Brisket is the cut Central Texas barbecue is known for, and in Austin it ends up in tacos as often as on butcher paper: smoked low with salt and pepper, chopped, and piled into warm tortillas with onion, cilantro and salsa. At DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, grills are allowed in the tailgating areas, but not in the reserved spaces on the LBJ Lawn or in any UT garage, so check where your spot is before you plan to warm anything.
At the lot: Smoke and chop the brisket at home, then warm it in foil pans on the grill with the tortillas and set out the onion, cilantro and salsa. Homegating: Smoke it in the backyard and build tacos straight off the cutting board.
Home gear: a smoker and oak or hickory wood, butcher paper or heavy foil, an instant-read thermometer and 2 half-size foil pans with lids
13 HRS
At home, smoking and chopping
40 MIN
At the lot
12
Serves
Ingredients
Brisket
- 1 whole packer brisket, 10 to 12 lb
- ¼ cup coarse kosher salt
- ¼ cup coarse black pepper
- 1 cup beef broth
Tacos
- 36 small flour or corn tortillas (6-inch)
Toppings
- 2 white onions, finely diced
- 2 bunches cilantro, chopped
- 1 jar (12 oz) pickled jalapeño slices
- 2 cups salsa
- 3 limes, cut into wedges
Steps
At home
- The day before, trim the hard fat on the brisket down to about ¼ inch. Mix the salt and pepper and season it on all sides.
- Heat the smoker to 250°F. Smoke the brisket fat side up until the bark is dark and set and the thickest part reads about 165°F, about 6 to 7 hours. Wrap it tightly in butcher paper or foil.
- Keep smoking until the thickest part of the flat reads about 200°F and a probe slides in with almost no resistance, about 4 to 5 hours more. Beef is safe from 145°F, but brisket needs about 200°F to turn tender.
- Rest it, still wrapped, for 1 hour. Slice it across the grain, then chop it into ½-inch pieces, mixing the fatty point with the leaner flat.
- Spread the chopped brisket in a thin layer in the foil pans and pour any juices from the paper over it. Let it cool, then lid the pans and refrigerate them within 2 hours of slicing.
- On game morning, pour ½ cup of broth over each pan and lid them again. Pack the pans and the toppings in the cooler at 40°F or below.
At the lot
- Light the grill for medium, indirect heat, about 350°F, with one side hot and one side cool.
- Set the lidded pans on the cool side, close the lid and heat for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring once, until the brisket reads 165°F.
- Warm the tortillas on the hot side for 20 to 30 seconds a side, then stack them in foil or the towel to stay soft.
- Leave the brisket pans on the cool side, lids on, so they hold at 140°F or above. Fill each tortilla with brisket, onion, cilantro and jalapeños, then add salsa and a squeeze of lime.
Pack for the lot
Lot notes
- Tortillas: warm them on the grate a few seconds a side, then stack them in a towel inside foil so they stay soft.
- Recycling: the lots hand out blue bags for cans, plastic and glass.
Can you make brisket tacos ahead?
Yes, and you have to: the brisket smokes at home the day before, then gets chopped, chilled and packed in foil pans. At the lot it only needs about 30 minutes on the grill to reach 165°F.
How do you keep brisket tacos hot at a tailgate?
Keep the brisket in lidded foil pans on the cool side of the grill, away from direct flame, and add a splash of broth if it starts to dry out. Austin in September is hot, so the toppings stay in the cooler between rounds. The holding rules are in how to keep food hot at a tailgate.
How much brisket do you need for 20 people?
Plan on 3 tacos each, so 60 tacos. Smoke 2 briskets (10 to 12 lb each), which cook down to about 10 to 12 lb of meat, enough with some to spare. Bring 60 tortillas, 3 onions, 3 bunches of cilantro, 2 jars of jalapeños, 3 cups of salsa and 5 limes.
Can you use store-bought brisket?
Yes, and most of the lot does. Buy smoked brisket from a barbecue spot, about 5 to 6 lb for 12, chop it, and chill it in the foil pans. Then pick up from game morning.
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