Uses of whiskey with brisket, need ideas!

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wezol

Fire Starter
Original poster
Jan 3, 2013
33
10
Granbury, TX
Will be doing my first overnight brisket (almost 11lb) on my OKJ Longhorn. I've done two small briskets but never a full packer. First one turned out great, bragged about it, had some people over for a second one, turned out dry lol. That was on my crappy water smoker. Now that I have this new smoker, time to redeem myself.

I'm looking to really branch out and try new things on this smoke. I'm already planning on doing my first set of burnt ends, first overnighter (gonna start around 3am), I want to round it out with one more "first".

I'd really like to incorporate whiskey into some sort of injection or rub. I found some stuff on the search bar but didn't really see any "how to", just "I do use it", and mostly on pork or chicken. 

Any ideas?
 
In the past I have spritz both pork butts and briskets with a mixture of apple juice and bourbon.  Tell you the truth - I could not tell the difference so I quit spriting and started drinking the bourbon. 
 
Wezol,

Hello. I too have wasted good Liquor , trying to get a flavor change and even injected mixtures of Liquor and Seasonings to end up with a bunch of strong flavor bombs in the muscle (blah) and the texture is not as I like.

May I suggest creating a good sauce for glazing the Brisky or on the side as an accompaniment for those who want BBQ Sauce. I enjoy Brisket with nothing with it , the flavor speaks for itself , Beefy,Bold and with that little hint of Black Pepper I feel goes so well with Beef.

 Coarse SeaSalt and Cracked Black Pepper...nothing more
drool.gif


Have fun and...
 
You could get some bourbon barrel pellets from Todd, that may help with that bourbon flavor you are after during the cooking process.

I do a maple bourbon glaze that I like to brush onto poultry and pork when smoking, I do it on beef when grilling (flank steak, etc.) only at the end because high temps and high sugar content play hell on my Weber grill. As far as injecting, I have never injected this glaze because it is pretty thick. You can cut the reduction time down to thin it out a bit, but I still would not inject it. If you glazed your meat with it during the last few hours of smoking and right before cutting the flavor would come through no problem. High sugar content will help with your bark as well.

Andy's Maple Bourbon Glaze

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup bourbon (I use Jim)

1/2 cup apple cider

Mix all ingredients and bring to boil for ~10 minutes.

Reduce to simmer and cook for another 10-15 minutes whisking often.

Remove from heat, let sit 1-2 minutes (do not let it start to get too cool or thick while sitting).

Finish by whisking in ~1/2 ounce bourbon to taste.

Put in fridge to cool to molasses/heavy syrup consistency within an hour or two.

Good luck, let us know what you decided to do and if it worked, we're all trying to learn new things!
 
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Hi Wezol!

Try my BDSE Sauce...recipe below.  I use this on everything.

Bill's BDSE Sauce

Makes about 2 quarts of sauce - I always double or quadruple the recipe.  The sauce can be canned using the water bath method and keeps for months.

2 cups Ketchup - I use Heinz because it's SLOW GOOD  

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1-1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1-1/2 tsp granulated onion or onion powder

1-1/2 tsp granulated garlic or garlic powder - I always use the granulated!!!!

1-1/2 tsp dry mustard

Juice and zest from 2 lemons - do NOT substitute prepackaged lemon juice

2 TBS Worsty Sauce (Worcestershire for the purists) 

1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1 TBS light corn syrup

1 TBS molasses

2 TBS of your favorite bbq rub minus the salt

2/3 cup of water

1/3 cup of Makers Mark Whiskey 

Mix all ingredients in a pot and cook over low heat for 2 hours.  Use immediately.  Refrigerate leftovers - keeps about a month or two, or can using the water bath method.  You can also dress up competition ribs by adding a little honey for shine prior to application.
 
Appreciate it Smoke. I will go grab some bourbon and give that glaze a shot, cause hey, why not? Plus its simple.
 
Take your strained foiling juices (or beef broth if you don't foil) and reduce by a little more than  half in a skillet. Then reduce to just above low heat and add in a pretty healthy dollop (maybe 2 TB) of pate', I usually get plain liver pate'. Stir it in the liquid until it melts. It won't seem like it will, but be patient. Then add a half teaspoon of fish sauce or a half teaspoon of anchovy paste and a half teaspoon of dijon mustard and stir that in. You should have a pretty thick paste by now. Now add in your whisky, enough to thin it out to gravy consistency. Watch for flame ups if you're on a gas stove. Raise your heat until you get a simmer. Let this simmer for 4 or 5 minutes until the alcohol mellows. Finish with a pat or 2 of butter and then heavy cream to thicken. Salt and pepper to taste.

