Episode XIV: Coffee Cardamon Brisket

I am sooooooo behind in posting. Ugh. And on top of that, I'm not even using a Big Bob recipe. Instead there has been a lot of conversation on the Komodo Kamado forum about this brisket rub that uses coffee and cardamon as the base. Add to that a lot of conversation about a high temp cooking method which includes a couple hours in foil and I was definitely starting to feel like wandering from the course a little. I think a long night at the House of Blues and sleeping late in the morning was a sign from the BBQ spirits that this was the perfect time to try this combo.

Prep was easy. I deviated just a little by not mixing the oil into the rub to make a paste, rather i put the oil straight on the brisket and added the rub. Seemed to work out well for me.

Cooking in foil is interesting because it is supposed to really shorten the cook time, however it accents one of my weaknesses - using my senses to determine completion rather than temp or time.

I also thought this would be a good time to try the baked potatoes again. Last time they weren't done, but using a higher temp I thought might give me more success.

How did it go? Here's my conclusions:

• I would say that I really liked the rub. Will definitely do this one again. Even though it had been foiled it still came out with an ok bark.
• Still haven't mastered the spuds. They came out very flavorful, but this time overdone. Argh!
• The high temp cooking seems to save time, but I might have pulled it off 30 minutes too early. Guidance is to stick a fork in it to check, and it seemed good, but afterwards I wasn't sure. See the problem is that the taste sample is fantastic, but when you slice and serve, it seems to dry up way to fast. Maybe I am not resting it long enough? And maybe I am rushing to cut off the point to make burnt ends? Needs more experimentation. Hmmmmm.