Brisket is the summum bonum (highest or ultimate good) of American barbecue and the ultimate challenge for any grill or pit master. In this version, I pay homage to Jacques’ French heritage, so I start with the richest, fattiest, most luscious cut of brisket—the point. I season with a minimalist salt and pepper rub to keep the focus on the meat and wood smoke. And to go with it, a red wine, shallot, and rosemary barbecue sauce inspired by French bordelaise sauce. I’ve kept the sweetness to a minimum: The French don’t really like sugar in meat sauces. Thank you, Jacques, for your huge contribution to American gastronomy!

Franco-Texas Barbecued Brisket

Recipe details

Serves

6-8

For the Brisket

Ingredients

  • 1 brisket point, preferably Wagyu (about 6 pounds)
  • 3 tablespoons coarse sea salt
  • 3 tablespoons cracked black peppercorns or freshly ground black peppercorns
  • 1 cup dry red wine in a spray bottle for spritzing
  • Red Wine-Rosemary Barbecue Sauce, recipe follows

Method

  1. Gather the tools and equipment for cooking: charcoal, starters, wood, unlined butcher paper or parchment, aluminum foil, heat proof gloves and an insulated cooler.
  2. Using a sharp knife, trim any excess fat off the brisket point, leaving no less than a ¼-inch thick layer of fat. In a small bowl, combine the salt and pepper together to make the rub. Place the brisket on a rimmed sheet pan and generously season the top, bottom, and sides with the rub.
  3. Fire up your smoker, cooker, or grill following the manufacturer’s instructions. (If using a grill, set it up for indirect grilling, using half the normal amount of charcoal.) Heat it to 250°F and add wood as specified by the manufacturer. Place the brisket in the smoker fat side up. If using an offset smoker, have the thicker end of the brisket pointed toward the firebox. Cook until the outside is dark brown and the internal temperature of the brisket is 160 to 170°F; this normally takes 4 to 5 hours. As the brisket cooks, spray it with red wine every hour. If the outside of the brisket darkens too much, loosely lay a sheet of aluminum foil on top. Do not bunch the foil tightly around the meat or it will steam rather than smoke.
  4. Refuel your cooker as needed, following the manufacturer’s instructions. You’re looking for a clean, steady stream of pale blue smoke.
  5. Overlap two 24 inch-long sheets of unlined butcher paper on your work surface to create a 24-inch square. When the brisket reaches 160 to 170°F, don heatproof gloves and transfer the meat to the center of the paper. Fold the bottom section over the brisket. Fold in the sides and roll the point over so that it’s completely swaddled in paper. Make sure you note the orientation of the brisket in the paper, as you want the fatty part of the brisket to remain on top. Ideally the seam will be on the bottom. Return the wrapped point to the smoker and continue cooking the brisket until it reaches an internal temperature of around 205°F. It will be darkly browned, almost black and very tender. This will take another 1 to 2 hours, bringing your total cooking time to 6 to 8 hours, depending on the size of your point.
  6. You can certainly eat the brisket now, but for an even moister, more tender meat, wrap it—still in its butcher paper—in aluminum foil and set it in an insulated cooler for 1½ hours. This allows the meat to relax and the juices to redistribute.
  7. Unwrap the brisket point and cut it crosswise across the grain into ¼-inch slices and serve with the sauce on the side.

For the Red Wine-Rosemary Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 to 2 shallots, minced, about 1/4 cup
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
  • ½ teaspoon finely grated Meyer lemon zest
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • ½ cup tomato sauce
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Portuguese piri piri, Texas Pete or Tabasco
  • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon fresh Meyer lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a heavy non-reactive saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots, rosemary and lemon zest and cook, stirring with a whisk, until just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and boil until it reduces by half. Add the tomato sauce, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, lemon juice, liquid smoke, mustard, and nutmeg and whisk. Gently simmer the sauce until thick and richly flavored, 6 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk in the remaining tablespoon of butter and let the sauce cool to room temperature before serving.