180 BRISKET RECIPE

By RoketJSquerl

180 is a perfect score for brisket in BBQ competitions. Diva Q was awarded this score using this brisket recipe at a competition in Collingwood, Ontario. The rub, spritz, and wrap in Diva Q’s recipe all incorporate umami-rich flavors that make this one of the beefiest tasting briskets you may ever indulge in! Total cooking time is approximately 10-12 hours.

From Diva Q’s Barbecue, by Danielle Bennett

Ingredients

• Dry Rub:
• 1 whole beef brisket (14-16 lbs)
• Hickory wood chips
• Oak wood chips
• 1/4 dried granulated onion
• 2 tbsp finely ground porcini mushroom
• 3/4 to 1 cup Montreal steak seasoning
• Injection:
• 2 cups low-sodium beef stock
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• Spritz:
• 2 cups low-sodium beef stock
• 3/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• Wrap:
• 1-1/2 cups low-sodium beef stock
• 1 medium white sweet onion, sliced
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp beef au jus concentrate or concentrated beef bouillon
• In Diva Q’s book, this recipe also includes a glaze recipe and instructions for making burnt ends. Yum!

Details

Adapted from blog2.thermoworks.com

Preparation

Step 1

INSTRUCTIONS

Prep the Brisket

Trim the fat cap on the brisket. Removing the fat will allow for better smoke penetration into the meat. Diva Q recommends trimming so there is no visible fat on the flat. Other experts recommend leaving 1/8″ to 1/4″ of fat on the brisket.

Inject

Whisk together injection ingredients.
Injecting a brisket

Inject the brisket at 1-inch intervals, injecting about 1 tbsp each time. Inject until more liquid is coming out than going in.

Apply Rub

Mix together dry rub ingredients. Apply rub liberally to all sides of the brisket.

Applying dry rub to brisket

Set aside the brisket for 30 minutes at room temperature before smoking.

Prep Your Smoker

brisket-ThermaQBlue (78 of 195)Prepare your smoker or grill for indirect cooking and preheat to 180°F (82°C).
Place your TheraQ Blue’s Air Probe securely to the grill grate’s surface with its grate clip.
Set Your ThermaQ Blue’s Temperatures

Check out the video at the top of this post to see how to use the ThermaQ app.

Setting high and low alarms in ThermaQ app for ThermoWorks ThermaQ Blue

Open the app on your smart device. Once your ThermaQ Blue is connected you’re ready to go!
Set the smoker’s high alarm to 185°F (85°C) and its low alarm to 175°F (79°C) to maintain your smoker at a temperature of 180°F (82°C).
You will receive notifications when the alarm temperatures are met so you’ll know to add more fuel to your smoker or adjust the vents.
Set the brisket’s high alarm to 203°F (95°C), no need to set a low alarm here.
Start Cooking the Brisket

Place your ThermaQ’s Blue’s Smokehouse Penetration Probe into the thickest part of the center of the brisket.
Add a handful of each type of wood chips to the smoker. Once the chips have started to smoke, lay the brisket on the grate in your smoker.
Placing probe in a brisket and placing in smoker.

Cook for 1 hour.
Spritzing

Mix together all spritz ingredients and spray the brisket all over with the spritz after it has been in the smoker for 1 hour. Replenish wood chips to maintain smoke.
Spritzing a brisket in a smoker

Spritzing keeps the exterior of the brisket moist so smoke can penetrate more easily.
Continue cooking the brisket at 180°F (82°C) for 4 more hours. Spritz the brisket and add a handful of wood chips every hour (use a TimeStick® to keep track of each hour!).
Smoker Temperature Increase

After the 4 hours, increase your smoker’s temperature to 275°F. Continue cooking for another 2 to 3 hours, until the bark has formed a crust.
Change your smoker temperature channel’s settings in the ThermaQ app. Set the high alarm to 280°F (138°C) and the low alarm to 270°F (132°C).
Making wrap sauce for a smoked brisket

While the brisket continues to cook, mix together the wrap ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cool to room temperature.
Wrap the Brisket

Pull the brisket from the smoker and set it on a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil large enough to wrap the entire brisket.
Shape the foil in a border around the brisket to create a barrier so the wrap doesn’t leak out.
Pour the wrap liquid over the brisket and wrap the brisket tightly in foil, making sure no liquid leaks out.
wrapping a smoked brisket

Return the brisket to the smoker and continue cooking until the brisket reaches an internal temperature of 203°F (95°C)—2-3 more hours.
Verify the internal temperature by spot-checking in multiple areas with a Thermapen® Mk4.
Verifying the pull temperature of a smoked brisket with a ThermoWorks Thermapen Mk4

Resting

Remove the brisket from the smoker and drain off some of the liquid inside the wrap.
Cover tightly again in the foil, place in a cooler and rest for at least 1 hour.
Resting a smoked brisket in a cooler.

Because of the low temperatures of smoking, there is usually little to no carryover cooking experienced during the rest.

Slice and Serve

Remove brisket from the wrap and slice against the grain. Serve with reserved juices. Enjoy!