty and all but falling apart. The light, while less than desirable, dissuaded me none from snapping a quick pic with my phone. The other shots where taken the next day after the meat had been refrigerated overnight then brought back up to room temp, it happens.)

Slow Smoked Pepper-Crusted BBQ Brisket

Slow Smoked Pepper-Crusted BBQ BrisketProper barbeque cannot be rushed, ever, and there is nothing quite like proper slow cooked, smokey, peppery brisket. Nothing.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 piece brisket, approx 2 kg (4.5 lbs) with fat cap attached
  • 1 Tbsp dijon mustard, 2 Tbsp each apple cider vinegar and beer
  • 2 Tbsp BBQ Spice Rub
  • heaped 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt
  • lots and lots of fresh cracked black pepper (more than that, yes really)
  • real wood charcoal bricks
  • hickory chips (or any other type of wood you prefer)

METHOD (and notes below for more detail)

Prep your BBQ grill

Place wood chips in water to soak. Pile coals on one side of your grill and get them going so they have time to smoulder before you add in the brisket, it may take up to an hour.

Place a disposable aluminum pan next to the coals under the rack where the meat will cook. If you have an oven thermometer pop it on the rack on the opposite side from the coals.

Prep your brisket

Rinse brisket with cool water and pat dry. Whisk mustard, vinegar and beer together, rub over all sides of meat and let sit 15 to 30 mins.

Gently pat dry with paper towel then rub well on all sides with BBQ Spice Rub, followed by a generous amount of cracked black pepper (seriously, use more).

Rub salt into top fat layer and place seasoned meat, fat side up, into a second disposable aluminum pan.

Get barbequing

When coals are ready place meat (in pan) on the centre of the rack — over the extra pan but not over the coals — so it is cooking with indirect heat. Place a few handfuls of wood chips onto a piece of aluminum foil and set on rack directly over the coals, drop a few chips onto the coals to start the smoke.

Cover BBQ grill with the lid and open the vents on top and bottom. Monitor temp and adjust air regularly to regulate heat to 120°C (250°F). More air equals more heat, less air less heat, simple.

Keep meat in the pan for the first two hours or so, then move it directly onto rack over the extra pan to catch drippings (still not over coals). Keep juices in the pan you just removed the meat from for your BBQ Sauce, then keep pan for when brisket is done cooking.

Cook for a total of oh, 6 to 7 hours (1.5 hours per pound/half kilo of meat) keeping heat at 120°C (250°F) until it is nearly falling apart. Every now and then turn brisket — top to bottom, side to side — and drop a few more chips directly into the coals to create extra smoke.

Serve it up

The brisket is done when fat is all melt-y; size has shrunk by about a third; the whole thing has a lovely crust; and the meat, when pinched with tongs, all but falls apart.

Remove from grill, pop it back in the pan it started out in and rest for 30 mins.

Use a non-serrated carving knife to cut brisket into thick slices against the grain. Serve with BBQ Sauce, BBQ Beans, Coconut Roasted Pumpkin (coming soon), Cornbread or Cornbread Waffles and a fresh salad.

gluten free // soy-free // dairy-free

——

BBQ Tips From A Novice

Slow Smoked Pepper-Crusted BBQ BrisketSlow smoked brisket using a Weber kettle bbq and burning real wood charcoal.

Indirect heat:

  • You can’t slow-cook anything directly over coals or fire, it just won’t work.
  • I set the coals into the side bottom section of my Weber, get them smouldering and cook the meat on top of the rack away from the coals.
  • The indirect heat essentially slow roasts the meat; using a BBQ grill instead of an oven lets you add smoke (more about that below…)

Get your bbq at the right temp:

  • I put my oven thermometer on the bbq rack to keep an eye on the temp. You want it to be about 110° – 120°C (225° – 250°F).
  • Control your heat with the air vents on the top of the lid and the bottom of the grill. More air equals more heat, less air less heat.
  • With the vents all the way open I was running at about 180°C (350°F) which is way too hot. I took the lid off until the temp went down to 250°F, closed the vents slightly from where they were (less air equals less heat) and put the lid back on. Check again after 10 or 15 mins to see if the temp went back up or simply maintained itself. Repeat as necessary and check each time you turn the meat.
  • I ended up with both vents half closed to keep the temp right.

