brisket essentials: versatile bbq and mop sauce

32 Pinches 15 Photos
Wichita, KS
Updated on May 2, 2020

I have been using this BBQ sauce on brisket for over 20 years. The original recipe is not mine, but I have modified it over time. No photos on this one, because I had already made it, and did not want to make it again just for a photo op. I did, however, pick a few of my favorite brisket photos… just to whet your appetite. It works as a mop as you are smoking your brisket, and as a sauce at the table. Yummy stuff. It has a little bit of heat, and a little bit of sweet. So, you ready… Let’s get into the kitchen.

prep time 10 Min
cook time 40 Min
method Stove Top
yield Several

Ingredients

  • PLAN/PURCHASE
  • THE DRY SPICES
  • 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
  • 1 - 2 tablespoons ancho chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground paprika, sweet or hot, or smoky, your choice (i prefer smoky)
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper, freshly ground
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard, i prefer coleman's
  • THE WET INGREDIENTS
  • 1 tablespoon sweet butter, unsalted
  • 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil, or other non-flavored variety
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup green or red bell pepper, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup beef stock, not broth
  • 1 cup beer, your choice
  • 2 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons hot sauce, i prefer frank’s
  • OPTIONAL ITEMS
  • 1 - 2 tablespoons vodka, plain variety

How To Make brisket essentials: versatile bbq and mop sauce

  • Step 1
    PREP/PREPARE
  • Step 2
    You will need a saucepan big enough to hold all of the ingredients, and a glass jar to store it.
  • Step 3
    I will last about 3 – 4 weeks, if kept refrigerated.
  • Step 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.
  • Step 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.
  • Step 6
    Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
  • Step 7
    Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl, and reserve.
  • Step 8
    Add the butter and oil to a saucepan over medium heat.
  • Step 9
    When the foaming subsides, give the saucepan a swirl and add the onions.
  • Step 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.
  • Step 11
    Add the dry spices, and stir to combine, about 1 minute.
  • Step 12
    Add the beer, and stock, and stir until the ingredients are combined, 1 – 2 minutes.
  • Step 13
    Scrap the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to pick up any yummy fonds that have developed.
  • Step 14
    Add the remaining ingredients, and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until it begins to thicken a bit.
  • Step 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.
  • Step 16
    PLATE/PRESENT
  • So yummy
    Step 17
    Use as a mop while you are smoking your brisket and serve some on the side while eating. Enjoy.
  • Stud Muffin
    Step 18
    Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

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