Elder Ward's Brisket on a Big Green Egg

Elder Ward is something of a legend in Big Green Egg-Land. This is his famous recipe for brisket. I believe it is a Carolina brisket, though I'm not certain. It's pretty incredible. One thing I plan to do the next time is to reduce the rub to more of a dusting than a crusting and to cut back on the flavoring wood. The recipe makes for a fairly spicy (not all that hot or overpowering, but spice-laden) and smoky brisket. I'm looking for a slightly more subtle result.

The recipe references a sauce and beans. Those recipes can be found online by googling Elder Ward. Also by searching the Big Green Egg Forum. And yeah, there's a forum. And no, I guess I really don't have a life.

6-7 Lb brisket
For the rub:
• 4 Tbs Kosher salt
• 4 Tbs raw Hawaiian sugar
• 2 Tbs ground Cumin seeds
• 4 Tbs McCormick Chili powder (Chile en polvo oscuro)
• 2 Tbs cracked Black pepper
• 1 Tbs Cayenne pepper fine ground
• 4 Tbs Hungarian paprika
• 2 Tbs Thyme ground

The original recipe:
"11 pounds cooked in 6-7 hours. It is my observation that a good piece of beef should be solid without being tough, yet tender without falling apart like pulled pork. What I am striving for in the end result is a sliceable piece of meat that is easy enough for an old man to bite without having to grind it. The flavor of the meat is distinct due to the seasonings and complex to the point that no one spice dominates the tongue. The sauce has a uniqueness of its own that neither dominates the meat nor hides the spice bend but compliments both. The end result being that both the meat and sauce are distinct and good in their own right but when combined creates a magic flavor that can't be duplicated alone. With this lofty goal in mind lets see what we can create.
Preparation Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender and liquefy in short burst until the color is uniform and all parts are about the same size. You will have to stop and shake it after every short burst because the fine stuff will settle to the bottom. What we are doing here is heating the spices just enough to bond them together without burning them.
This changes the flavor by melding them together. Reserve ½ cup for use later in side dish but the rest of this is going on the meat.
Place the meat, flesh side up & fat side down on top of a piece or two of wax paper. Do not rinse the meat or pat dry, what ever blood and water falls off when you pick it up is fine otherwise don't mess with it. Cover the flesh side with spice blend until you can't see the meat. Hold up the sides of the wax paper and coat the edges of the meat.
Cooking Directions:
Load up your cooker with BGE Lump or another good quality oak lump. Start the fire dead center and on top of the lump with fire place starter. When it is burning good build a little pile of lump over it so that it lights these larger pieces. When the starter has burned out and the flames are down then spread the piled up coals around the perimeter to have an even fire. Put a fist size chunk of Red Oak, Bark side down on the center fire and lay a equal size piece of hickory next to it. Place your grill on. Close the lid and let the dome get to 275*. Get a V rack (horizontal turkey rack) with handles and flip that brisket over gently so as not to lose the seasoning flesh side down. Now coat the fat side with the balance of the seasoning so it looks like your cooking a seasoning cake not meat. Insert polder in largest part of meat half way in and place on the grill. Close the lid and stabilize the heat at 275* +/- 10*. Set the alarm to 202*. This took about 6-7 hours to cook an eleven pound brisket. When the alarm goes off wrap the brisket in two layers of foil, two towels and pack it in an empty ice chest with the lid closed.
Finally, slice brisket from smallest end first at about a 30 to 40* angle. Arrange 3 to 5 slices on a plate according to appetite and ladle enough sauce over the meat to completely cover. Serve with a scoop of Tanker Tim's beans ala Elder Ward style. Rice is placed beside the other two dishes on the same plate and is used to clean up the sauce when finished eating the meat and beans. Serve with a good cup of black coffee or sweet ice tea and enjoy."
Note: Recipes for Tanker Tim beans and Japanese rice can be found by googling Elder Ward.

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Pinckney: I cooked mine way longer because I didn't want to do the cooler thing. Not sure why, actually, but I didn't use the egg to cook anything more that day and didn't need it to do the beans, because why? Because I didn't do any beans because I was falling over from starting at 4:00AM. It was the best brisket I ever did and I will do it again, but like I said, it will get to cook over night and come into its glory the next afternoon and have a graceful and leisurely digestion.

comment left Jun 27, 2008

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