01 Slow Cooked Beef Brisket

A Texan favourite, smoked brisket is an investment in time and energy, but one that pays back generously in strengthbuilding nutrients

Barbados-born David Carter is the founder of Shoreditch barbecue joint Smokestak, where meat is slow-cooked in a wood-fired smoker.

INGREDIENTS

Cumin seeds, 1tsp

Chilli flakes, ½tsp

Black whole peppercorns, 1tsp

Fennel seed, 1tsp

Dried thyme, 1tsp

Demerara sugar, 2tsp

Caster sugar, 2tsp

Salt, 1tsp

Paprika, 1tsp

Onion powder, 1tsp

Garlic powder, 1tsp

Mustard powder, 1tsp

Beef brisket joint, butcher-trimmed

METHOD

To make the rub, pan-toast the cumin, chilli, peppercorns, fennel seed and thyme on a low heat until aromatic.

Blitz in a blender with the demerara sugar until fine, then add the rest of the ingredients (except the meat). Generously season your brisket – a potent source of muscle-supporting creatine, zinc and B12 – then leave to sit at room temperature for up to an hour.

Prep your smoker for indirect cooking at 120-130ºC. Smoke overnight, if you’re confident – or don’t fancy a 5am alarm. Place the

brisket fat-side-up and smoke until it’s a dark, mahogany colour, roughly 8-10 hours. “It’s really important to go slow and use low temperatures,” says Carter. Try the “minion method”. (Google it.) “For fuel, use kiln-dried English oak – which is my personal favourite – or beech, birch, chestnut or apple.”

Next, wrap the brisket

in butcher paper or foil and cook for two to three hours, until it feels like a “wet balloon”. Alternatively, probe different parts of the meat; it should give with only a little resistance, like room-temperature butter.

Once cooked, take your brisket off the smoker. Allow it to rest for at least one hour, wrapped. It will continue to cook. Slice and serve with BBQ sauce. (Note: if all this seems like a lot of work, you can also buy an overnight brisket directly from Smokestak.)

AS THIS SLOW-COOKED BRISKET PROVES, GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT