America's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated Logo
Episode Recap

Season 12, Episode 1 Recap: Texas Barbecue Brisket

Bryan makes the ultimate Texas Barbecue Brisket for Julia and Adam shows Bridget his top pick for coolers.
By

Published Sept. 16, 2019.

Season 12, Episode 1 Recap: Texas Barbecue Brisket

In this episode of Cook’s Country, test cook Bryan Roof makes host Julia Collin Davison the best Texas Barbecue Brisket you'll find outside of the Lone Star State. In addition, Adam Ried shows host Bridget Lancaster his top pick for coolers that get the job done. 

Here are three things we learned in this episode.

Want to know where and when Cook's Country airs in your area? Enter your zip code into our station finder.

Season 12, Episode 1

Texas Barbecue Brisket

Bryan Roof makes Texas Barbecue Brisket and equipment expert Adam Ried shows host Bridget Lancaster his top pick for coolers.
View Episode

1. When Cooking in Close Proximity to Coal, Fat Is Your Friend

Texas Barbecue Brisket requires a low-and-slow fire to turn this tough cut of meat tender. Since this recipe calls for cooking the meat on a regular charcoal grill, you'll want to leave a fair amount of fat on the brisket. Doing so prevents the meat from drying out and overcooking on the grill. We recommend leaving anywhere from ¼ to ½ inch of fat all over and using a boning knife to do so; it helps easily shave off excess fat better than a chef's knife.

2. The Density of a Cooler's Insulation Impacts Its Cold Retention

We learned this fun fact during our testing process. In the final stage of picking out our winner, the Yeti Tundra 45, we grabbed some safety goggles and sawed each cooler in our lineup in half to check out the insulation. We found a couple of surprises, but what we noticed right away was that the coolers' insulation varied in thickness. We assumed that thicker insulation would naturally help promote cold retention, but we were wrong. Thickness didn't play a factor at all—but density did. That's because air does not conduct heat well, making it a good insulator.

3. A Charcoal Snake Will Get You a Steady Stream of Indirect Heat

Most home cooks don't own a commercial grill, so we had to find a way to get a charcoal grill to behave like one for our Texas Barbecue Brisket recipe. A commercial grill has a firebox that's set away from the smoking chamber. This allows the brisket to get long, slow hours of indirect heat and cook nice and evenly.

Since we didn't have that as an option, we found the next best alternative: a charcoal snake. It's simply a row of briquettes that goes all the way around the inner edge of the grill. When set up perfectly with 116 briquettes (yes, we tested it!) you're able to get a slow, gentle cook for a whole 6 hours.

I’ve driven around a lot longer for worse brisket than this in Texas.
Bryan Roof jokes as he serves fellow brisket-loving cast members our Texas Barbecue Brisket.
Big Flavors for Your Table

Complete Cook's Country Season 14 TV Show

In celebration of the diverse and delicious dishes originating across the U.S., we’ve compiled some of our favorite recipes for you to cook along with the cast of the hit TV show Cook’s Country. With plenty of new-to-you takes on old favorites plus flavorful dishes you may never have heard of, there's so much to be discovered within this comprehensive cookbook.
Save 43% Now

This is a members' feature.