With or without a pan:

  • I started my brisket in a foil pan because I didn’t pay attention to the fact that most people cook directly on the rack.
  • About 2 hours into cooking I moved the meat onto the rack, poured off the juices to save for later and placed the pan in the bottom of the grill to catch any drips for the remaining 4 – 5 hrs of cooking.
  • Make your life easier by starting with an extra pan in the base of the BBQ so you don’t have to change anything when you place the meat on the rack. Best of both worlds plus lots of pan juices for sauce — so that’s what I put in the method above.

Smoke:

  • Soak your wood chips while your coals heat up.
  • I started out by dropping a few soaked chips onto the hot coals to get the smoke going, then drain a couple handfuls and put them on a piece of foil directly over the coals. Every now and then to create a bit of extra smoke I dropped more chips directly into the coals. The neighbours probably hate me, it happens.

As a side note, I’ve been a veg-aquarian for years and although I wasn’t consuming meat I have always cooked it. Recently I’ve been tasting meaty things, a bite here and there, because the texture somehow isn’t as offensive to me as it was 15 years ago or so when I stopped eating it. Just in case you were wondering. Oh and one of those aforementioned draft posts goes into much more details about all this … we’ll see if it ever sees the light of day.

 

Related Posts

Half-Spelt Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough

Half-Spelt Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough

Orange & Coconut Buns

Orange & Coconut Buns

5 Tips for Creating the Ultimate Entertaining Platter

5 Tips for Creating the Ultimate Entertaining Platter

Pumpkin Tahini Toast

Pumpkin Tahini Toast

Filed Under: All Posts, DiningOut, Food, RecipeBox, Travel Tagged With: America-land, BBQ, Dairy Free, Dinner, Gluten Free, Inspiration, Lunch, Meat, Probably Paleo, Summer, Trip'n2013

Comments

  1. Laura (Tutti Dolci) says

    January 29, 2014 at 5:52 pm

    That pepper crust looks incredible, I can only imagine the torture of waiting for this brisket to come off the BBQ!

    Reply
  2. Christine @ Cooking Crusade says

    January 29, 2014 at 10:05 pm

    This looks incredible – I would go to town on this one if someone ever made it for me (hint?) hahaha

    Reply
  3. chocolatesuze says

    January 29, 2014 at 11:34 pm

    oh my freaking god that brisket!!! i want it, i NEED IT!

    Reply
  4. Ashley - Baker by Nature says

    January 30, 2014 at 1:28 am

    Whoa! My meat loving heart is going wild for this!

    Reply
  5. Tina @ bitemeshowme says

    January 30, 2014 at 9:42 am

    that brisket looks incredibleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

    Reply
  6. Tania @ The Cook's Pyjamas says

    January 30, 2014 at 11:42 am

    Now that makes me want to go out and get the BBQ fired up right away. Awesome JJ.

    Reply
  7. Dan says

    January 30, 2014 at 12:38 pm

    Bloody Mary’s in the cooler and awesome brisket- my kind of day. Looks amazing!

    Reply
  8. Brenda Hayes says

    January 30, 2014 at 2:35 pm

    Hmmm…I think I’d rather have you cook it for me. Lookin delicious

    Reply
  9. Peter G | Souvlaki For The Soul says

    January 31, 2014 at 1:08 pm

    I love a good brisket JJ! This looks heavenly…and thanks for all the tips (to use on my tiny bbq!).

    Reply
  10. milkteaxx says

    January 31, 2014 at 3:32 pm

    ive got a big pile up n my archives too, must get cracking! this looks fab, perfect for a summer bbq!

