Coffee-Spice Rub Brisket Recipe

Coffee-Spice Rub Brisket

This brisket features a spicy coffee-based dry rub that adds smoky, chocolatey flavor to the beef. Ancho chiles, cumin, and smoked paprika provide the deep-rounded spice, for a satisfying and utterly delicious BBQ main.

Prep Time: 1 hr.

Cook Time: 8 hrs.

Total Time: 9 hrs. 15 min

Makes: 18 servings

Ingredients:

4½ – 5 lb., 3-inch thick, flat-cut brisket

1½ tbsp. ground coffee

1½ tbsp. muscovado sugar

1 tbsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. ancho chile powder

2 tsp. smoked paprika

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

For Smoking:

6 – 8 cups hickory or oak wood chips

Directions:

1. Soak the wood chips in water at 1 hour, and then drain. This will prevent the wood chips from burning.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the coffee, muscovado sugar, salt, ancho chile powder, smoked paprika, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper.  
3. Using kitchen paper, pat the brisket dry, and then cover with the coffee-spice rub.
4. Remove the grill rack, and set aside.
5. Prepare the grill for the indirect grilling method, by heating one side to high heat and leaving the opposite side of the grill with no heat.
6. Pierce holes into the bottom of a disposable foil pan several times with the tip of a sharp knife.
7. Put the pan on the heated side of the grill, and add 1½ cups of wood chips to pan.
8. Put another disposable foil pan (this time, do not pierce any holes into the bottom of the pan) onto the unheated side of the grill.
9. Pour 2 cups of water into this pan.
10. Allow the chips to stand for 15 minutes or until smoking, and then lower the heat to medium-low.
11. Make sure to maintain a temperature of 225F.
12. Put the grill rack back onto the grill, place the brisket into a small roasting pan, and place the pan onto grill rack, on the unheated side of the grill.
13. Close the lid, and cook for 6 hours or until an instant-read meat thermometer registers a temperature of 195F.
14. Add 1½ cups of pre-soaked wood chips every 1 hour for the first 4 hours.
15. Cover the pan with foil for the remaining last 2 hours of cook time.
16. Remove the brisket from the grill and allow to stand, covered, for about 30 minutes.
17. After 30 minutes, uncover the brisket, reserving the cooking juices.
18. Trim and discard any excess fat.
19. Place a large Ziploc bag inside a 4-cup glass mixing jug and pour the brisket juices through a fine-mesh sieve into the bag, discarding any solids, caught up in the sieve.
20. Allow the drippings to stand for 10 minutes (all the fat will separate from the brisket juices, and rise to the top).
21. Seal the Ziploc bag, and carefully snip off a bottom corner of bag.
22. Drain the drippings into a Pyrex glass jug, stopping just before the fat reaches the opening of the Ziploc bag. Discard this fat.
23. Slice the brisket across grain into thin slices, serve with the cooking juices and enjoy.

Nutrition Facts per Serving:

Total Calories: 156 kcal. Protein 24.9 g, Carbohydrate 2.3 g (Dietary Fiber 0.2 g), Fat 4.4 g (Saturated Fats 1.6 g, Mono-unsaturated Fats 1.8 g, Poly-unsaturated Fats 0.2 g), Sodium 414 mg, Iron 2.4 mg, Cholesterol 47 mg, Calcium 25 mg.