Brisket tacos for a crowd: a whole brisket smoked low with salt and pepper at home, chopped and chilled, then warmed in foil pans on the grill with the tortillas, feeding 12 in about 40 minutes at the lot. It's built for DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, where grills are allowed in the tailgating areas, and brisket is the cut Central Texas barbecue is known for.
Feeds: 12 · Hands-on: about 1 hour 15 min · Total: about 13 hours at home, mostly smoking, plus about 40 min at the lot
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
Pack for the lot
- 2 lidded foil pans of chopped brisket, in the cooler
- Tortillas, in their bags
- Onions, cilantro, jalapeños, salsa and limes, in the cooler
- Grill and fuel (charcoal and a chimney, or a full propane tank)
- Heavy foil and a clean kitchen towel for the tortillas
- Instant-read thermometer
- Tongs and a serving spoon
- Plates and napkins
- Trash bags and the blue recycling bags handed out in the lots
Lot notes
- The Texas rule: the guide's rules say "Grills | Allowed in the tailgating areas. Charcoal and ashes go in the containers provided. No fire cooking in the reserved spaces on the LBJ Lawn." There's no tailgating in any UT garage. Read the Texas guide.
- Charcoal: let the coals burn down, then dump them and the ashes in the containers provided.
- Holding hot: the brisket stays in the covered pans on the cool side of the grill at 140°F or above. Once it's off the heat, eat it within 2 hours, or 1 hour when it's above 90°F, which early-season Austin games can be.
- Toppings: keep the salsa and the cut onions and cilantro in the cooler between rounds.
- Cleanup: leftovers that sat out past the 2-hour mark get tossed. Trash goes out, and cans, plastic and glass go in the blue bags.
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. Add a splash of broth if it starts to dry out, and keep it at 140°F or above.
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 grill at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium?
Yes. Grills are allowed in the tailgating areas, charcoal and ashes go in the containers provided, and there's no fire cooking in the reserved spaces on the LBJ Lawn. There's no tailgating in UT garages.
Can you use store-bought brisket?
Yes. 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.