Recipe: SAUC’D LOWNSLOW’s Brisket for Beginners

From the moment Sam Kimber sat at his kitchen table to help his dad cook, he knew that food would be a major part of his life.

Born in the UK and living in sunny Australia, Sam is the owner and operator of SAUC’D LOWNSLOW, a Brisbane-based brand of small-batch spice blends and rubs that now ships to the UK and USA.

“Spices are an integral part of the food we eat and love. I want everyone to taste and share the passion for creating flavour and its endless possibilities,” Sam says.

Sam has created a brisket recipe for beginners using one of his signature rubs.

What makes brisket so difficult?

“Brisket is a tough cut to cook, because you are cooking two different muscles, and both have a different amount of fat and intermuscular collagen which cook at different times.”

The two muscles are the flat, which is lean with less intermuscular fat and insoluble collagen, and the point, which has more fat and takes longer to break down during the cooking period.

“The breakdown of insoluble collagen from hard to soft is vital for a tender brisket and only happens over long periods of time,” Sam says.

Fun fact: Brisket is the same cut of meat used to make corned beef, pastrami and Texas style barbecue!

Sam’s top tips for first timers

His top brisket tips for beginners are to use time as a guide.

“Always cook to temperature and not time. Brisket can’t be rushed, so give yourself plenty of extra time to get it right.”

He also says wrapping your brisket will help keep the flat muscle from drying out.

Check out Sam’s recipe below for first time brisket cooks which features one of his spice rubs.

Read More: Brisket Tips From A Barbecue Grand Champion

Method

Step 1

Trim any excess fat and sinew off the brisket. Ideally you want only a 5mm thick piece of fat remaining. Season the brisket with your rub of choice and let it come to room temperature for up to 1 hour.

Step 2

Prepare your barbecue/smoker for indirect smoking with a target temperature of 120ºC/245ºF. We prefer a combination of hickory and apple smoking chunks to start the smoke. 

Beginner’s tip: If using a barbecue, wrap the wood chips in a foil parcel and place it above the flame – this will provide you with smoke for your meat.

Step 3

Place the brisket in the barbecue/smoker over indirect heat with the tip (thicker part of the meat) closest to the heat source. Smoke it until the internal temperature reaches 65ºC/150ºF.

Step 4

Remove the brisket and wrap it tightly in a rib bag or foil. Place the wrapped brisket back in the barbecue/smoker until the internal temperature reaches between 93ºC/200ºF and 96ºC and 205ºF.

Step 5

Rest it for a minimum of 2 hours (and up to 4 hours) in an oven set at 75ºC/165ºF, before slicing and eating.