This will make approximately 1/4 cup of pickling spice. Sufficient for 2 gallons of brine.
Ingredients
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp black peppercorns
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp red chile flakes
1 tbsp allspice berries
1 tbsp whole cloves
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground mace
1 small cinnamon stick, crushed
2 bay leaves, broken into pieces
Instructions
In a dry hot 12” Lodge cast iron skillet, toast the coriander, peppercorns and mustard seeds just until fragrant. Be careful not to burn them. Place the spices in a cloth napkin. Fold the napkin over the spices, and crack the spices by smashing them with a heavy skillet, or rolling pin.
Combine the toasted spices with the remaining spices. Store in a sealed container.
BRINE
1 gallon water
1 1/2 cup kosher salt
1 cup sugar
4 tsp pink salt (sodium nitrite)
10 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup pickling spice (recipe below)
8 1/2 lb ice
Note: Depending on the size of your brisket, and the container in which you are brining, you may need to multiply this recipe. You will need enough brine to cover the brisket in the brining container.
Instructions: Add water to a pot big enough to hold at least 2 gallons of water and bring to a boil. Once boiling add the remaining ingredients stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Once dissolved remove from the heat.
Add the ice to cool the brine so it doesn’t cook your brisket.
Submerge your brisket making sure it is completely covered with brine. I used a brining bag and zip tied it closed.
Place in the refrigerator for 7 days. I squished the bag around every other day or so to keep it mixed. Make sure you are prepared to cook the meet on the 7th or 8th day so plan you brine accordingly.
Rub
Rub is super simple.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup black peppercorns, toasted, coarsely ground
1/4 cup coriander seeds, toasted, coarsely ground
Toast and course grind them separately!!! Then combine.
Preparing and cooking the brisket
Trim your brisket of the heave fat on the sides. Leaving the fat cap on the meat.
Score the fat cap in a checker board pattern.
Lightly coat the meat with spicy brown mustard. While it doesn’t add a lot of flavor it does add a little.
Using the rub, truly RUB it into the meat on all sides. Making sure to get the rub into the score cuts on the fat cap and into the meat.
Wrap the meat in plastic wrap and in the fridge over night.
Cooking
Cook the brisket like you would any other. I cook it at 200 degrees, fat cap up, until the internal temperature reached 155F. I then pulled it from the grill and double wrapped it in foil. Still fat cap UP, place back on the grill and raise the temp to 275F. Cook until 203F. Pull and let rest.
When you cut the meat, cut across the grain. I used an electric slice and was able to get it super thin.