BRINE
2L of hot water
½ cup kosher salt
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
3 star anise
1 tsp celery seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
8 cloves
5 bay leaves
1 tbsp mixed peppercorns
2L ice cold water
- Lightly toast all seeds and peppercorns to extract essential oils.
- Bring water to boil and mix all ingredients in a container large enough for the meat you are brining. Make sure salt and sugar is dissolved.
- Add cold water to cool the brine down. Ensure brine is completely cooled before adding any meat
- Once brine is cool it is ready to use. Refrigerate.
- Brine for two days or longer depending on preference
- When you remove meat from the brine, rinse the meat well under cold water and discard the brine.
Beef Brisket Rub
1 ½ cups brown sugar
2 tbsp kosher salt
2 tbsp fennel seeds
2 tbsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp celery seed
2 tsp nutmeg
- Lightly toast seeds and crush into semi fine powder using either a mortar and pestle or spice grinder
- Add all other ingredients together with this and mix well. Store in an airtight container till needed.
Smoked Beef Brisket
Brine
Spice Rub
2 – 3kg of Beef Brisket
- Brine the beef brisket for two days
- Rinse brisket under cold water, shake of excess moisture and pat dry
- Apply spice rub, by thoroughly running into the meat and massaging it into the meat fibres. Allow to rest for two hours covered and refrigerated
- Prepare your smoker as per manufacturer instructions. Set at 105 C.
- Pull brisket out one hour before smoking and brining to room temperature
- Place dry rubbed brisket in your smoker for 3-5 hours.
- Rotate on the hour and spray with moisture
- If internal temp of the meat reaches 65C, remove from smoker and wrap in baking paper and then tightly in foil and finish in the oven at 130C
- Once cooked pull from oven and low to cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Do not remove paper and foil until totally cold
- Drain off liquid and reserve
- To reheat, place brisket back into reserved juices ( ¾ of the way up the meat), cover with tin foil and place in oven at 180c till piping hot.
- Coat the top of the meat with your favourite glaze or BBQ sauce and season liberally