    Reply
  11. laurasmess says

    January 31, 2014 at 5:07 pm

    Oh wow. JJ, this brisket looks absolutely amazing! Yum. I am a huge fan of barbecued food, particularly on weekends, so I’ll be bookmarking this recipe to hopefully experiment with on Sunday. I feel lucky that we have a BBQ kettle now… smoke ahoy!!

    Reply
  12. Nami | Just One Cookbook says

    January 31, 2014 at 7:10 pm

    Whoa… your brisket looks fantastic! I love your tip on the bbq too. Very simple ingredient list, yet all the slow smoked bbq technique does the magic!

    Reply
  13. Helen | grabyourfork says

    February 2, 2014 at 3:30 pm

    Argh! Love the look of this brisket! Awesome first attempt. What time should I pop around next time? lol

    Reply
  14. Monica @ Gastromony says

    February 3, 2014 at 1:42 pm

    Wow… The meat looks amazing!! I hear so much about brisket that I really want to try some now. I’ll have to come back to this post once I can source the cut in Perth.

    Reply
  15. Amanda@ChewTown says

    February 6, 2014 at 12:14 pm

    That really does look spectacular. I don’t often cook brisket (read never) but I often think I should.

    Reply
  16. Mark says

    March 3, 2022 at 9:31 am

    Spot on. Been using this recipe for several years. Works for Dino beef ribs as well. Perfect.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Slow Smoked Pepper-Crusted BBQ Brisket Recipe - RecipeChart.com says:
    February 9, 2014 at 7:28 pm

    […] Full Recipe Link: http://84thand3rd.com/2014/01/29/slow-smoked-pepper-crusted-bbq-brisket/ […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Peter G | Souvlaki For The Soul Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get social

84th-instagram 84th-heart 84th-facebook 84th-youtube
84th-twitter 84th-pinterest 84th-gplus 84th-star

Subscribe

New posts, straight to your inbox, simple as that.

Browse by…

Almost Recipe America-land Autumn BlogHop Boozer Bread Breakfast Brunch Cake! Chocolate Christmas Christmas Recipes Coconut Cookbook Cookies Dairy Free Deliciousness Dessert Dinner Family Fruit Gluten Free Had-to-share Holidays Ingredient Focus Inspiration Lunch Mad Science Nuts On-blogging Photo-A-Day Pie! Probably Paleo Refined Sugar Free Sauces Sides Snacks Stuff-n-Things Summer Sydney Thanksgiving / Christmas Treats Vegan Vegetarian Winter

