brisket essentials: versatile bbq and mop sauce

How To Make brisket essentials: versatile bbq and mop sauce

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  PREP/PREPARE
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  You will need a saucepan big enough to hold all of the ingredients, and a glass jar to store it.
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  I will last about 3 – 4 weeks, if kept refrigerated.
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  Chunky or Smooth?
  You can see from my main photograph that I left the sauce chunky. However, you can smooth it out (I do that sometimes), by either straining out the veggies, or putting the partly cooled sauce in a blender.
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  To Mop or not to Mop… That is the Question
  Mopping, the process of taking a thin sauce and applying it to the brisket on a regular basis, is a hotly debated subject among pit-masters. The two methods used are using a spray bottle to spray the sauce, on, or using a mop tool (it actually looks like a cute little kitchen mop).
  
  Mops were originally used in open-pit barbecues where the meat had a greater chance of drying out. I do not mop my briskets, unless one of my clients requests it. I prefer to smoke them with a dry rub and serve the sauce at the table. If you are looking for a good dry rub, here you go:
  
  www.justapinch.com/recipes/main-course/main-course-beef/awesome-beef-brisket-dry-rub.html
  
  www.justapinch.com/recipes/sauce-spread/rub/brisket-essentials-overnight-low-and-slow-rub.html
  
  With that said, a “proper” mopping of a brisket can add additional layers of flavor, as the sugars in the sauce begin to caramelize.
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  Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
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  Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl, and reserve.
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  Add the butter and oil to a saucepan over medium heat.
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  When the foaming subsides, give the saucepan a swirl and add the onions.
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  When the onions soften, about 3 – 4 minutes (but not brown), add the bell pepper, and garlic, then cook for an additional 1 – 2 minutes.
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  Add the dry spices, and stir to combine, about 1 minute.
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  Add the beer, and stock, and stir until the ingredients are combined, 1 – 2 minutes.
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  Scrap the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to pick up any yummy fonds that have developed.
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  Add the remaining ingredients, and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until it begins to thicken a bit.
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  This is not a thick BBQ sauce. If you want it thicker, take about a tablespoon of cornstarch and mix with a tablespoon of water (a slurry), and add it to the sauce while it is simmering.
  
  I prefer it thin, but that is just me.
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  PLATE/PRESENT
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  Use as a mop while you are smoking your brisket and serve some on the side while eating. Enjoy.
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  Keep the faith, and keep cooking.
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