Of course in Stretch Cooking one good way to make a little go a long way is spend a little money for a big piece of meat. Like a brisket. Many supermarkets won't have the whole brisket, in the bag, but most meat markets do, and butcher shops in neighborhood grocery markets. They sell for around $2 a pound.
You can cook a brisket in several delectable ways, such as braising or baking, but these instructions are for turning a brisket into home-style Texas barbecue. When you say, "Barbecue," to a Texan, he or she will reply, "Brisket," whereas a Tennessean will say, "Pork," a Kentuckian might say, "Mutton," and a Californian will say, "Back yard."
When you drive through Texas, go slow through the towns, and in every one you will pick up the scent of barbecue, rising from the barbecue joints. Therein, the Texas masters barbecue briskets in huge pits, with a firebox at one end, from which smoke from smouldering mesquite is drawn through the pits and over the briskets for long, slow, magical hours. What I offer is a way to obtain a reasonable replication at home.
You start with a whole brisket, “in the bag,” as they say. You need one that is around 10 pounds, with a decent slab of fat on it. Don't be intimidated by the fat; some of it cooks away, and the rest gets trimmed off. 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 (one brisket is plenty for eight). Use a chimney fire-starter to make a fire of 35 charcoal briquets (I use Kingsford Mesquite) Pile it against one side of the fire grate. On the fire, place two or three chunks of lump mesquite charcoal (available at most supermarkets). 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 grill so one handle is over the fire, providing briquet access. 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 (break up the large chunks with a hammer). 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.
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 and discard, carefully warm the drippings, and strain them into a separate saucepan. Add a medium 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.
Trim the excess fat off the brisket. An hour before you're ready to eat, start a new fire in the Weber. Place the trimmed brisket on a sheet of foil on the grill opposite the fire and let it reheat. Slice it across the grain into long, thin slices (an electric knife is great for this). There will be "burned ends" that break off; pass these around as teasers. Serve the meat on a platter; it will be tender enough to cut with a fork. Gently warm the sauce and serve it on the side. Classic side dishes are pinto beans and potato salad.
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