Smoked Brisket

Ingredients

• 1 whole beef brisket, 1 brisket flat (“first cut”), or 2 or 3 point-end (“second cut”) portions
• Hide ingredients for ½ cup Southern Barbecue Dry Rub, Coffee Spice Rub, or ½ teaspoon each salt and black pepper for every pound of meat 1 ½ cup Southern Barbecue Dry Rub, Coffee Spice Rub, or ½ teaspoon each salt and black pepper for every pound of meat (opens in new tab) ½ cup Southern Barbecue Dry Rub, Coffee Spice Rub, or ½ teaspoon each salt and black pepper for every pound of meat
  • ½ cup sweet or hot paprika
  • ¼ cup packed brown sugar
  • ¼ cup chili powder
  • ¼ cup salt
  • ¼ cup cracked black peppercorns
  • 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
  • 2 tablespoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground mace

  Sub-recipe steps

  1. Stir together well in a small bowl: ½ cup sweet or hot paprika; ¼ cup packed brown sugar; ¼ cup chili powder; ¼ cup salt; ¼ cup cracked black peppercorns; 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper; 2 tablespoons ground cumin; 1 teaspoon ground mace
• One small chunk of dry hickory, oak, or mesquite wood
• Hide ingredients for (Basic Mop or Beer Mop) 1 (Basic Mop or Beer Mop) (opens in new tab) (Basic Mop or Beer Mop)
  • 2 cups distilled white vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
  • 1 small onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced

  Sub-recipe steps

  1. Whisk together in a bowl until the salt dissolves: 2 cups distilled white vinegar; 2 teaspoons salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste; 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
  2. Stir in: 1 small onion, thinly sliced; 1 jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced
  3. Use the same day.
• Hide ingredients for Chipotle Barbecue Sauce, Kansas City Barbecue Sauce, or another sauce of your choosing 1 Chipotle Barbecue Sauce, Kansas City Barbecue Sauce, or another sauce of your choosing (opens in new tab) Chipotle Barbecue Sauce, Kansas City Barbecue Sauce, or another sauce of your choosing
  • 1 ½ cups ketchup
  • 1 cup cider vinegar
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • (1 tablespoon ground cumin, toasted before grinding, if desired)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced or grated on a rasp grater

  Sub-recipe steps

  1. Combine in a medium saucepan: 1 ½ cups ketchup; 1 cup cider vinegar; ½ cup packed brown sugar; 4 to 6 canned chipotles peppers in adobo sauce, chopped, plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce, or ¼ cup Mexican Adobo I; (1 tablespoon ground cumin, toasted before grinding, if desired); 2 garlic cloves, minced or grated on a rasp grater
  2. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 10 minutes.
• 10 to 16 warmed hamburger buns or soft white bread
• A coleslaw
• Hide ingredients for Bread-and-Butter Pickles, Pickled Peppers, or Taqueria Pickles 1 Bread-and-Butter Pickles, Pickled Peppers, or Taqueria Pickles (opens in new tab) Bread-and-Butter Pickles, Pickled Peppers, or Taqueria Pickles
  • 2 ½ pounds pickling cucumbers
  • 1 pound onions
  • 3 ½ tablespoons pickling salt
  • 3 cups distilled white vinegar
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1 ½ tablespoons mustard seeds
  • (1 ½ teaspoons red pepper flakes)
  • 1 teaspoon celery seeds
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

