An original recipe by Ray Lampe, Dr. BBQ
Ingredients
- 1 flat cut brisket, about 9 pounds with the fat cap left on
- BBQ rub as needed
- 1 cup strong black coffee
Instructions
Set the EGG for indirect cooking at 250°F/121°C with pecan wood for flavor and a drip pan on the convEGGtor™. Trim any loose pieces from the brisket and any excessive fat from the lean side. Do not trim the fat cap. Apply a heavy coating of the rub on all exposed meat surfaces and a light coat on the fat cap. Place the brisket in the EGG fat side down. Cook without peeking for 4 hours.
Flip the brisket and cook another two hours until the brisket is well browned and reaches an internal temp of at least 160°F/71°C.
Lay out a big double thick sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil. Lay the brisket on the foil fat side down. As you begin to fold up the foil around the brisket pour the coffee over the meat. Wrap the foil all around the brisket to form a complete package, being careful not to puncture the foil. Transfer the brisket back to the EGG and cook until it reaches an internal temp of 200°F/93°C, about 2 hours.
Poke the brisket with a fork to make sure it’s tender, and if it’s not tender cook it longer until it is.
Remove the brisket to a platter and let rest in the wrap for at least a half hour. Carefully remove the brisket from the foil to a cutting board. Slice thinly against the grain.
Serve with raw onions, jalapeños and white bread.
Makes about 12 servings
If the foil needs to be sealed, what do you do about the temp probe? I tried this recipe and it wasn’t as tender as I expected. Was it because I had the meat probe sticking out of the foil? I also only had a 4.5 lbs brisket, but I kept the Egg at 250 and watched the meat temp.
You can leave the probe and and wrap the foil around it to get the best seal possible. I have done this receipe several times and there are two keys. 1- I do not flip the brisket mid cook. I leave it in the egg until it reaches 160. 2- when it’s at 200 take the brisket while still wrapped in the foil and wrap it in a towel. Place package in a good cooler for at least two hours. This lets the meat rehydrate while the connective tissue breaks down.
I followed this recipe almost to the letter except, I put the brisket in a large aluminum pan , used a cup of beef broth instead of coffee
It turned out really good!
Followed the directions to a tee and it was simply terrific! My grill held at 250-275 the entire time. The only thing I did was have a tray under the 9 lb brisket that I kept filled with water. The drippings went into the water to create an awesome au jous. I should have snapped a photo, but we ate it before we thought about pictures. I used Rufus Teague ‘Meat Rub’ and a little extra garlic. Thanks Dr BBQ!
How long do I need to extend the 4-2-2 hour method if I have a 12.5# brisket?
I followed your directions for a 4 lb brisket expecting it to reach 200° in about 6 hours. BGE temp was stable at 250° throughout. After10 hours I finally lost patience and pulled it off after reaching 196° 10 hours later! Unbelievably long stall. I had parallel temp probes running in the center of both brisket ends and was checking with an Oxo temp probe at varios points towards the end to be certain it was not over-cooking. The rub and flavor was excellent. Any thoughts as to why I could not get my small brisket to 200° and why it took 10 hours?
Cooking it exactly like this does have a long stall. You can beat the stall out of it if you start your smoking really hot, around 350° and then slow it down after an hour so. The stall is from a problem of equilibrium. The cooked exterior makes it hard for the heat to be exchanged with the center of the meat. It acts as an insulator. If you start hot, you are getting a jump start on getting it to heat up.
I would guess that the aluminum foil was not sufficiently sealed. I had an incredibly long stall while crutched and discovered I had a poor seal- just a guess from personal experience.
Have used this recipe twice and it worked to perfection both times. I had tried to cook brisket before and they always came out too tough. This was an easy to use well explained recipe that makes a delicious tender brisket . I have cooked both a point and a flat with it with success. My family loved it too and they are hard to please. Thx Dr BbQ for this great recipe!
As I am writing this, I have my second crack at this recipe. This time we used only a 2.66# flat. I have done this before when only cooking for a few people. Important thing to remember is your initial times will vary. I cook fat side down for only 2 1/2 hours with this size, cap up till 160. Usually around 1 – 1 1/2 hours. Then Texas crutch. Always works great. For those who are starting and you ask about times, many veterans will say “cook to temp, not time”. And they are correct in a way, but as we know we still need to know a ball park. I always take my times off the recipe like this one as my estimates and hope to serve +\- 45 minutes. Of course my family never complains if I miss the planned meal time, its always worth the wait!!! I have been following and using Dr.BBQ cookbooks since he came on the national scene. Great resources!!!!
I cooked my first brisket on the BGE for our Christmas Eve dinner, and this recipe delivered the most tender brisket I have ever tasted. Using coffee as an ingredient in low-and-slow cooking was a first for me, and it was magic. (Absolutely no coffee taste in the meat.) Thank you!
Thinking about making this but no coffee. Would that work as well?
I did without coffee the first time and it was simply fantastic – lots of applause for the brisket. I am trying it with coffee tomorrow. Can’t imagine it improving but wow! if it does.
It might but the coffee helps keep it tender and you get no coffee flavor in the final brisket. Just use a good rub.
Good luck,
What size Green egg did you do this video on?
One of the things I’ve come to learn, especially with Dr BBQ’s recipes, is to pay attention to temp and time. Not necessarily WHEN it hits a designated time. If he says “smoke for 4 hours until it reaches an internal temp of 160,” then smoke for 4 hours regardless of when it hits 160 (assuming you’re not going over his stated BGE temp) so long as it’s at a minimum of 160 at the end. And get as close as possible to the poundage in his recipe. Always turns out great when I resist the temptation to screw with the recipe when things don’t match up exactly. …for what it’s worth.
