The Vitals: the spot: Emmett's NYC 50 MacDougal New York NY 10012 the eats: Char Cheddar Burger w/ fries or salad the bucks: $23 the full nelson: a Chicago deep dish pizza joint nestled in Manhattan with an in your face burger

Emmett's NYC has a serious burger

My last stop of my NYC Burger tour took me to Emmett's NYC:  a Chicago inspired eatery in the West Village. Oddly enough my burger trip featured not one but two pizza joints that happened to serve burgers. One might ask "why get a burger at a pizza place?". A fair question, and here is a reasonable answer: New Yorker's love good burgers and why miss an opportunity to cement your name as an NYC Burger destination?

Be prepared to wait

It could have been the fact that I was flying out of Newark that afternoon but despite grabbing a seat at a near empty restaurant, the wait for the burger was significant. At the end of the day it didn't matter but you should know this going in. It might have to do what some would consider the main draw at Emmett's NYC: deep dish pizza. Despite being smack dab in the West Village, this menu is Chicago through and through with the famous loaded hot dogs and even an Italian beef. Those handheld favs might not back up the kitchen but apparently making deep dish pizza can.

The Char Cheddar Burger is the move at Emmett's NYC

Emmett's NYC has three burgers to choose from: The Burger, Char Cheddar and the Blues Burger. Each one features an 8 oz patty made of famous meat purveyor Pat LaFrieda's signature blend of Angus chuck, brisket and short rib. The bun comes from Turano Bakery, a Chi-Town import. "The Burger" is about as basic as it sounds: pickles, onion, and Dijonaise, with cheese as an add on. "The Blues Burger" features a blue cheese stuffed patty with caramelized onions.  "The Char Cheddar" is the most Chicago burger of the bunch and reflects owner and Chicago expat Emmett Burke's mission to bring the flavors of his hometown to New York.

The Char Cheddar's toppings run down

Taking cues from a Chicago style hot dog(minus the ketchup), the Char Cheddar's toppings drive the burger experience. This juicy burger drips with an aggressive toppings flavor profile. The double hit of acidity from the relish and sport peppers also adds sweetness and heat, respectively. Mustard and the sharp cheddar spread double down on the tang along with the given layer of fat from any cheese topping. Then there is caramelized onion to help bolster the umami of the beef. Finally they add ketchup, which I rarely have in tandem with mustard on burgers. If anything ketchup can be a sweet distraction but that speaks to this burger bite that's driven to be unapologetic. All together it is a series of toppings I could not have conceived of, but I'm also not from Chicago.

A much needed high note to end my burger tour

Off the heels of an overcooked burger at Emily, Emmett's allowed me to leave New York with a smile on my face. Dating back 20 years to my first burger at Corner Bistro, I will forever link the Gotham burger experience with a perfectly cooked medium rare burger, which Emmett's perfectly delivered. The toppings combo of the Char Cheddar was a new experience as well, one that I might not crave often but like a Blue cheese burger, could certainly take one every now and then. It's got me wondering about a similar burger experience in Chicago, where the inspiration came from in the first place. That will take some digging. Until then, I'll have to find my Chicago style burger fix in New York City.

The Vitals: the spot: Superiority Burger 119 Ave A New York NY 10009 the eats: Superiority Burger, Burnt Broccoli salad, Roasted White Sweet Potato the bucks: $16, $13.50, $13 respectively the full nelson: critically acclaimed + NYC "it spot" delivers a delicious non meat burger experience

As I recap my experience at Superiority Burger, an NYC darling boasting long waits for a table and heaps of critical praise, I think back on how something that on paper doesn't sound that delicious, certainly was, even more so than I could have expected. This kind of a promise of excellence was how I came to view the food experience in NYC for many years: without equal. Then a food revolution took hold of the United States in early 2000s. Farm to table became commonplace. Millennials took to tasting menus. Oh and Instagram ushered in a new generation of foodies. Suddenly the food scene NYC was no longer the lone shining light on a hill. Which isn't to say NYC still isn't a global hub of culinary talent but I'm not always consistently blown away.

