Fatty Brisket

Name: Fatty Brisket
Yield: Serves 12 to 14
Ingredients: 2 cups dried red chilies, such as cayenne; 2 cups black peppercorns; Zest of 4 limes; 1 1/2 cups kosher salt; 2 tablespoons palm or brown sugar; 1/4 cup fish sauce; 20 garlic cloves, peeled; 10 small shallots, peeled; 2 inches young fresh ginger, peeled; 1/4 cup well-stirred coconut milk, preferably Aroy-D brand; 1 whole untrimmed brisket (about 12 pounds)

By Zakary Pelaccio and JJ Goode

April 19, 2012

Three kindred spirits—pitmaster Robbie Richter, Jori, and I—came up with this profound merging of Southeast Asia and the American South. So profound that it could be both mascot and metaphor for Fatty 'Cue.

LISTEN
Hours of southern soul while you drink southern beer and dream of southern girls—that is, if you don't have one of your own.

DRINK
Lone Star. We're smoking brisket here, and that's Texas style.

Cooks' Note

NOTE
Whole, untrimmed brisket means don't let anyone cut off the fatty deckle and leave you with only the anorexic lean (or flat).

THE WOOD
You should be using a nice hardwood that's local. Don't use pine, cedar, hickory, or mesquite as the brisket will be in the smoker for a long time and the scents from those woods are so strong that they will overpower the flavor of the meat and seasonings.

Recipe notes

Béchamel Sauce

This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.

Caramelized Onion Pasta

Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.

Butternut Squash–Kale Salad With Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

Round out these autumn greens with tart pomegranate seeds, crunchy pepitas, and a shower of Parmesan.

Crème Anglaise

The silky French vanilla sauce that goes with everything.

Our Favorite French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.

Mascarpone Cheesecake

An extra-silky filling (no water bath needed!) and a smooth sour cream topping make this the ultimate cheesecake.

Vodka Gochujang Pasta

This pasta has some really big energy about it. It’s so extra, it’s the type of thing you should be eating in your bikini while drinking a magnum of rosé, not in Hebden Bridge (or wherever you live), but on a beach on Mykonos.

Okonomiyaki Tater Tots

Crispy tots topped with savory-sweet sauce, mayonnaise, furikake, scallion, and katsuobushi.