Brisket Poutine
Just what is poutine (pronounced poo-teen)?
It’s a Canadian dish and specialty of Quebec. Poutine is a meal of deep-friend potatoes and fresh cheese curds covered in brown gravy.
We love this American-ized, Matt Pittman version called Brisket Poutine and bet you will, too!
Ingredients
One 10 to 12 lb whole packer brisket (Choice or higher)
1 cup coarsely ground pepper
1 cup non-iodized salt
¼ cup granulated garlic
¼ cup onion powder
¼ cup paprika
Instructions
Mix the rub ingredients (listed below) in a large bowl. This mix makes more than you need for one brisket. Store the remainder in an airtight container to use later.
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! Cover the brisket and place in the refrigerator to marinate overnight.
Set the Big Green Egg for indirect cooking with the convEGGtor at 250°F/121°C.
Place the brisket on the grid, fat-side down. 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 called 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 is 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.
Poutine Ingredients
French fries
Cheese curds
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
20 oz. beef broth
10 oz. chicken broth
Pepper, to taste
Poutine Instructions
Prepare the gravy: In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the water and set aside. In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour to create the roux and cook, stirring regularly, for about 5 minutes, until the mixture turns golden brown. Add the beef and chicken broth and bring to a boil, stirring with a whisk. Stir in the cornstarch and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Prepare French fries, chop brisket. Top French fries with brisket, French fries, cheese curds, and gravy. Enjoy!
Recipe and photo from Big Green Egg.