NYC keeps pushing boundaries with food

It has been decades since I took down a whole vegetarian burger. That's not to say I haven't had bites here and there. I'm a meat eater and a happy one at that. Then a unique set of circumstances positioned me to a moment in time where getting a vegetarian burger made sense. That happened to be a proposal for a second dinner as I had a light bite at Mamoun's Falafel a few hours earlier. While I decided to get out of my comfort zone and try a meatless burger, NYC was not out of it's comfort zone. This town can pull off miracles with food from street carts to steakhouses. And the miracle at Superiority Burger? A punk rock musician turned fine dining chef(former pastry chef from lux restaurant Del Posto) making miracles out of vegetables.

Miracle One: Burnt Broccoli Salad

The menu descriptions at Superiority burger don't do the plates justice in my opinion. Or maybe I'm just a skeptical meat eater. Regardless, it is worth digging into all the elements of this dish. Sitting on the plate is an eggplant puree, not unlike the Middle Eastern mezze staple baba ganoush, except Chef Brooks Headley adds maple syrup. The charred broccoli should wipe away any bad childhood memories of overcooked broccoli mush and the cashews smartly add a crunchy texture. There are restaurants that could make this dish the primary draw, at Superiority Burger it's a side dish.

Miracle Two: Roasted White Sweet Potato

Over the last year and a half I've kept an eye on my carb intake when I was diagnosed as prediabetic. Thankfully I've lowered my numbers but I still keep an eye on my carbs. Maybe that is one reason why I absolutely relished in Superiority Burger' Roasted White Sweet Potato but another might have been the oddly satisfying toppings. Basically this is a vegetarian take on a loaded baked potato but pay attention to these details. First, have you had a white sweet potato? Apparently they are less sweet than the orange variety, and quite creamy. Labneh, a strained yogurt and Middle Eastern staple becomes the "sour cream" and chopped crisp pickle replaces the bacon bits. For added flavor, Chef Headley makes a parsley caper sauce that also brings in Maple Syrup into the mix like the broccoli dish above. Ok so beyond the laundry list of unconventional ingredients I'll had this: this is baked potato that doesn't need to play sidekick to a steak.

Miracle Three: a legit burger experience sans the beef

I'll get down to the nitty gritty: the patty in the Superiority Burger does not taste like beef. This isn't some version of a plant based meat substitute like Beyond Meat or Impossible Burger. It is a complex flavor profile thanks to a host of ingredients, textures and cooking techniques. Read the back of a label of Beyond meat and you'll find soy protein, a few oils, minerals and a host of preservatives. Meanwhile consider Superiority Burger's toasted fennel seed, roasted carrot, sautéed onion, mashed chickpeas, quinoa crushed walnuts and a few binding agents like cooked breadcrumbs and potato starch. By the way that doesn't include the seasonings like chili sauce and powder, lemon, parsely, white wine vinegar plus usual suspects like salt and pepper. More akin to a falafel in taste, what does make this patty "burger like" is the fact that it can be seared and the above orchestra of ingredients that creates an undoubtedly savory experience. Muenster cheese, shredded lettuce, a good house pickle, mustard and an eggless mayo add familiarity. I swear to you, this veggie burger tastes like a f*cking burger. It's not a substitute for beef, it's its own thing. The bun and toppings are classic burger through and through and this veggie patty takes to a flat top sear like a diner burger.

If you see the Superiority Burger sign . . . give it a chance

I say this to the skeptics and perhaps omnivores that need an extra push: give Superiority Burger a chance. I was pleasantly rewarded for getting out of my beef comfort zone. Maybe it was because I had two burgers in the previous two days and a shawarma sandwich a few hours earlier but it hit the spot and I'd gladly hit Superiority Burger again. In fact if I do multiple burger visits, it just might be what the doctor ordered.

