“I’ve been cooking pretty much my entire life,” remembers Matt Pittman, pitmaster of Meat Church BBQ Competition Team. “My granny in Alabama cooked these huge southern meals that covered the whole table, and I was always in the kitchen with her trying to learn what she was doing. Everyone thought that I was going to become a chef and, while it’s not something I’ve ever done professionally, I’ve always enjoyed cooking and entertaining people.”
“We moved to Texas when I was 13, and in Texas it’s easy to fall in love with barbecue pretty quickly, especially brisket. In college I got into grilling, and then got curious about smoking meats. I do a lot of research and am self taught…I’m kind of a barbecue nerd.”
“Shortly after I started cooking barbecue, I bought my first Big Green Egg. I heard people talk about how versatile they were, and I was intrigued with using the natural lump charcoal instead of having to cook with gas,” says Matt. “To me, the essence of barbecue is very straightforward. Simple ingredients and meat cooked over wood. I started out cooking pork butt on it, then chicken, brisket and ribs…all the cuts people try first. Then I wondered what else could I do with my EGG, so I started baking cinnamon rolls, and I even made a pecan cobbler…people thought I was crazy. I’ve never regretted buying the EGG for a single minute.”
“Eventually I tried bread and pizza…I love pizza on the EGG. You get the wood-fire taste, and it’s a super interactive activity that’s fun for the whole family. I put a bunch of ingredients in bowls and my kids can put whatever they want on their pizza, or you can have a bunch of friends over and everyone can make their own pizza with their favorite toppings.”
“I started travelling around to barbecue joints in central Texas, which I personally think has the best barbecue in the country. I met different pitmasters, ate their food and gained an appreciation for it…and ten I wanted to replicate it.”
Pittman eventually decided to enter barbecue competitions and “Meat Church BBQ” was born. “Competitions are like a big family barbecue…you meet so many people. My brother is generally my competition help, and sometimes I bring some friends. Having EGGs with us on the competition circuit brings everyone together–we all have te same interests and everyone is having fun…barbecue is the great uniter.”
“I’m passionate about trying new things, and I like to be creative. You can cook anything on an EGG, so over time, one EGG became two, then three, and now I have four EGGs. Yeah, you might say that I’m a little addicted.”
Meat Church BBQ Team’s Texas-Style Brisket
Ingredients
One 10 to 12 lb (4.5 to 5.5 kg) whole packer brisket (Choice or higher)
Brisket Rub Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 ml) coarsely ground pepper
- 1 cup (240 ml) non-iodized salt
- ¼ cup (60 ml) granulated garlic
- ¼ cup (60 ml) onion powder
- ¼ cup (60 ml) paprika
Instructions
Mix the rub ingredients (listed below) in a large bowl. This mix will make more than you need for one brisket; store the remainder in an airtight container.
Trim the excess fat and silver skin from the brisket. Also, remove any “hard” pieces of fat as they will not render off during the cooking process. Trim the fat off the bottom of the brisket leaving only ¼ in (6 mm) fat. Apply rub to all sides of the meat liberally … I mean liberally! Cover the brisket and place in the refrigerator to marinate overnight.
Set the EGG for indirect cooking with the convEGGtor at 250°F/121°C.
Place the brisket on the grid, fat-side down – this is my preference, but highly debated in the barbecue world. Fat-side up is fine if that is your preference, but fat down is what many competitors do as it gives you a much better presentation. When the meat reaches an internal temperature of 160°F/71°C, double wrap the brisket in non-waxed butcher paper or aluminum foil – this is what we call the Texas crutch. The bark will have formed nicely by this point.
Continue to smoke the brisket until the meat is “probe tender,” which means when you probe it there is no resistance … think of a toothpick in a cake. Each piece of meat is different but this will likely be at an internal temperature of between 200-202°F/93-94°C. Remove the brisket from the EGG, wrap in a towel and place in a cooler for at least one hour. This will allow the juices to re-distribute in the meat. Unwrap the brisket and slice against the grain.
For more great recipes for the Big Green Egg grill, visit BigGreenEgg.com or visit your local showroom for a free copy of Big Green Egg Lifestyle Magazine.