@84thand3rd on Instagram

Cheers to the long weekend. . . . Had a bit of a Cheers to the long weekend. 
.
.
.
Had a bit of a play a week (or five) ago. Used what was on hand, and chased limited time. Drank it when I was done.
.
Local CA gin, Italian aperitif wine, punchy sparkling water, blood orange. Single bare strobe. That’ll do.
Felt cute, might delete later. Insert quote about Felt cute, might delete later. Insert quote about cracks being how the light gets in ✨. 
.
.
.
.
Hollywood, CA. May, 2023.
TGIF y’all. ••• The quail egg mini brunch TGIF y’all. 
•••
The quail egg mini brunch spread is back. This time in all its stop motion glory. Go forth and brunch thyself (waffle thyself? coffee thyself? dealers choice). 💥🍳🧇🍞🥑☕️🫖
.
.
.
.
.
#stopmotionanimation #stopmotionvideo #tabletopphotography #thenwebrunch #whatsforbreakfast #beautifulcuisines #foodandwine #thekitchn #f52grams
Apertivo debris. 🥃🧀🫒 • That’s it. Tha Apertivo debris. 🥃🧀🫒
•
That’s it. That’s the post.
Apparently today is National Strawberry Day, it’ Apparently today is National Strawberry Day, it’s overcast and raining in LA (so a plate of sunshine is absolutely necessary), and if you’ve been here for more than a hot second you know how I feel about toast.
🍞🍓🥒🌱
Toasted sourdough, goat chèvre (or vegan cream cheese), sliced strawberries, cucumber ribbons, fresh mint, olive oil, black pepper, just a pinch of salt. Go forth and feast.
.
.
.
.
.
#f52grams #f52community #whatsforbreakfast #eatrealfood #stuffontoast #nationalstrawberryday #lifeandthyme #eeeeeats #beautifulfood #foodandwine
I took this video on Jan 1. I even wrote a caption I took this video on Jan 1. I even wrote a caption and everything. And I intended to post it that day as a reflection moving into a new year. But instead, mom and I went out for pizza and wine, and then it was Jan 2, and so on and so on. 
🌀
So instead you’re getting it on Feb 1. A new day and another new month (but what is a new month or a new year, other than a societal convention really). 
☀️
Because, each day, each sunrise, we have the opportunity to start anew - no matter how big or little that start may be. A chance to take another step forward - no matter how many steps back you feel you’re fighting against. 
🌀
Whether this past year brought blinding joy or paralysing grief (and in whatever measure of balance or imbalance), I hope each new day sees the landscape of your life look one step closer to what you imagine it to be. And that when the waves roll in and change that landscape, you can roll with it and see the beauty and possibility on the other side.
🌊
If you’ve made it this far, congratulations, have a cookie 🍪 And I’ll leave you with the rolling waves and blue sky of a California beach in January. I truly hope this year sees us all grow stronger and move forward with each new day. Going backwards is simply not an option. 
🪩
What’s your order? 🍳 … When the middle litt What’s your order? 🍳
…
When the middle little insisted on buying quail eggs over Christmas, but due to allll the other food we never cooked them, I simply couldn’t let the little guys go to waste. 
🥚
Could I have made one dish? Of course. Did I instead prepare quail eggs four ways, bake mini loaves of brioche, make mini waffles, dig through the prop closet for the smallest dishes, and set up an entire table? Of course I did. 
💥
Swipe to the end for reference on the size of the eggs and loaf.
🌀
Prep, styling, 📷 & 👋🏻 by me 💁🏼‍♀️.
.
.
.
.
#whatsforbreakfast #beautifulcuisines #eggsforbreakfast #lifeandthyme #foodandwine #foodartproject
Happy Blursday. ☕️ ••• Styled & poured b Happy Blursday. ☕️
•••
Styled & poured by me 💁🏼‍♀️, photographed & lit by @ivansocal 📷, at @plateandpatina 🍽
•••
Pour-over vessel is a @decadentpantry test piece that came with me from Sydney. That’s it, I got nothing else. Send kittens.
.
.
.
#stopmotionanimation #stopmotion #manmakecoffee #pourovercoffee #pourover #coffeecoffeecoffee
My go-to pizza topping combo 🍕 Made on that dou My go-to pizza topping combo 🍕 Made on that dough from a couple weeks ago and voiced by the middle little (who is about as different from her younger sister as you can get!) 💥.
🍕
Sometimes this combo gets prawns too 🍤. Most of the time I don’t bother mixing the ingredients in a bowl and just layer them on top. The cheese is a hard goat cheese (because I can’t do 🐄). The ‘spices’ 🌱 is Sicilian oregano. The measurements are random at best - a handful of this, a splash of that. 
🍕
If you have a fave veggie or seafood pizza combo I’d love to hear it. Because as Ms.S says, voila, yummy yummy pizza!
Load More Follow on Instagram

Visit JJ’s Portfolio

Jennifer Jenner Portfolio

Be nice, don’t steal

All work on 84thand3rd.com is the property of the site owner unless otherwise credited. Recipes and articles are NOT available for syndication or re-publication. A single watermarked photo can be used in recipe wrap-up articles to link back to the original recipe post on this site. Photos are available to purchase for other uses.

© All Rights Reserved

Want to use something? Contact me and ask.

instagram heart facebook twitter YouTube pinterest tumblr star gplus

Copyright © 2025 · 84th & 3rd