The barbecue technique

I have received a request for directions in preparing Texas barbecue.

You start with a whole brisket, “in the bag,” as they say. You need one that is 8-10 pounds, with a decent slab of fat on it. The fat does the basting, and if you get a brisket that is too lean, it will be dry. Take the brisket out of the bag and sprinkle it liberally with salt and fresh-ground pepper.

My cooker is a 22-inch Weber. I can actually do two briskets on it, if you are feeding that many. Pile a fire of about 30 charcoal briquets (I use Kingsford Mesquite) against one side of the fire grate. On the fire, place two or three chunks of lump mesquite charcoal. You can also use soaked wood chips – oak, mesquite, what have you. On the grate opposite the fire, place a drip pan – I use a big, rectangular aluminum baking pan – lined with foil. Open the bottom vents all the way.

Start no later than 7 a.m. Place the brisket over the drip pan, and place the cooker cover so the vent is over the meat. This vent should be open no more than halfway. Every 45 minutes to an hour, flip the brisket, and add seven or so briquets and a couple more chunks of mesquite charcoal, or more wood chips. You want a fairly slow fire. If you can rest your fingertips on the grill behind the brisket for two or three seconds, that is about right. Use paper towels to turn the meat.

Continue this way all day long. About 7 p.m., feed the fire one last time and let it die out overnight. In the morning, wrap the cooled brisket loosely in foil. Empty the drippings into a saucepan. Put a little water and vinegar in the drip pan and heat it carefully on the stove to loosen up burned-on drippings and add these to the saucepan. Place the saucepan in the freezer until the fat hardens on top. Remove the fat, carefully warm the drippings, and strain them into a separate saucepan. Add a small bottle of ordinary barbecue sauce (I use KC Masterpiece) and heat through to blend drippings and sauce. Add fresh-ground black pepper to taste, a splash more vinegar, and a tablespoon or so of oregano.

When you’re ready to eat, trim the excess fat off the brisket and slice it across the grain into long, thin slices. Place the slices on foil for easy handling and reheat in the Weber. Warm the sauce and serve it on the side.

Use the same fire technique for baby back ribs. Sprinkle three or four racks of ribs with salt, pepper, celery salt, garlic powder, paprika and oregano. Tend them hourly just as you do with brisket, but the ribs only take three or four hours.