Mike's 4-T's BBQ Brisket
The barbeque at 4-T’s BBQ in Forney, TX is consistently on the Texas Monthly top 50 list. It as good as the barbeque at Pecan Lodge, plus the wait is a lot shorter. You do have to drive to Forney to get it, but it’s worth it! Mike Thomas the owner shared his recipe for that great brisket:
Preparation
Buy an 8-12 pound prime brisket at Costco
Prepare using only a salt and pepper rub
Get smoker stabilized at about 230 degrees
Flop that baby on at 2 pm
Cook that puppy until 6 or 8 in the morning.
Cook until done.
You will know when it is done when it jiggles just right
Mike also has a really great BBQ sauce but he didn’t share that recipe.
Personal Notes
Soak 4-5 Post Oak smoking wood chunks overnight and let them dry out for 30-60 minutes before adding to the fire
Use drip pan with water in it to add moisture to the grill
Get the coals hot, then shut down (slight ventilation) for about 10 minutes. Then open and cover the coals with the soaked wood. Smoke should be pretty heavy at that point
Put the brisket on the grill, fat cap down
After the first few hours, spritz every ~30-45 minutes with a 50-50 cider vinegar / water mixture
Cook at ~235-250 degrees. Can increase temperature toward 275 later in the cook if necessary to reach temperature. Wrap in butcher paper around ~165 degrees
A 15-pound brisket (trimmed to 12-13 lbs) took ~13 hours to reach temperature
When slicing the brisket, separate the point & flat first. Be sure to cut across the grain. It may be helpful to flip the brisket over and slice it fat cap side up to avoid tearing and get cleaner slices