If you love beef brisket you've probably wondered if there's pork brisket, well there is, and it's deliciously tender, just like beef. Today I'll walk you through the basics of cooking pig brisket or breast-one of the best under-used cuts of pork. We'll go over what it is, where to get it, and my favorite smoked pork brisket recipe. Read on and I'll explain what you need to know.
Is Brisket Pork or Beef?
The answer is both. Pork brisket on a pig is the exact same cut as beef brisket on a cow. The breast or brisket of an animal is made up of the pectoralis muscle located over the sternum or breast bone. Since pigs are smaller than cattle their briskets are smaller. Smaller does not mean less tasty. If you like pork belly and pulled pork, you'll love pig brisket.
Unlike beef brisket, pork brisket has both light and dark meat, making it the perfect brisket substitute for people who might prefer chicken to regular beef brisket.
Besides pork, there's other alternative beef brisket substitutes. Goat and lamb brisket is excellent and can be cooked similarly.
Where to Buy Pork Brisket
Pork breast or brisket is one of the more difficult cuts of pork to find as most of it becomes ground pork or sausage. You'll need to call a local butcher or pig farmer that processes their own hogs to find some.
There's also a few companies online that sell it like Porter Road I haven't tried. I buy pork brisket from my friend Andy Peterson of Peterson Craftsman Meats.
How to Cook Pork Brisket
Just like Boston butt or pork shoulder, brisket is rich in intermuscular and intramuscular fat. This means it needs long, slow cooking to be tender and break down the connective tissue. Another important thing to know is that if your brisket has been cut in half like the brisket I cooked for this post it will cook faster than a whole brisket.
Cooking recommendations vary a bit. Some companies recommend cooking it to an internal temperature of 200 F, other recommend 145 F. My advice is to not worry about the internal temperature at all, and simply cook the brisket as I describe in the recipe until it's fork tender-just like pulled pork or pork ribs.
It will take about 6 hours at 250 F to cook whole briskets. Half briskets will be done a little faster. Here's how to make it, step-by-step.
Once the brisket is smoked for a few hours they're removed from the smoker and wrapped in parchment paper. Wrapping brisket or ribs in parchment is a barbecue secret I learned from a friend who competes in smoked meat competitions.
Cooked in the paper the meat steams to finish cooking. It's a gentle cooking method that will prevent your brisket from drying out. It's a game changer and I use it with smoked ribs, pork shoulder, and just about any slow cooked meat. I also add a wide pot of water to the oven to prevent the meat from drying out.
Honey Mustard BBQ Sauce
The mustard BBQ sauce is inspired by Carolina Mustard Sauce. It's very easy to make and is optional. Be careful though, once you try it you might want to put it on everything. All you need are some dried guajillo chilis, dijon mustard, honey or maple syrup, and a little cooking oil. The images below describe the process.
The most important part is drizzling in oil at the end of pureeing. This makes the sauce light, fluffy and silky smooth.
After the sauce is made I like to serve it cool or at room temperature. It's the perfect substitute for barbecue sauce that's often too sweet and sugary for many people.
More Unique Cuts of Meat
Smoked Pork Brisket with Honey Mustard BBQ Sauce
Equipment
- 1 Smoker such as a Traeger pellet smoker
- 1 baking sheet
- 1 Serrated knife
- 2 Sheets of parchment paper
Ingredients
Brisket
- 1 4lb Pork brisket
- 3 teaspoons Kosher salt Roughly ¾ teaspoon per pound of meat
- 3 Tablespoons Dry rub or your favorite seasoning recipe follows
Basic Dry Rub (optional, makes enough for 2 batches)
- ½ cup Sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon Ground cumin
- 1 Tablespoons Dried thyme
- 2 Tablespoons Onion Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh ground black pepper
Honey Mustard BBQ Sauce (optional)
- 3 large Dried guajillo chilis or 1 tablespoon medium chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder or 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
- ¼ cup Honey or maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons Onion powder
- ½ cup Light olive oil or cooking oil
- 1 cup Spicy dijon mustard or brown mustard
- 1 cup hot water
Instructions
Honey Mustard BBQ Sauce (Optional)
- Toast the guajillo chilis until brittle in an oven, about 10 minutes at 325 F. Cool, break and discard the seeds. Put the dried chili in a bowl, pour over the hot water and rest for 5 minutes.
- Combine the soaked chilis and remaining ingredients except the oil in a blender and puree.
- Drizzle in the oil at the end to make the sauce smooth, then pour into a container, cool, and refrigerate until needed.
Dry Rub
- Mix all ingredients together until thoroughly combined.
Trim and Dry Brine the Brisket
- Trim the brisket of excess fat if desired.
- Season the briskets all over with salt.
- Season the briskets all over with the dry rub using roughly 2 teaspoons per pound of meat, then wrap in cling film and refrigerate overnight.
Smoke the Brisket
- Preheat the smoker to 250 F. Smoke the brisket for 3 hours, turning once.
- Preheat the oven to 275 F.
- Remove the brisket from the smoker and wrap in parchment paper.
- Bake the pork brisket in the oven until the meat is fork-tender. I like to put a wide pan of water in the oven to help the meat steam and prevent it from drying out. Expect 2-3 hours for half brisket and slightly longer for a full 4 lb brisket. Allow the brisket to rest in a warm place for 30 minutes before slicing.
- Serve the brisket with the mustard sauce and your favorite side dishes like cornbread, mustard or collard greens.
G
Hi can I cook in oven
Alan Bergo
Yes