Glenn's Christmas Brisket

10PM Dec 23 - ready to wrap and rest for the night

The Brisket

Prepped 12 pound brisket last night.  Best brisket cut I've ever seen!  Dad found it at Glenn's Meat Market in Watertown, WI.  Injected with unsalted beef broth.  Used Big Bad Beef Rub recipe as usual.  This will be for Christmas Day lunch in Watertown.

Got the brisket on the smoker at about 7:45 AM.  It's only 26 degrees outside - could be a challenge to keep the temp up today.  Started out with Kingsford and a few chunks of hickory with vents wide open.  Added natural lump charcoal and got much more heat. Never smoked with natural charcoal before. Learning experience.


Oddest smoke of a brisket I'm experienced.  Kept temp between 225 and 270 and it was done in 5-6 hours.  There seems to be no temperature stall like there normally is in the 155-165 meat temp range.  Wonder if that's because this was a very fresh cut from Glenn's Meat Market.  Used Texas Crutch to maintain moisture (included a cup of dark beer) from 170-200.

Found out later that Joe's turkey was also from Glenn's and also got done quickly.  Odd.

Held in cooler (warmer) for 3 hours, then sliced and refrigerated over night.  Warmed in crock pot Christmas morning with BBQ sauce poured over top.

No leftovers.  Always a good sign.

The First Course: Salmon & Ribs

Can't wait until tomorrow to eat something off of the smoker.  Enjoying some salmon (Schmacy Salmon recipe) and a few Baby Back Ribs (Memphis Dust recipe) for dinner on Christmas Eve.  Not going to spend any time blogging about these two items today, but can't wait to taste these later today.

Super Smoked Wings

Making these for the big Husker-Badger football game (evening of September 29, 2012). 
Gonna get them rolling during the MSU-Ohio State afternoon game.   Bonus:  ESPN College Game Day is broadcasting from the campus of MSU all morning!

Using a  recipe is based on the wings at Super Smokers.

Labor Day Salsa Recipe

You could do this with your oven broiler too, but obviously won't have any smokey flavor.


Ingredients To Smoke:
8 Roma Tomatos from Sam's Club (those are the big ones)
Some smaller Roma Tomatos from our garden.
2 white onions halved
1 head of garlic (use half and save half for something else)
4-6 Jalapeño peppers from our garden
4 Mexibell peppers from our garden (a small bell-like pepper with a little bit of heat)
Sprinkle it all with Paula's House Seasoning

Smoke with charcoal/hickory mix at 250 until tender and skin falling off the veggies.

continued after the jump

Game Day Ribs

Got 3 racks of baby backs from the new Sam's Club this morning.  Excited to have a Sam's so close as their meat is usually way better than grocery store options.  It was crazy busy with Husker fans prepping for season's first home game.

Grabbed a couple of new sauces at Sam's to try today.  Both by Fat Boy of Grafton, NE www.jbsfatboy.com

Cow Girl Sweet n' Hot has very sweet brown sugar start, but finished pretty hot.  Will try it as a finishing glaze on one of the racks.

Chipotle BBQ Sauce will be our basting sauce today.

Notes on today's smoke after the jump...