 

The Vitals: the spot: Emily locations in Brooklyn and West Village, tested in West Village the eats: The Emmy Double Stack Burger the bucks: $26 the full nelson: an NYC burger letdown

In 2019, I visited Emmy Squared, Emily's sister restaurant and was to delighted find not only a great version of Detroit style pizza but a meaty double cheeseburger that made a then uniquely high $25 price tag seem reasonable. "Welcome to New York" was uttered as I marveled at a pricey but worth it double patty cheeseburger. I was excited to try Emily's Emmy Double Stack Cheeseburger . And then I was seriously let down.

The Pretzel bun was the highlight of the Emmy Double Stack Cheeseburger

I don't often encounter Pretzel buns but I would bet money that a place making their own pizza dough is making their own bun. Plenty of melted cheese on this bad boy too, one could call it cheese-tastic. And that orange sauce? It struck me as a take on Wing sauce(think Frank's Red Hot) with a dash of honey. I wish I could dive deeper into the details of this well heralded burger but this happened:

Pardon my screen grab but . . .

Yeah here is the damn evidence. Overcooked beef. The menu lists the Emmy Double Stack Cheeseburger as featuring dry aged beef. Previous posts indicate that the beef was sourced from legendary purveyor Pat LaFrieda but not the case today. Regardless of the source, it was overcooked. I found this post indicating that the burger can be ordered medium or well done but neither option was presented when I dined ate the Emmy Double Stack Cheeseburger.

Should I go back? Or should you?

Not pictured was the chicken parm, also served on a pretzel bun for $17. Not only is that almost $10 cheaper but it was actually good. Scratch that, that chicken was juicy. Was it the best chicken parm I have ever had? No, and size might be an issue along with cost but it was a well executed sandwich that offers me hope that my burger letdown was simply the result of inconsistency. Regardless of a better chicken parm, the much revered Emmy Double Stack Cheeseburger was a letdown, mostly due to the fact that the beef was overcooked. $26 for a dry burger is infuriating and while I'm sure a second visit could right that wrong, I'm left wondering if an inconsistent Emmy Double Stack Cheeseburger is worth the trouble at all. The list of burgers to try in NYC is long and there are more burgers to eat before I sleep. Still I wonder: should I go back? Or should you?

The Vitals: the spot: 7th Street Burger NYC 11 locations in NYC the eats: Double Smashed Burger the bucks: $9.50 the full nelson: NYC's Cheap Eats take on the Smashed Burger phenomenon

Last week I returned to New York City and did a sequel of my burger binge that went down back in 2017. The burger scene continues to evolve, most notably with the red hot trend of smashed burgers. Abbas Dhanani aka Houston Eatz and owner of Burger Bodega insisted I hit up 7th Street Burger NYC for a smashed burger and he isn't one to steer me wrong. His Smashed Burger was one of my favorite bites of 2022.

Cheap Eats prices for 2023

7th Street Burger NYC is bringing in the Cheap Eats prices for 2023. Especially so when considering the fact that we are in Manhattan. What started during pandemic times about two years ago has exploded into 11 locations of 7th Street Burger NYC throughout the city. I'm guessing affordability is a big reason why. And so is this:

Essential toppings only

I love the cook on the onions at 7th Street Burger NYC. Like Burger Bodega, they prefer a light cook. Pickle is made in house so think of it as a little fancy but nothing too ambitious to get in the way of plain old burger bliss. American cheese, a housemade "Big Mac sauce" and a well toasted potato roll round out the classic cheeseburger experience.

When cheese sticks to paper . . .

. . .  you know you're getting an ooey gooey cheeseburger experience. I have advocated for the wrap and hold method when making smashed burgers at home for the Takeout. So happy to see the practice in effect 7th Street Burgers NYC. And yeah, it really allows the burger to be immersed in it's own essence. Don't forget the napkins. As a burger tourist, consider the value for 7th Street Burgers NYC and the convenience of 11 locations along with the fact that this burger travels better than most. A simple, cravelable cheeseburger experience that I imagine hits the high octaves both late night and the morning after. This one is Cheap Eats 2023 certified along with being Ali Khan Eats approved.

