New Belgium Beer-Smoked Brisket
New Belgium 1554 Enlightened Ale
This particular Foodbuzz Tastemaker challenge was very exciting to me. Part of it is because I consider both beer and wine a legitimate food group, bringing their own specialness to the table.
The exciting part of this challenge was due to New Belgium Brewing being one of my favorite beer houses. Some of their beers that I like so much include Fat Tire (of course – their flagship), Sunshine Wheat, Blue Paddle, Abbey Grand Cru, and the beer I used for this recipe, 1554 Enlightened Black Ale.
1554 Enlightened Black Ale is the perfect stout-like beer for people who don’t care for stout. While I’ll drink Guinness from time to time, its mouthfeel is a little too thick for my liking. 1554, on the other hand, has the body and richness of a dark beer with just the right amount of freshness and acidity that you’d expect in a lager. Unless he’s a real aficionado of “lite” “beer,” just about anyone could drink the 1554 – even in summer!
I decided to make a variation of my “famous” smoked brisket using the New Belgium beer. My smoked brisket has a long and storied history, which began about six years ago and still continues. One of the things that makes it unique is the wood that I use for smoking. I don’t generally use the typical smoking woods of hickory, mesquite, oak, cedar, or apple wood with the brisket. I use Mountain Mahogany, which is, as you can guess, sometimes hard to find. The people who gather it look for downed trees/bushes, but do not cut down thriving plants. If I can’t get it, then I will use hickory. Hickory is a fabulous smoking wood, and it gives a little lighter result than the mahogany. Mahogany is a dark and heavy wood that brings a lot of flavor to the table. I’m fortunate enough to live near a firewood business that gets some of it in from time to time so I always have a ready supply. However, I recommend hickory as a more than suitable replacement.
I always start with a whole brisket – called a packer cut – and usually keep the fat cap largely intact, removing just a bit from the top and some of the deep fat in the middle. It may sound a little complicated, but it’s very easy to do. I removed the flat end (now marinating in curing spices for real beef bacon) and began the marinade for the rest. I decided to do a “wet rub” in lieu of my traditional dry rub because I wanted to incorporate the beer into each aspect of the smoking process.
First, the spices.
When I mixed the spices, I did it in my usual way of going for “parts” rather than exact measurements. This way, the recipe won’t vary too much whether you’re doing a brisket for a small gathering or for an entire, say, *army.* Now there’s a thought! What that means is “one part” could be a tablespoon, a cup, or a gallon. It will still yield the same basic results. Of course, the freshness of the spices, how they’ve been stored, and personal taste will vary the final result, but it’s all good!
Spice mixture:
1 Part
Hungarian Paprika
Spanish Paprika
New Mexican Chili Pepper Powder
1/2 Part
Ground Coriander
Ground Thyme
Celery Seeds
Kosher Salt
1/4 Part
Freshly Ground Pepper
Enough light brown sugar to taste.
Bottles of 1554 Ale.
***********
Mix all of the spices together including the brown sugar.
Pour in enough 1554 to make a very thick paste.
One note – if you like fresh garlic and are going to smoke this at a very low temperature, this is the ideal recipe to incorporate the garlic. The low heat and the paste marinade will allow the garlic flavor to penetrate and not leave a burned garlic flavor in the meat.
A packer cut has a lot of fat. Trim some of it but still leave quite a bit since the brisket will be smoking for many hours. The heat of the smoker will melt the fat and will baste the meat with the flavor of the spices, the beer, and the smoking wood.
With a paring knife, jab a few holes into the trimmed fat cap of the brisket. Rub the spice paste into the brisket, making sure not to miss any holes, flaps, or crevices. Refrigerate for a few hours, preferably overnight.
Meanwhile, soak the wood in water. If you are using hickory, soak for at least an hour, longer if you’re using chunks instead of chips. If you’re using mahogany, soak overnight. The density of the wood requires a long time for the water to penetrate, and this is an absolutely essential step. Mahogany will not float and will leave the soaking water a deep reddish brown!
Start the wood in the smoker using your favorite method. I have an electric smoker with an adjustable temperature gauge, and it doesn’t take a long time to get the wood going. I recommend using the lowest temperature (about 250 or less) because that will allow the smoke to penetrate and will yield juicier results.
Place the brisket on the top shelf and a drip pan underneath. Many smokers already have drip bowls, but I recommend a separate pan in this instance because the juices are going to be used to make a sauce.
Close the smoker and leave the brisket undisturbed for about two-three hours, depending on the size. After that, baste the brisket using the beer only every 45 to 60 minutes. I usually keep a brisket in the smoker from six to ten hours, once again depending on the size. It takes about three hours for the wood to be used up, and it is not necessary to add more wood. If you are using a propane, charcoal, or electric smoker, just let it continue to cook slowly.
At the end of the cooking period, remove the brisket from the smoker and let rest, uncovered, on a cutting board.
Take the basting liquid in the bowl or pan and put into a saucepan. Let it reduce, but add in some fresh 1554 to accentuate the flavor. I will add a little extra brown sugar, molasses, and tomato sauce to make a very flavorful barbecue sauce for dipping.
The result is an incredibly succulent and luscious brisket, easily comparable to the best briskets out of a Texas barbecue pit! In fact, probably better! Yes, that’s a challenge to the Lone Star state brisket mavens!
Bon Appetit!
Note: Sorry about the dark photos. The first time I tried the recipe, I didn’t know that my memory card was fried. And the pictures would have been beautiful because I took photos of every step.
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