Dry Rub and Mopping Sauce for Brisket

With the weather being so unseasonably warm, I have started to think of my new patio and BBQ grill.  One of my favorite BBQ item is a nicely slow smoked beef brisket.  Smoked meats of all kinds interest me but brisket reigns supreme for me.  The process of transforming an otherwise tough and inedible cut of meat into something as great as a good smoked brisket makes me happy.  Besides...how else can you use terms like bark (the crust a long smoked meat), smoke ring ( the red hued outer perimeter signifying good smoke penetration) or pellicle formation (air drying a meat long enough for the skin to become tacky to the touch, thus allowing the smoke to penetrate more freely)?

This is my own personal recipe for a Dry Rub for Brisket.  Of course, this recipe makes way more than you need initially

1 cup kosher salt
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup chili powder
1 cup fresh ground black pepper
1 cup paprika
3/4 cup ground cumin
1/4 cup cayenne pepper
1/4 cup granulated garlic

Mix all the ingredients in a large dry bowl.  Dry a beef brisket with paper towels.  Generously rub the spice mixture onto the brisket, making sure plenty of the rub sticks to the meat.  Place the rubbed brisket in a refrigerator, uncovered, for 24 hours.

 I like to use a mopping sauce when smoking brisket.  This recipe helps to ensure proper bark (crust) formation and imparts a savory flavor to the meat.  Start basting the meat about 2 hours prior to finishing.

3T coffee grounds, tied in cheesecloth
1 1/3cup water
1quart catsup
12oz Worcestershire sauce
8oz unsalted butter

Simmer all the ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan until reduced by 1/4 volume.  Cool slightly then whisk in the butter until all is combined.  Finish cooling the mopping sauce and store until ready to use.  Approximately 2 hours prior to finishing the brisket, start basting the meat every 15 minutes or so.

Wondering why I didn't give instructions on how to properly smoke a brisket?  This You Tube video by BBQGuys.com really gives a thorough and wonderful description of how to properly smoke a brisket.  I've never tried it but their recipe for the brisket rub looks good too!  Enjoy!