The Vitals: the spot: La Santa Barbacha 2806 Manor Road Austin TX 78722 the eats: Breakfast Barbacoa tacos, barbacoa, quesobarbacoa, you can't go wrong, bring a group and try everything the bucks: $5 each, two is a meal, three is a feast.  the full nelson: Hidalgo style beef barbacoa made into fashionable Austin tacos. Also my fav breakfast taco in town.

I love breakfast tacos. Eggs and bacon belong in a tortilla just as much as on a plate. You can order as many as you want, absolving yourself of the gut bomb that is the breakfast burrito, if you choose discretion. But there is another shocking truth to breakfast tacos: they can easily be made at home. And I am usually happy to do just that, that is until La Santa Barbacha moved into my neighborhood about a month ago.

My fav breakfast taco. Period.

La Santa Barbacha is a little food trailer walking distance from my house in East Austin TX. Over the course of a month, I have eaten their four times. These days I rarely tend to repeat visiting restaurants but for La Santa Barbacha, I make a wholehearted exception. At $5 a pop these tacos aren't cheap, which is a hallmark of cherished breakfast taco spots like El Milagrito in San Antonio TX. But they are generous servings of exquisitely tender braised short rib, carefully plated on gorgeous homemade tortillas and wholly unique to the Austin taco scene, maybe even the Texas taco scene.

Steeped in family tradition

Rosa, Daniela and Uriel Landaverde learned a lot from their parents when growing up in Guanajuato Mexico when it comes to the family tradition of barbacoa. If you're unfamiliar, barbacoa is both a dish and method which is to slowly cook meat in a long braise that utilizes steam more than cooking liquid. Traditionally cooked underground and on weekends, the Landaverde family would prepare barbacoa after church. That also inspired the first part of the name as "La Santa" means" family, religion and traditions" explains Rosa. "Our family grew up around religion, traditions and festivities. ‘La Santa’ focuses on our roots back in Mexico, where since we were kids, our parents cooked barbacoa to sell after the celebration outside of the church on a sunny sunday."  

A true family recipe.

Their father cooked the barbacoa in the "pozo"(underground pit) along with their mother who also prepared everything else. "He has been making barbacoa de pozo for over more than 50 years." Rosa tells me. Selling barbacoa is a true family tradition as well. "When we first thought about making barbacoa in Austin, Texas and selling it, we all wanted to include 'barbacha' as part of the name of the business. [Barbacha] is a nickname which we all have been familiar with because our dad called [it] that. He adopted it into our family since our childhood". “La barbacha está lista, vámonos a venderla” which translates to the barbacha(barbacoa) is ready let's start selling it, signaled when the family would sell their barbacoa. I can totally imagine being a little kid and calling barbacoa "barbacha" - that kind of nickname is soaked in family affection, even better is that it's a nickname soaked in so much flavor.

Bring friends. Try everything.

I really can't pair down a favorite item on the menu but I am stuck on getting at least one breakfast taco. Rosa recommends that first timers try the classic barbacoa, dressed with cilantro, onion and tomatillo salsa. Last year, on a scorching evening in July, I was won over by that very taco, easily the most sophisticated beef barbacoa I've had at a food trailer. In my experience, Tex-Mex renditions of barbacoa can come off greasy and bland. Sometimes it's watered down salsa or a lack of trimming of the particular cut beef that is to blame. Or maybe it's La Santa Barbacha's use of short rib: a well marbled cut suited to the method of the cook but not as beleaguered by gristle like an untrimmed beef cheek. I'm guilty of such cooking mistakes and that pot becomes a tough sell, believe me.