I’ve been reading this whole thread looking for that answer! I’m at 2 hours right now and already at 127, thank you for the clarification!
Trying this recipe today. I don’t drink coffee though and don’t want the coffee taste. Any recommendations for a substitute?
I’ve used apple juice with this recipe, tastes great.
I have used this recipe 3 times with great success. Typically my briskets flats are in the 6lb range from Costco. Cooking time 4 hours @ 250, then covering in foil and adding A cup of Starbucks dark roast coffee for 2 hours and then wrapping in a towel and resting in a yeti cooler for two hours males for the most delicious and tennder brisket I have ever eaten. Thank you for this recipe. I was gifted a Momolith Kamodoa grill and it intimidates me until I used this recipe, thanks Dr. BBQ!
Order 12-15 lbs Wagu or Kobe brisket (competition brisket). Don’t buy Costco or regular supermarket. Have to start with
a great piece of meat first. Pull off at 190 degrees, brisket will continue to cook for hours (wrapped in cooler)
Major overkill to buy Wagu or Kobe brisket for a family barbecue. You will spend 3X the money for no difference to the average person. Prime brisket is plenty quality.
It’s not over kill. Further more you can support sustainable, thoughtful farming.
My 1st brisket! Fantastic recipe. Came out so moist and delicious. Just about fell apart.
Thanks Dr BBQ!
What if your brisket has a thick end and a thin end , if the thick end gets 200 degrees will that mead the thin side is over cooked .
It is not a “flat” if you have a thick end and a thinner end, it still has the point on it (burnt ends come from here).
Tried your brisket exactly the way you said and it turned out great. The coffee really ads a nice flavor.
Tried this today. First brisket on the egg. Great result. Temp and rub was fabulous. Substitute apple juice for the coffee at the end to keep the kids happy. Thx for the recipe.
Yes the apple juice is awesome! I’ve tried it both ways.
How would you adjust the cook times if using a 7 pound brisket?
Just go by the internal temp! I never cook it past 204 IT
I have two briskets/ one just over 5 and the other just over 4 pounds/ the biggest I could find. 9# total meat. Will my cool time still be about 8 hours total, or less since it’s two slabs?
PS – Go to Youtube, and watch Franklin’s Brisket instructions. The egg offers great versatility, and I’ve had excellent results with the Franklin recipe rub (equal salt and pepper), as well as his sauce…if you feel you need it. His advice on trimming, and slicing is great for those of us that buy full packs. Enjoy!
Who on earth cuts a brisket just after it has been removed from the Big Green Egg? Dr. BBQ, please advise these folks that the brisket can SIT in a cooler, wrapped foil, or butcher paper in a towel for HOURS, and then be sliced. The meat needs to rest, but I know you know that, but show that in the video.
I tried doing a Brisket Flat for the first time ever with my BGE, and I have some questions. First – I hit the finish temp of 200-F after 5 hours. Here’s what I did: I started with a 6.5-lb flat, rubbed and refrigerated the night before. I started with a completely cleaned BGE with fresh lump charcoal. I lit the BGE at 7am (figuring it would take all day), let it get going, adjusted bottom and top vents until it was holding steady at 225. I put the flat on fat side down, and after 1.5 hours it had already reached 135 internal temp so I flipped it. After one more hour it had reached 160, so I put it in the Texas crutch with a cup of beef bouillon. After 5 hours it was at 200 internal temp. Now it’s 1:30pm. Still about 4 hours away from our planned dinner time. So I took it off and put it in a cooler to keep warm. When we unwrapped it to eat, there was no smoke ring, but the meat was definitely cooked all the way through. The narrowest tapered end of the flat was actually nice and crusted and kind of pulled apart like pulled pork, while the thicker end of the flat was meaty and solid like a roast beef. I didn’t really have much bark to speak of. The crust was still soft. It seems like my brisket cooked 3 to 4 hours fast than it should have, but I was very attentive to the lid temp, which held steady at 240-250 for the entire 5 hours. Should the whole brisket have been more like the thinner end? It actually seemed a bit more flavorful there. Sorry for so many questions, but this was my first brisket on the BGE (only got it a few months ago), and every website I read prior to doing the brisket said it should take 8 to 10 hours. Mine was half that. Thanks for any advice.
Did you cook it over indirect heat using a conveggtor? If not, that may have been your issue.
Maybe you need to calibrate your thermometer? Mine was off 90 degrees when I first got it. Was ruining everything and that was the cause
Great recipe and instructions. Followed the recipe spot on..with one exception… I rubbed the meat night before and let stand in fridge overnight . Cooked a 10.4lb flat brisket and total grill time was 12 hours to reach internal temp of 196…. fell short of the 200 degree target, as company was hungry! 🙂
The meat was beautifully tender and flavourful. Thx Dr BBQ!I
FYI: Just followed the directions; the rub is great but an internal temperature of 200F is pretty well done. At that temperature ours was well done. Much better on the medium rare side.
Medium rare for a brisket? Nah. This recipe is spot on.
Yep. You can’t break down the connective tissue at medium rare. Low and slow until it’s butter! Doing another one on the fourth!
Are you kiddding? Have you ever eaten medium rare brisket?
I don’t think you understand brisket
Tried my first brisket on green egg yesterday. Used this recipe. It was AWSOME.
6lb all gone. Nothing left
In UK the butchers tend to roll and tie brisket. This method however still worked brilliantly. Served with salsa verde for a summery lunch party. Amazing .
Does the coffee leave any coffee taste ?
Nope
Thanks
I used Dr BBQ’s recipe/method a cpl weeks ago, was great! Had used a cpl previous recipes, this was the best so far, again this Sunday / Labor Day