When you need a lot of meat for a party, a whole brisket can do the job.
At most wholesale grocers whole briskets are available in seal plastic bags.
They weight fifteen to twenty pounds.
Mixing steps from a cluster of styles he’s how I do it.
1. Marinate the meat in the plastic bag. I prefer malt vinegar which gives a rich, dark but slightly sweet bite to the meat. I put a cup of pickling spice into the sack and rub it onto the meat. Next I pour in the malt vinegar -- available at Smart & Final and other wholesale grocers in gallon jugs for less than ten dollars. I seal the bag up with clips and set it in a plastic bag. I marinate it for two or three days, turning it a couple times each day.
2. Prepare the meat. Take out of the marinade and dry with paper towels. Then I rub on crack pepper, but not too much. To fit my smoker, I cut the brisket in half.
3. Prepare the smoker. fill the fire pan with charcoal and light it off with kindling or start the fire in a metal charcoal lighter. Fill the steam pan with water and sliced oranges and lemons. When the temperature gauge reaches midway into the cooking range, add the meat and cover.
Every three or four hours you will need to stoke the fire with additional charcoal and check the level of the steam pan and add water if low.
4. After twenty four hours the meat will be ready. The slow wet smoke will have melted most of the fat but not dried the meat like a dry smoker would. Take the meat out and allow it to rest twenty minutes to half an hour. I use an electric knife to slice the meat and put it on platters. Tent with aluminum foil until ready to serve.
5. Serve with mild and sharp mustards, house radish and sour dough and rye bread.
6. Side dishes that work with this are a potato salad, a tart cole slaw, a selection of pickles, olives and peppers.
Notes: A native Californian, I favor wet vinegar based marinades. In Texas and the South they prefer dry rubs and often apply them a day or even two before cooking so they can work into the meat.
When the meat is put into the smoke make sure the fat side is on top.
The sharp yet sweet malt vinegar gives a richness to the meat that a wine or apple cider vinegar does not.