Bang for your Buck Brunch

I could almost re-categorize these breakfast tacos as brunch tacos, a nod to the quality. The perfectly creamy scrambled eggs are consistent because they are cooked to order. Yes, the pride and joy of their family that is the barbacoa, La Santa's bread and butter, but the salsas are recipes easily worth keeping a family secret. And those gorgeously colored tortillas? They are made by a process of blending the masa(nixtamalized corn) with vegetables like beet(the red tortilla), and spinach(green tortilla). "We wanted to create something colorful, fresh and authentic based on our past but presenting our future where Mexican cuisine can be elevated with simple additions making a better experience to our customers." Rosa explains. See what I mean about brunch tacos? It's been a minute since I've been this enthused about a restaurant. Sure, $10 to $15 for some tacos out of a truck might seem expensive given the genre but these tacos defy the limits of the genre. Beyond the generous portions, there are true fine dining feels happening at La Santa Barbacha. A fine combination of family tradition and culinary ambition. Almost as fine a combination as La Santa's barbacoa, scrambled eggs and their fiery habanero salsa. And if you'll excuse me, I'm off to make a next visit right about now.

Got leftover ramen broth?

My kid loves ramen. But he really loves noodles. So whenever we buy him a $15 bowl of ramen(yeah he likes the good stuff from the popular restaurant)s, we have leftover ramen broth. Thankfully the leftover ramen broth he leaves us is Tonkotsu: a pork bone broth that is extra creamy because of the collagen that releases from the long simmering times. It takes a great deal of time and effort to achieve a perfect Tonkotsu broth, so you can't throw it away. Sure you could reheat it, maybe add some noodles, but what about an ultra rich pan sauce for pork chops? Yeah, I think so too.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup leftover ramen broth(Tonkotsu)
• 2 thick cut supermarket bone in pork chops
• 1 bag of baby spinach
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 2 tablespoons Furikake
• 2 tablespoons Avocado oil
• 2 tablespoon Sesame oil

Steps:

1. Season Pork chops(see note directly below)
2. Add avocado oil heat pan over medium high heat
3. Add pork chops and sear about 5 min a side till temp hits 135 degrees and reserve on a plate
4. Wipe out pan(if using Furikake seasoning method)
5. Add sesame oil over medium heat
6. Add carrots and cook for 5 minutes or when the edges start to darken
7. Add bag of spinach cook till wilted, season to taste with salt but you won't need much because of leftover ramen broth
8. Add leftover ramen broth, simmer for a few minutes
9. Return pork chops to pan. Simmer in sauce till internal temp of pork chops hits 145 degrees. Then serve.

*you might want to reconsider this but . . .

I seasoned my pork chops with Furikake, which is a Japanese seasoning typically used as a topping for rice, fish, and vegetables. I've used it as a rub to slow roast salmon at moderate temps(300 degrees) and really enjoyed the umami flavors the seasoning brings. I rubbed the pork chops in Furikake and seared them in the pan. It made for a lovely tasting pork chop but you will need to wipe out the pan before making the rest of the dish as the cooking the seasoning over high heat will leave bitter notes.

Leftover ramen broth looked about as good as I imagined.

And it tasted just as good too.

I would absolutely make this again with leftover ramen. I suppose this is a recipe hack but it's also a reminder that Tonkotsu broth is arguably a sauce and with a little simmer can make for the most decadent pan sauce for meats, especially pork chops.

Can a good Carne Asada marinade work miracles on a lesser cut of meat?

I mean, that's the dream right? A good Carne Asada marinade were created to transform tougher cuts of steak into splendid steak tacos. But is there a limit? What's the threshold of acidity and spice when sized up against a cut of beef like chuck steak? I decided to find out.

What is a Chuck Steak?

I literally googled that and came across a great article from Spruce Eats you can read here. The broad strokes are that from the shoulder of the cow, where one finds chuck roast(great for stews), you can find decent steak cuts. Full service butcher shops will break this steak down into Chuck Eye steaks, Flat Irons and Petite Tenders. The first two are excellent steaks to cook for the money in my experience. The Petite, not my fav tbh. The cut I got was essentially a catch all of those cuts plus some fat/gristle and plus some tougher cuts. It was also $5 for a 3/4lb slice. Time to find a marinade.

