A Birth Announcement

Congratulations go out this morning to Garland and Debbie Westmoreland, a fine brother and sister at Celebration Church, on the birth of their first Grandchild!

Watch over thy child, O Lord, as his days increase; bless and
guide him wherever he may be. Strengthen him when he
stands; comfort him when discouraged or sorrowful; raise
him up if he fall; and in his heart may thy peace which
passeth understanding abide all the days of his life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Brisketquest - IV

The journey which began last Sunday at the meat counter at BJ's has come to its conclusion. This Brisket's smokey, savory goodness is the crown jewel of this evening's celebration! Yum!

If you look carefully, you'll spot a westie who's hoping for a piece of some brisket action.

Brisketquest-III

And now, the brisket enters the vertical water smoker for a 4.5 hour Hickory therapy session.

Brisketquest-II

When we last left our hero, he was completing the seasonings for the Centerpiece of Monday's Independence Day celebration. That is, a six pound beef brisket. This afternoon, the cut of meat was "rubbed" with the dry seasonings (the sweet Virginia fire).

In the foto, the brisket is already wrapped in the wrap to allow the seasoning to work its way into the cow. Rubbing the cut was a bit strange, as it felt as though one was giving a backrub to a corpse. Anyhoo, the cut is now resting in the refrigerator and will move on into the smoker tomorrow. From there, it'll become acquainted with the mopping sauce.

Brisketquest

This Monday's Independence Day's menu has a six-pound brisket at its centerpiece. I've learned that seasoning is just as critical as the choice of woodchips when preparing this cut. This morning, the "rub" and the "mopping sauce" were created. Let me share the recipe for each

Rub "Sweet Virginia Fire"

• 1/3 cup of dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup of chilli powder
• 2 Tbs fresh-ground pepper
• 1 Tbs sea salt
• 1 Tsp ground cumin
• 1 Tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 Tsp ground caraway seed

Mix well and refrigerate

Mopping Sauce "Silver Bullet Baste"

• 12 Oz Coors Light
• 1/2 Cup of apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 Cup olive oil (EVOO)
• 1Tbs Texas Pete
• 1Tsp fresh-ground pepper
• 1Tsp chili powder
• 1Tsp crushed oregano
• 1/2Tsp Cayenne pepper

Mix well and refrigerate for 24 hours or more to allow for the flavors to coalesce

Tomorrow... The Rub begins.