I failed recently; failed to bring home a brisket.
However, the fallback worked out just fine.
I went to Lenover’s after seeing they had brisket on sale. The afternoon that I went, they had two awesome briskets on display.
But they were waaay too big for the Big Green Egg. The Egg has a cooking area that’s 18 inches in diameter. These briskets were at least twice as long. And the butcher had left for the day by the time I got there.
Instead, I left with three New York striploin steaks. So, rather than a long Sunday cook on the Egg for a brisket, we seasoned those beauties with Espresso BBQ Rub that I had picked up at Crossroad Pellets in Blenheim, and cooked them that evening.
Three minutes a side. About 400 F. Delicious.
We’ve decided striploins are our favourite go-to steak. Ribeyes from Schinkels’ earlier this year were really good, don’t get me wrong. But the Egg, the way it holds in moisture in meat as you cook it, you don’t need steaks with excess marbling.
Past striploins from Schinkels’ have trumped the ribeyes.
Of course, beef tenderloin is the best option, but it is also the most expensive. But when we get it on sale, man is it good.
So, we ate steak one night and then on the weekend, at our daughter’s request (one I was very happy with, I must add), I cooked up some burgers.
They were store-bought Black Angus frozen burgers. Nothing special. But give them a dose of Pit Boss Sweet Heat, topped with Brie or cheddar cheese, and I had a hit for the house.
I put all eight burgers on the grill that day. Sipped a 1792 from Sons of Kent while the smoke poured out of the Egg as the meat cooked.
Some classic rock on the Bluetooth speaker added to the backyard ambience that day as well.
I posted a photo at the time to Facebook, and had multiple questions from friends I encountered the next day.
The Egg does the work, not me even on simple efforts, such as burgers.
I have not given up on the brisket. I just have to time it better.
And that is just another excuse for more time in the backyard and more wonderful smells flowing into neighbouring yards.
