from Where We Ate
From Chef Garrett “Rusty” Thienes of Harvest Eatery in Shaunavon, SK.
Makes: 4-6 servings
Maple Bourbon Demi: makes 2 cups
Time: 8 hours
Ingredients
Southwest Rub:
8 Tbsp paprika
1 ½ Tbsp onion powder
2 ½ Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp cayenne pepper
1 ½ Tbsp white pepper
2 ½ Tbsp course ground black pepper
1 Tbsp thyme
1 Tbsp oregano
2 Tbsp chipotle paste, or 1 Tbsp of ground chipotle pepper
1 Tbsp brown sugar
4 Tbsp kosher salt
Brisket:
One 5-lb beef brisket
Smoker pucks/wood for smoking (Harvest Eatery uses hickory or maple wood)
Maple Bourbon Demi:
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 shallot, peeled and finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 fl oz maple syrup
2 oz (60 mL) bourbon
4 cups beef or veal stock*
*Ensure you use a real beef or veal stock. Many local fresh markets or butchers have frozen ready-made stock, or you could also make your own. Store-bought beef broth will not work the same as a stock, as it lacks the marrow needed to properly thicken it.
Directions
To make the Smoked Southwestern Brisket: In a large bowl, combine all of the Southwest Rub ingredients and mix thoroughly with your hands, breaking up any clumps until all the spices are well combined.
Transfer the Southwest Rub to an airtight container and set it aside.
Take your brisket and lightly trim any excess sharp and protruding edges. The brisket should be level and smooth throughout, so that smoke and heat can travel evenly through all parts of the meat. Otherwise sharp and protruding edges will burn or dry out during the cooking process, and will need to be trimmed off later anyway.
Once trimmed, take the Southwest Rub and generously coat all the edges of the brisket, using your hands to press and rub it into the meat. Ensure you have used the entire rub, because brisket is generally 50 per cent fat, meaning that as it cooks a large portion of the seasoning is rendered away with the fat.
Place the brisket in the preheated smoker at 200 ⁰ F, with the wood or smoker pucks. *** If you don’t have a smoker, you can skip this step and roast for an extra hour or two in the oven. Everyone’s smoker varies, they should be following the instructions that came with their particular smoker. *** Smoke the brisket for approximately 60 minutes per pound. Once finished, remove it from the smoker. (See below for options to omit the smoking).
Meanwhile, make the Maple Bourbon Demi (see below).
Remove the brisket from the oven once it’s done, and allow it to rest, gently wrapped in butchers paper, for at least 60 minutes, but up to 2 hours. If you have an empty portable cooler, the insulation in these helps maintain the heat while resting the meat!
Once the brisket has finished resting, slice the meat against the grain. Given that brisket is made of two interconnected muscles, you may have to change slicing directions halfway through, depending on the size of your cut. Drizzle the meat with the warmed Maple Bourbon Demi and serve immediately.
Leftover brisket can be kept for up to 1 week in an airtight container in the fridge.
A Note on Smoking: If you do not have access to a smoker, you can cook your brisket in the oven and omit the smoking. For oven-only instructions, place directly in the oven in a deep rimmed baking dish and cook for roughly the same amount of time. The key is reaching an internal temperature of 200F, but don’t crank up the heat, this is a low and slow process.
To make the Maple Bourbon Demi: In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Once melted, add the shallots and cook them until they are translucent and slightly caramelized.
Then add the minced garlic and continue to cook over medium-high heat until the shallots and garlic and browned and fragrant, for about 1 minute.
Deglaze the pan with the bourbon (remove the pan from the heat first and if using an open flame be careful as it can ignite) and scrape all brown bits from bottom of pan. Reduce until au sec (nearly dry), lower heat to low, and stir in maple syrup.
Add the beef or veal stock to the saucepan and bring the mixture to the brink of a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium-low and allow it to simmer for 1-2 hours, or until it is reduced by half. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
The Demi is best served warm overtop of the brisket. Leftover Demi can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks, or frozen in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Nada’s Tips & Tricks: We tried the no-smoke in-the-oven method and it turned out amazingly tender and tasty. A slow cook is the key. You can purchase or make different rubs to change up the flavour on the meat. Start with this recipe and then play with it until you get it how you like it. Yum!
Contents and images used with permission by Harvest Eatery. Harvest Eatery | Locally-Inspired Dining in Southwest Saskatchewan