BRISKET ESSENTIALS: VERSATILE BBQ AND MOP SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. PREP/PREPARE
• 2. You will need a saucepan big enough to hold all of the ingredients, and a glass jar to store it.
• 3. I will last about 3 - 4 weeks, if kept refrigerated.
• 4. Chunky or Smooth? You can see from my main photograph that I left the sauce chunky. However, you can smooth it out (I do that sometimes), by either straining out the veggies, or putting the partly cooled sauce in a blender.
• 5. To Mop or not to Mop... That is the Question Mopping, the process of taking a thin sauce and applying it to the brisket on a regular basis, is a hotly debated subject among pit-masters. The two methods used are using a spray bottle to spray the sauce, on, or using a mop tool (it actually looks like a cute little kitchen mop). Mops were originally used in open-pit barbecues where the meat had a greater chance of drying out. I do not mop my briskets, unless one of my clients requests it. I prefer to smoke them with a dry rub and serve the sauce at the table. If you are looking for a good dry rub, here you go: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/main-course/main-course-beef/awesome-beef-brisket-dry-rub.html?r=13 https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/sauce-spread/rub/brisket-essentials-overnight-low-and-slow-rub.html?r=14 With that said, a "proper" mopping of a brisket can add additional layers of flavor, as the sugars in the sauce begin to caramelize.
• 6. Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• 7. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl, and reserve.
• 8. Add the butter and oil to a saucepan over medium heat.
• 9. When the foaming subsides, give the saucepan a swirl and add the onions.
• 10. When the onions soften, about 3 - 4 minutes (but not brown), add the bell pepper, and garlic, then cook for an additional 1 - 2 minutes.
• 11. Add the dry spices, and stir to combine, about 1 minute.
• 12. Add the beer, and stock, and stir until the ingredients are combined, 1 - 2 minutes.
• 13. Scrap the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to pick up any yummy fonds that have developed.
• 14. Add the remaining ingredients, and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until it begins to thicken a bit.
• 15. This is not a thick BBQ sauce. If you want it thicker, take about a tablespoon of cornstarch and mix with a tablespoon of water (a slurry), and add it to the sauce while it is simmering. I prefer it thin, but that is just me.
• 16. PLATE/PRESENT
• 17. Use as a mop while you are smoking your brisket and serve some on the side while eating. Enjoy.
• 18. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.