From the pages of Food & Wine magazine . . .

Asada: The Art of Mexican Grilling is a cookbook by Bricia Lopez and Javier Cabral. I've followed Javier's work for years when I was a fellow Los Angeles based food writer. This recipe hits all the notes of Carniceria style Carne Asada Marinade punch, down to the beer. If there was going to be any Carne Asada marinade that I thought could transform this cut into actual Carne Asada, it would be this. *note: I subbed the spices in the marinade for a catch all Fajita spice rub from Traeger Grills. I love this rub and use it all the time when I grill flank steak for tacos.

Marinade: (enough for 1lb)

• 1/3 cup Modelo beer
• Splash of OJ
• Splash of White Vinegar
• juice of 1 lime
• 2 tbsp Canola Oil
• 1 tbsp Worscertshire
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 2 tbsp Traeger Fajita Spice Rub

Steps and Technique

• in a small bowl whisk all ingredients of marinade
• Pour over steak and seal in a plastic bag
• marinate for 6-12 hours
• Remove from marinade, pat dry with paper towels
• Grill till medium(140 degree internal temp)
• Rest, than chop meat to use as taco filling
• Serve on corn tortillas with guacamole and salsa of choice

The Verdict:

The Carne Asada Marinade turned the Chuck Steak into a passable Carne Asada. For what it's worth, I marinated for 24 hours which IMO was overkill. Especially with beer in there, I would say 6 hours is enough. When it comes to tenderizing the meat, the acidity of the marinade does do the job. Still, when I typically make Carne Asada, I tend to let the quality of steak, my salsas and the tortillas do the talking. At almost $7 a pound I could have gotten my go to: grass fed flank steak for $10 a pound. That steak requires little besides a hot grill and plus a dry rub/salt & pepper. So was the effort of making this Carne Asada marinade on a $5 steak worth it? No. If I was cooking for a huge crowd, I could see myself going down this road again but the Chuck Steak I plucked from supermarket was the best of the lot. The rest looked a lot less marbled and kinda beat.

Thoughts on a sequel

I would give this marinade a second run on inside skirt, which is tough enough to warrant this effort and can be far more flavorful if you upgrade to USDA Choice or grass fed or sourced from a farm.

The big takeaway:

I've never been one to pat dry meats after marinating them. I figure why not keep all that flavor in the marinade right? Well, it turns out that even if you pat dry the steak and ditch the excess marinade, the flavor remains and you get a way better sear. Even on a Traeger that doesn't have an open flame under the cooking grate, you will get a good sear if you remove your meats from the marinade and pat them dry. Definitely try this method and give the marinade a test drive. I think it could really sing if cooked over hardwood charcoal . . . if only it wasn't triple digits right now.

https://www.tiktok.com/@alikhaneats/video/7206691285158186282?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7200438834697946670

Yes, you can smoke brisket at home

  The idea of cooking a brisket for the first time is daunting. And it should be. Preparing this substantial cut of beef perfectly, takes time, skill, and attention to detail. But don't worry! You can learn the art of making smoked brisket with enough practice and some free expertise. I’ll go over all the information you need to know, including when to wrap the brisket, in this beginner's guide.

First, let's talk about what brisket is.

A particular cut of beef called brisket is taken from the cow's breast or lower chest. It is a substantial, delicious, and tough cut of meat that is well-suited for slow roasting, braising, and other slow-cooking techniques. The point and the flat are the two basic components of a brisket. The point is fattier and more marbled, while the flat is leaner and more evenly shaped. Sometimes the two components are sold separately and often at barbecue restaurants they are sold individually as some prefer one over the other. A hallmark of Jewish cuisines as well as American Barbecue, brisket is a heavyweight entree worthy of special occasions and holiday dinners. In American barbecue, brisket is rubbed in spices smoked for many hours, traditionally in an offset smoker fueled by wood. Jewish cooking frequently involves braising brisket in liquid and aromatics until it is fall apart tender. Recently Mexican cooks have turned to brisket to make barbacoa, which involves slow-cooking the meat in a pit wrapped in leaves for hours till tender or using it in a stew called birria.  In any scenario, brisket needs a lot of cooking time to break down the connective tissue and become soft because it is a tough cut of meat. When it does become tender it also becomes astonishingly flavorful, with an intense beef flavor that arguably has no rival.