Sorry the quantities and proportions are not more precise, but since the base for the sauce is an unknown quantity of pan drippings and I kinda made it up one night trying to replicate something we'd had in a restaurant, I don't really have a recipe.
 
That sounds very interesting, what is liver pate'?

I'm going to have to save this this thread and write down the recipes. I'm going to stick with the bourbon one for this go around simply because I already have all the ingredients.

So my plan of attack is this...

Rub with a brown sugar based rub for a nice bark.
Foil around 165 and glaze it.
Pull out of foil for last hour to reset the bark.
When IT reaches 190, pull off and cube up the point, returning it to the smoker with some more of that glaze. Wrap the flat up in foil and set in insulated cooler.

Will be using lump coal with mostly hickory chunks with a few mesquite chunks thrown in for smoke. Chamber temps will be kept between 215-230.

Bueno?
 
That sounds very interesting, what is liver pate'?

 
Well traditionally it's made from goose livers, but nowadays it's generally made from chicken livers. It's kind of like liverwurst, but not as "in your face". They usually have it in the grocery store next to the fancy cheeses and stuff.
 
I would of NEVER thought of putting liver pate' and anchovy paste in what I assume is a type of  BBQ sauce? or glaze?

I will be sure to take and post pictures as the time goes on. Seeing as how the ol lady will be asleep (she laughed at me when I mentioned her staying up all night), I'll need something to do besides drink. There's something about staying up all night and the burn in the eyes that gets me excited sometimes.....I feel lazy if I'm not sleepy.

Going to get up in the morning and get the rub on the brisket. Here's a picture of the brisket in the package, had the most flex out of all of them.

 
I would of NEVER thought of putting liver pate' and anchovy paste in what I assume is a type of  BBQ sauce? or glaze?

It's not a bbq sauce or glaze. it's a variation on a brandy cream sauce. You serve it at the table like gravy or steak sauce. It's unbelievably good. The liver pate' and cream give it an incredible richness which is offset by the sharpness of the brandy (or in this case whiskey). The anchovy paste or fish sauce deepens and amplifies the flavor without making it taste fishy. You asked for suggestions to incorporate whiskey into your brisket, and this came to mind. Adding it to the meat or sauce during the smoking process would likely completely mask the taste of the whiskey.

 I'll need something to do besides drink.

For Heaven's sake WHY?!?!
cheers.gif
 
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I'm think I'm too intrigued not to try it, based on the fact that its a separate sauce to put over the brisket. I'll be going to HEB to see what they have, thanks!

As far as the drinking. The ol' lady said she'd try and stay up with me until 4am (she's a trooper) but what better to do than drink, post pictures and try and brag, and have my women next to me. But trust me, times like these that require drinks, I will always make sure it happens :biggrin:.

Reminds me of a good friend that I served with who came over after a deployment. I had a horrible cough and sore throat from the flu. I hadn't seen him in a year and don't get to see him often, so I was going to be sure to drink. I would cough everytime I took a sip of my crown and coke and it really made it difficult. SO, I took the coke out of the equation and switched it with a bottle of honey. Spoonful of honey to sooth the throat, and take a shot. Did that with half a bottle of crown. :yahoo:
 
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i use a  jack daniels marinade on my brisket i do not inject them my best turn out was in  the marinade for 3 days i put it in a rubber made and shook it up every morning to cover it every morning

a big 13# or so brisket

1/2 cup jack daniels

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2  cup chopped onions

1/2 cup grey poupon mustard

couple sprits of worchesire

1 tbsp salt

2 tbsp course black pepper
 
Here she is all rubbed down. I have decided to get it on the smoker around 7 or 8pm, 11lb at 1.5/hrs per lb comes out to roughly 15 hrs. I'd like to be eating by 2, but I'm also doing burnt ends and mac and cheese afterwards. Figured it'd be safe to have the brisket rest for 4 hrs packed in a cooler? What do you think?

 
Here she is all rubbed down. I have decided to get it on the smoker around 7 or 8pm, 11lb at 1.5/hrs per lb comes out to roughly 15 hrs. I'd like to be eating by 2, but I'm also doing burnt ends and mac and cheese afterwards. Figured it'd be safe to have the brisket rest for 4 hrs packed in a cooler? What do you think?

i think it will be some great Q

happy smoken.

david
 
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