Luke Powell was born in New Zealand and worked in top-level kitchens for decades, including as head chef at Sydney’s Tetsuya’s, before he developed a passion for charcuterie during a stint at Blue Hill in upstate New York.
Luke has recently published his first book called ‘Quality Meats’.
For more information about Luke and his book, click here!
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SMOKED BRISKET SANDWICH
Here’s a classic way to serve brisket that riffs on all the marvellous smoked meat sandwiches, Reubens and salt-beef bagels of the world. I like the fact that it has all the balance and relief systems in place so that, as rich as it is, you can feel like you’re having a good time without needing a lie-down afterwards.
There are a few components here that I encourage you to make yourself, especially the pickled cabbage and the milk bread (you should have plenty of time while the brisket is cooking!) – but, of course, you can always use good-quality, store-bought alternatives. Making these yourself does give an excellent result, though, and really leans into the special-occasion energy that cooking a whole brisket inevitably brings. Eat this with your hands.
MAKES 1 SANDWICH
100 g (3.5 oz) smoked brisket (see recipe below), sliced 2 slices of thick bread Soft butter, for spreading 15 g (0.5 oz) American mustard (I like Golden State) 15 g (0.5 oz) mayonnaise 2 slices of Swiss cheese 50 g (1.75 oz) drained pickled cabbage (see recipe below)
1. Remove the brisket from the fridge to temper. Heat a sandwich press to medium heat.
2. Lightly butter one side of the bread slices and lay them on a board, buttered side down. Spread one slice of bread with mustard and the other with mayonnaise. Place the cheese slices on the mayo side and the cabbage on the mustard side, followed by the brisket, then flip the cheese and mayo side on top of the brisket.
3. Carefully pick up the sandwich and place it in the sandwich press. Grill until the outside is golden brown and the inside is hot. Let the sandwich cool, just a little, before jumping in.
SMOKED BRISKET
SERVES 10–12
5 kg (11 lb 4 oz) grass-fed beef brisket (marble score 2–4) Vegetable oil, for drizzling 25 g (1 oz) freshly cracked black pepper
BRISKET BRINE
For every 1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) of brisket, use: 1 litre (35 fl oz) water
45 g (1.5 oz) fine salt 15 g (0.5 oz) brown sugar 5 g (0.2 oz) star anise 10 g (0.4 oz) cinnamon sticks 2 g (0.1 oz) cloves 8 g (0.3 oz) fresh bay leaves 20 g (0.7 oz) garlic cloves 5 g (0.2 oz) black peppercorns 5 g (0.2 oz) coriander seeds 3.7 g sodium nitrite – curing salt
1. Combine all of the brine ingredients except the curing salt in a large pot (it’s good if your pot fits in the fridge; clear some room). Bring to a simmer, stirring until all the salt and sugar have dissolved. Turn off the heat and leave to cool to room temperature.
2. Add the curing salt and whisk to dissolve.
3. Note the weight of the brisket. Use a brining needle to inject brine into the brisket in a tight grid pattern, approximately every 2 cm (3⁄4 in), refilling the needle each time and being generous with the brine. Weigh the brisket after brining to ensure it takes on approximately 10% in weight. Submerge the brisket in the remaining brine, cover and refrigerate for 10 days, agitating the brisket after 5 days so the salt doesn’t settle.
4. Rinse the brisket under cold water. Pat it dry with a paper towel or a clean towel, then place it on a wire rack set over a tray. Refrigerate the brisket overnight to dry and develop a pellicle.
5. Start your smoker for hot-smoking, aiming to achieve a consistent temperature of around 100°C (212°F) and a steady flow of smoke.
6. Remove the brisket from the fridge, lightly rub it all over with oil (just enough so the pepper will stick), then sprinkle the pepper all over the brisket, making sure you get it into all the nooks and crannies; as the brisket cooks, the meat will shrink, exposing other areas that can end up under-seasoned if you aren’t attentive early on.
7. Place the brisket in the smoker, fat side down, and keep a steady heat and smoke going for around 7.8 hours. Monitor the temperature of the brisket with a probe thermometer; the point end needs to be around 80°C (176°F).
8. Remove the brisket from the smoker and wrap it snugly in butcher’s paper. Keep track of which side is facing up, as you want to put the brisket back into the smoker facing the same way. Return the brisket to the smoker and try to maintain a steady 110°C (230°F) temperature (the smoke isn’t as important now, since the brisket is wrapped, so focus on the heat).
9. Continue cooking until the _at of the brisket reaches 90-95°C (194-203°F); it’s getting close when, if you try to push your finger through the fat, it gives way but still has a slight resistance. The goal is tender meat without any dry fibres. Remove the brisket from the smoker and let it rest in the paper until the internal temperature comes down to 60°C (140°F).
PICKLED CABBAGE
This pickle is a good one to keep in mind, since it’s super easy and can be used for all kinds of vegetables, such as cucumber, beetroot and carrot. It’s a 3.2.1 recipe, with three parts water, two parts sugar and one part vinegar. Make as much as you like, as it will keep in the fridge for weeks; you just need enough pickling liquid to cover the vegetables, and you can get creative with the seasonings.
MAKES ABOUT 500 G (1 LB 2 OZ)
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) white cabbage, very thinly sliced (a mandolin is great here) 265 g (9.25 oz) caster (superfine) sugar 135 ml (4.5 fl oz) cider vinegar ½ bunch of dill (you can use the whole bunch – the stalks and roots are delicious too) 1 garlic clove, crushed 5 g (0.2 oz) caraway seeds
1. Put the sliced cabbage in a large heatproof bowl. 2. Combine 400 ml (14 . oz) water, sugar and vinegar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and add the dill, garlic and caraway seeds. Set aside until the liquid is warm rather than hot.
3. Pour the pickling liquid over the cabbage and let it cool completely before covering and placing in the fridge overnight. It will keep for up to a month.