  Sub-recipe steps

  1. Wash, then cut an ⅛-inch slice from the blossom end of: 2 ½ pounds pickling cucumbers
  2. Cut into ¼-inch-thick slices. Peel and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices: 1 pound onions
  3. Combine the cucumber and onion slices in a large bowl and toss well with: 3 ½ tablespoons pickling salt
  4. Cover with a towel, scatter a layer of ice cubes over the towel, and refrigerate for at least 4 and for up to 12 hours. Transfer the vegetables to a colander, rinse under cold water, and drain well. Prepare a water-bath canner or prepare a water bath for low-temperature canning, gather all your canning equipment, and have ready 5 clean, hot pint jars.
  5. Combine in a large pot: 3 cups distilled white vinegar; 3 cups sugar; 1 ½ tablespoons mustard seeds; (1 ½ teaspoons red pepper flakes); 1 teaspoon celery seeds; 1 teaspoon ground turmeric; ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  6. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add the vegetables, stir to mix, and heat until the syrup just begins to boil. With a slotted spoon, pack the hot slices into the prepared jars and add the hot brine, leaving ½ inch headspace. Remove any trapped air from the jars and adjust the liquid level if needed. Wipe the rims. Place lids on jars and screw on rings until fingertip-tight. Process for 10 minutes. Let cool completely and store as directed.
• Hide ingredients for Southern-Style Greens, Frijoles de la Olla 1 Southern-Style Greens, Frijoles de la Olla (opens in new tab) Southern-Style Greens, Frijoles de la Olla
  • 6 cups water
  • 5 ounces salt pork or bacon, diced, or 1 pound smoked ham hocks or pork neck bones
  • (1 small onion, chopped, or a few garlic cloves, smashed)
  • 3 pounds sturdy greens, especially collard and turnip greens, but also kale or mustard greens, or a combination
  • (1 small dried red chile, seeds removed, or ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes)
  • Vinegar or hot pepper sauce

  Sub-recipe steps

  1. Combine in a large pot and bring to a boil: 6 cups water; 5 ounces salt pork or bacon, diced, or 1 pound smoked ham hocks or pork neck bones; (1 small onion, chopped, or a few garlic cloves, smashed)
  2. Reduce the heat slightly, partially cover, and simmer gently for 1 hour. Wash well: 3 pounds sturdy greens, especially collard and turnip greens, but also kale or mustard greens, or a combination
  3. If necessary, remove the midribs, above, then tear or coarsely chop. Add to the pot along with, if desired: (1 small dried red chile, seeds removed, or ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes)
  4. Bring back to a boil, reduce the heat, partially cover, and simmer just until the greens are tender, 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the type, stirring occasionally. Transfer the greens to a bowl for serving; remove any ham hocks from the pot and shred the meat off the bone. Add the meat to the greens and ladle some of the pot liquor onto them. Serve with: (Wanda’s Stewed Cranberry Beans); (Southern Corn Bread); Vinegar or hot pepper sauce
• Hide ingredients for Creamy Potato Salad, German Potato Salad 1 Creamy Potato Salad, German Potato Salad (opens in new tab) Creamy Potato Salad, German Potato Salad
  • 2 pounds red or gold potatoes
  • ¾ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 to 2 celery ribs, diced
  • (¼ to ½ cup minced parsley, watercress, or arugula)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice or red wine vinegar
  • (1 to 2 tablespoons capers, pickle relish, diced dill pickles, chopped olives, or chopped pickled peppers)
  • (1 tablespoon whole-grain or yellow mustard)
  • (2 teaspoons prepared horseradish)
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

  Sub-recipe steps

  1. Boil until just soft enough to pierce with a fork: 2 pounds red or gold potatoes
  2. Drain. Peel, if desired, and cut into bite-sized pieces. Let the potatoes cool completely in a medium bowl. Toss with: ¾ cup mayonnaise; 1 to 2 celery ribs, diced; 4 green onions, sliced, ⅓ cup chopped Quick-Pickled Onions, or 2 tablespoons grated onion; (3 Hard-Boiled Eggs, diced); (¼ to ½ cup minced parsley, watercress, or arugula); 2 tablespoons lemon juice or red wine vinegar; (1 to 2 tablespoons capers, pickle relish, diced dill pickles, chopped olives, or chopped pickled peppers); (1 tablespoon whole-grain or yellow mustard); (2 teaspoons prepared horseradish); Salt and black pepper to taste
  3. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.