10 to 16 servings For feeding a crowd, you can special order a whole “packer” brisket, which weighs 10 to 15 pounds and serves at least 12. Smoking whole brisket is notoriously difficult to master, and it can take upward of 16 hours to properly barbecue. To be safe, give yourself 20 hours from the time a whole brisket goes on the grate to when guests arrive; if done well ahead of time, wrap tightly in foil, place on a rimmed baking sheet, and keep warm in an oven set to its lowest temperature. Of course, smaller portions cut from the brisket are much more manageable. The easiest to find is the brisket flat, or “first cut,” which runs from 6 to 8 pounds. Unfortunately, the flat is very lean, which is why we recommend finding the marbled point end, or “second cut.” At an average of 3 to 4 pounds, they are relatively small, so you will need 2 or 3 to feed a crowd. If, heaven forbid, you have leftovers, cut the meat into 1-inch cubes and use to make a batch of Chili con Carne.
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
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
(1 tablespoon ground cumin, toasted before grinding, if desired)
2 garlic cloves, minced or grated on a rasp grater
Sub-recipe steps
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
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
Wash, then cut an ⅛-inch slice from the blossom end of: 2 ½ pounds pickling cucumbers
Cut into ¼-inch-thick slices. Peel and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices: 1 pound onions
Combine the cucumber and onion slices in a large bowl and toss well with: 3 ½ tablespoons pickling salt
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.
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
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.
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
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)
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
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)
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
(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
Boil until just soft enough to pierce with a fork: 2 pounds red or gold potatoes
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
Cover and refrigerate until chilled.
Let's Prepare
Collect
Gather these ingredients — no prep needed yet.
1 whole beef brisket, 1 brisket flat (“first cut”), or 2 or 3 point-end (“second cut”) portions
1 ½ cup Southern Barbecue Dry Rub, Coffee Spice Rub, or ½ teaspoon each salt and black pepper for every pound of meat
One small chunk of dry hickory, oak, or mesquite wood
1 (Basic Mop or Beer Mop)
1 Chipotle Barbecue Sauce, Kansas City Barbecue Sauce, or another sauce of your choosing
10 to 16 warmed hamburger buns or soft white bread
A coleslaw
1 Bread-and-Butter Pickles, Pickled Peppers, or Taqueria Pickles
1 Southern-Style Greens, Frijoles de la Olla
1 Creamy Potato Salad, German Potato Salad
Let's Cook
Step 1.
Please read about Barbecuing. Trim all but ¼ inch of fat from: 1 whole beef brisket, 1 brisket flat (“first cut”), or 2 or 3 point-end (“second cut”) portions
Step 2.
Rub all over with: ½ cup Southern Barbecue Dry Rub, Coffee Spice Rub, or ½ teaspoon each salt and black pepper for every pound of meat
Step 3.
Place on a rack set in a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate uncovered overnight, or for up to 2 days.
Step 4.
Heat a smoker or grill set up for barbecuing to 225° to 250°F (preferably with a water pan). Add to the coals: One small chunk of dry hickory, oak, or mesquite wood
Step 5.
Add the brisket to the cooler side of the smoker or grill and cover so that the top vent pulls smoke across the meat. Adjust the vents to maintain the temperature (this is difficult and may take practice, or, in the worst case, a fresh load of charcoal). You may add another small chunk of hickory wood every hour for the first 4 hours. If you do not have a water pan inside to keep the smoker or grill humid, baste the meat every 2 hours with: (Basic Mop or Beer Mop)
Step 6.
Smoke the brisket until it has reached an internal temperature of 200° to 205°F in its thickest part, or until the meat wants to shred easily when lightly prodded with a fork; this can take 10 to 14 hours for a brisket flat or point-end portions, and up to 20 hours for a whole brisket. To quicken the pace somewhat, you may wrap the brisket in a double thickness of foil when it reaches 150°F and return it to the smoker to finish cooking (keep in mind that this will soften the brisket’s crunchy, spice-rubbed surface, or “bark”).
Step 7.
When the brisket is tender, transfer to a rimmed baking sheet or large platter, remove any foil (save the juices!), and rest for at least 15 minutes. Slice across the grain and serve with: Chipotle Barbecue Sauce, Kansas City Barbecue Sauce, or another sauce of your choosing
Step 8.
If you have wrapped the brisket in foil, be sure to stir some of the accumulated juices into the sauce. For serving as sandwiches, set the barbecue sauce at the table and provide: 10 to 16 warmed hamburger buns or soft white bread; A coleslaw; Bread-and-Butter Pickles, Pickled Peppers, or Taqueria Pickles
Step 9.
Or serve as part of a “meat-and-three” with the toast and coleslaw along with two (or more) of the following: Southern-Style Greens, Frijoles de la Olla; Creamy Potato Salad, German Potato Salad
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