I love barbecue. From the dry Memphis styles to wet-rubbed Saint Louis ribs, I could eat it every day, and it pairs so well with a good dram.
In an upcoming issue of Whisky Advocate, you’ll read about some great bourbon-related barbecue dishes, including mains, sides, and sauces. One thing I learned while writing the story is I need to start barbecuing more with the good stuff. So, I went to Louisville pit master Michael Mack, whose barbecue I eat every week at a farmer’s market, and asked for a bourbon-barbecue recipe.
At a glance, the recipe is a lot more work than I’m accustomed to and I only have basic Weber charcoal and propane grills. I lack the mounted-on-a-trailer smoker Mack uses. For my grilling weakness, I recruited Saint Louis-based amateur pit coach Eammon Azizi, whose weekly Twitter grilling photos have led to me salivating many times.
Barbecuing with bourbon comes in forms of marinades, wood soaks, sauces, and a splash here and there. I rubbed a nearly 18-pound brisket with Mack’s rub (recipe below) and added half a bottle of Maker’s 46 to the pan, letting the bourbon and spices saturate the meat. I covered it with foil and put it in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, I sliced it into thirds. I cooked one third in the oven, another over coals and bourbon-soaked hickory, and the final third on a gas grill with a bourbon mop sauce (recipe below). My goal was to see which version of barbecuing offered the best bourbon flavor. Each portion of the brisket had the same rub and bourbon soak.
Mack’s rub recommendation:
Rinse the brisket with water then score the fat side like a checker board.
Season both sides liberally with Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, Grill Mates Montreal Steak seasoning, Grill Mates Brown Sugar Bourbon seasoning, and Trade East Classic BBQ Dry Rub.
Place in a pan and cover with aluminum foil for 4 hours or overnight.
The Oven
I took the basic 1/3 of the Brisket and placed it in the oven, set to 350 degrees and cooked for four hours. Honestly, I’ve never cooked brisket in the oven before, so this was probably the most challenging. I kept going to the oven, looking in. Is it too hot? Cooking too quickly? But since so many of us face homeowner associations that ban grills or live in apartments, I really wanted to give the oven a shot.
The Wood
The wood method.
I soaked hickory chips in 750 ml. of Old Forester Signature and water overnight then let them dry. When the charcoals were hot, I placed the bourbon hickory chips on top for flavor. I put a pan of water next to the coals and wood, placed the marinated brisket on the rack above the water, then smoked it at around 250 degrees.
If you’ve never tried to control temperature on a basic grill, it’s a great way to frustrate yourself. It went from 106 degrees to 320 with a mere quarter inch move of the top vent. I probably should invest in a smoker.
Fortunately, the coals and chips smoked the brisket to a dark black color, crisping the fat and cooking the insides. I pulled the meat after four hours, placed it in a brown-sugar rubbed aluminum pan, rubbed brown sugar on the brisket, added a cup of Maker’s 46, covered it, and stuck it in a 200 degree oven for eight hours. “The fat from the brisket, the spices, the brown sugar, and the bourbon will create a very tasty au jus, that is incredible,” Mack told me.
The Gas Grill
I placed the brisket in an aluminum pan and inside the gas grill with the temperature set at 250, where it would cook for 6-8 hours, until the internal meat reached 190 degrees.
With the gas grill method, since I used a pan for cleanliness, it was really no different than using an oven. So, every two hours, I brushed and drenched the mop sauce onto the meat. This aroma offered a competitive smell to the bourbon-soaked hickory smoking nearby.
Mop Sauce recipe:
Bourbon SOP from The Barbecue Lover’s Big Book of BBQ Sauces (Harvard Common Press)
Makes about 3 cups
1 1/2 cups inexpensive bourbon or other whiskey
1⁄2 cup white vinegar
1⁄2 cup water
1⁄4 cup vegetable oil
1⁄2 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. steak sauce, such as A.1. Original
1 tsp. kosher salt or coarse sea salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
Combine all of the ingredients in a saucepan.
Heat the mop sauce before you plan to use it initially and keep it warm over low heat between bastes. Apply to the meat about once an hour.
The Results
Each style maintained the bourbon flavor. I was pleasantly surprised by how well the Maker’s 46 held up in each dish. I’d like to tell you I had a reason for using Maker’s 46, but it just happened to be sitting by the olive oil in the kitchen. Lucky me, I suppose.
The Oven – This was really a simple taste. Juicy brisket, seasoning, and a hint of bourbon. In a pinch, I’d make this again, but I would certainly go with the grill if available.
The Wood – I was so happy with how this turned out. Although I didn’t achieve the smoke ring and it was slightly dry, the brisket was so rich with hickory and bourbon flavor I couldn’t believe it. The au jus was tangy, caramelly, and spicy. But I’m sure this dish would have been much better with a controlled temperature.
The Gas Grill – This was the juiciest, most tender, and perfectly cooked of the three. I think the constant temperature had something to do with this. The mop sauce also added an entirely new flavor profile with some savory onions.
My Favorite – The wood grilled! Look, bourbon is great for brisket, but I want to taste smoked flavor. It’s hard to beat a rich hickory taste. I paired it with Four Roses Single Barrel, and oh boy, I was in heaven. Four Roses’ spiciness cut through the brisket’s fat and complemented the au jus. As Mack said, it was incredible.
With it being the July 4th weekend, many will be barbecuing. Share your recipes in the comment section. Maybe I’ll test yours out on a new grill.
The post The Bourbon and Barbecue Experiment appeared first on Whisky Advocate.