Prepare your brisket

To pull off the holy grail of smoked meats, shop wisely. It's crucial to choose a brisket that is fresh and well-marbled. The quality of the beef is crucial. Don’t skimp on price especially during your first go round. Choose USDA choice or Prime and go to a trusted butcher when possible. The trim is critical. Trim off any excess fat from the brisket, leaving about ¼ inch of fat on the meat. This will help the smoke penetrate the meat and prevent the brisket from becoming greasy. Next, season the brisket with your favorite rub. You can use a store-bought rub or create your own by combining salt, pepper, garlic powder, and other spices. Highly recommend watching this video from BBQ legend Aaron Franklin on prepping a brisket here.

Smoking your Brisket

The process of smoking entails continuously exposing the meat to smoke produced in a smoker. The flavor of smoke is a hallmark in the experience of barbecued brisket. Maintaining a constant temperature and smoke level during the cooking period is crucial for properly smoking a brisket. This entails utilizing a smoker with accurate temperature control and adding wood or charcoal as necessary to keep the smoke level constant. Pellet grills like Traeger have become synonymous with first timers making brisket because of the consistent temperature control and the long cooking times required.  In my Traeger grill, I set my temp to 225 with the super smoke setting to do a brisket. In a traditional offset smoker you could go as high as 250, even 275 degrees. If you’re setting up a charcoal grill to smoke, you will need an accurate temperature gauge to monitor the heat. Consistent heat at temps around 200-250 degrees are key. And that has to be maintained for 12+ hours depending on size of the brisket. 

When do you wrap a brisket?

The question “When do you wrap a brisket?” is a big question newbie brisket smokers. Briskets are frequently wrapped during smoking to preserve moisture and softness and to hasten the cooking process. The level of bark (crust) desired, cooking time, and personal choice all play a role in determining whether to wrap a brisket.

The Texas Crutch

After a few hours of smoking, this method entails wrapping the brisket with foil or butcher paper (also known as the Texas crutch). The brisket will cook faster, retain moisture, giving you a juicy brisket when you wrap butcher paper, especially in foil. The brisket produced by this approach tends to have a softer bark and less smoky flavor, but it will cook faster, keeping your cook around 12+ hours vs 17+ hours.

No Wrap

As an alternative, you might decide to smoke your brisket without any sort of wrapper. If not carefully supervised, this procedure could take longer to cook and produce a brisket that is drier. But you will get a superior bark. As a general guideline, the brisket should be wrapped when the internal temperature is between 160 and 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Typically, depending on the size of the brisket, this takes 5 to 6 hours. To help keep the meat wet while it is wrapped in foil or paper, add some beef tallow, though a well marbled brisket should be juicy enough. I prefer peach paper but foil works too. When and if you wrap your brisket will ultimately rely on your preferences and the results you want for your brisket. You could decide to wrap the brisket after a few hours of smoking if you want it to be juicy and tender with a softer bark. You can omit the wrap entirely if you want a thicker bark and don't mind a longer cook time.

The road to 200+ degrees

The brisket should be wrapped and smoked until it achieves an internal temperature of 202 to 205 degrees F. Many experts recommend going till you hit 203 degrees internal temp Depending on the size of the brisket, this could take another 4-6 hours, or longer. Remove the brisket from the smoker once it reaches the correct temperature, and then let it rest . . . 

Rest it in a cooler.

If you haven’t wrapped(and you probably should) I would wrap the brisket now and place it in a well insulated cooler. A whole packer brisket(point and flat) in a well insulated cooler should rest for a couple hours. It’s important to use a high quality cooler and I would not only wrap the brisket in Peach Paper or foil but also then wrap it in a towel, preferably one you don't mind smelling like barbecue. Some pitmasters will rest their brisket overnight, as long as you can maintain an internal temp of no lower than 140 degrees, you can keep resting. Any lower and you risk food safety.

My Brisket blessing

Smoking brisket is journey whose hallmarks involve perseverance and practice. When you do get there, the results are well worth the trouble. Like climbing a mountain, smoking a perfect brisket is a well earned accomplishment and when you ascend that summit, you will be the talk of your neighborhood block.  Pro tip: you can freeze the leftovers and make chili. Also brisket is very delicious in taco form with salsa. Plan ahead, and remember that it will take a few tries to get it right but you can do it! Conquer the brisket and you can smoke almost anything!      

The Vitals: the spot: Mum Foods 5811 Manor Rd. Austin TX 78723 the eats: Pastrami, Brisket, Corned Beef, Ribs, Sausage, def the sandwiches, all sides esp the pimento cheese and chips, only hiccup was the burnt ends  the bucks: Bring your wallet, full sandwiches like $17, you can easily spend $30 a person but worth it the full nelson: my fav restaurant in Austin right now

My new fav restaurant

I've been to Mum Foods twice so far this year and it has become my new favorite restaurant in Austin. The barbecue scene continues to heat up and while places like Interstellar BBQ and KG BBQ(who just snagged a James Beard nomination) also enter the conversation, Mum Foods is bringing the modern Jewish Delicatessen vibe to deli starved Austin Texas. The tariff is stiff at Mum Foods to the tune of just under $20 for a sandwich but the craftsmanship is worth it, plain and simple.

My first visit

Was on a weekday so I missed out on the brisket by the pound, which is only served on weekends. I did get ribs, burnt ends, sausage, a pastrami sandwich, and a mess of sides. I'll get this out of the way: the burnt ends were a pass. They seemed like they were leftover from the weekend. Not bad, but not worth coming back for when you consider everything else. On a recent episode of NFL Tailgate Takedown, I said Mac and Cheese was overrated. I will retract that statement when it comes to the shells n cheese at Mum Foods. OMG side for sure, oh and about those pickles . . .

Artisan pickled veg alert

Yeah, those look straight out of a Whole Foods Market cookbook. Great stuff and much needed for all the richness. Oh and speaking of richness and my fav side:

Better than chips and queso

Yeah, I'll take housemade potato chips and Pimento cheese(of this caliber) over the Tex Mex Margarita soaker that is Chips n Queso any day of the week, twice on Sunday. I love being controversial when it comes to food. Now on to my second run at Mum Foods.

Lean on hard on the red meats

Not only did I get pastrami by the pound but we also got a corned beef on rye, adorned simply with housemade yellow mustard. I mean, this is why you are here: deli faves in a Texas smoker. Also I wanted to give a shoutout to the meat ladened greens. As a stand alone meal, this would be a macrobiotic approved bout of meat sweats. Everything pictured here is awesome and so so Ali Khan Eats Approved.

Don't sleep on the turkey

I've been saying this for years ever since I went to my first Craft BBQ joint in Austin back in 2015. The best pitmasters can make gold out of brisket and turkey. The Turkey sandwich at Mum Foods is as fine as it gets and I recommend going with the coleslaw and Russian dressing aka "The Rachel". While the turkey is moist, the added texture of the cabbage in the coleslaw plus the double creamy hit of the coleslaw dressing and the mayo in the Russian dressing make for one memorable turkey sando.

I love this spot.

It aint cheap but it is also worth every damn penny. Mum Foods is in a groove and it is my favorite restaurant in Austin so far in 2023. Great coffee shop in there as well and I can't wait to tear into their small but well curated wines by the bottle too.