Name: North African Brisket Pita
Prep time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Cook time: 13 hours
Total time: 17 hours, 15 minutes
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 whole packer brisket, 12–14 pounds before trimming; 2 tablespoons Duce’s Wild Boss Blend for a light base coat; do not add separate salt; 3 tablespoons Duce’s Wild Texas Rub; 3 tablespoons coarse 16 mesh black pepper; 1 tablespoon ground cumin and 2 teaspoons ground coriander; 2 tablespoons neutral oil as a light binder; Food grade butcher paper for the wrap; ⅓ cup honey; ¼ cup Duce’s Wild Competition Sauce; 2 tablespoons red harissa paste; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1 tablespoon warm water to loosen; 1 packed cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, finely chopped; ½ packed cup flat leaf parsley leaves and tender stems, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil; 1½ teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon sweet paprika and ½ teaspoon ground coriander; ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric and ¼ teaspoon cayenne; 1 tablespoon finely diced roasted red pepper for red flecks; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 pound slender carrots, peeled or scrubbed, halved lengthwise if thick; 1 tablespoon olive oil; ¼ teaspoon ground cumin; ¼ teaspoon kosher salt; 1 lemon wedge for finishing; 12–16 medium pita pockets, warmed; 3 ripe tomatoes, seeded and finely diced; 1 small red onion, finely diced; 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Ingredients

Brisket

1 whole packer brisket, 12–14 pounds before trimming

2 tablespoons Duce’s Wild Boss Blend for a light base coat; do not add separate salt

3 tablespoons Duce’s Wild Texas Rub

3 tablespoons coarse 16 mesh black pepper

1 tablespoon ground cumin and 2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 tablespoons neutral oil as a light binder

Food grade butcher paper for the wrap

Harissa Honey

⅓ cup honey

¼ cup Duce’s Wild Competition Sauce

2 tablespoons red harissa paste

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon warm water to loosen

Spiced Chermoula

1 packed cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, finely chopped

½ packed cup flat leaf parsley leaves and tender stems, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

1½ teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon sweet paprika and ½ teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric and ¼ teaspoon cayenne

1 tablespoon finely diced roasted red pepper for red flecks

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Charred Carrot Garnish

1 pound slender carrots, peeled or scrubbed, halved lengthwise if thick

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 lemon wedge for finishing

Brisket Pita and Tomato Onion Salad

12–16 medium pita pockets, warmed

3 ripe tomatoes, seeded and finely diced

1 small red onion, finely diced

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon ground cumin; salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro for the tomato onion salad

Equipment

Smoker with a steady 250–275°F cooking temperature, hardwood or charcoal, sharp trimming and slicing knives, probe and instant read thermometers, butcher paper, insulated resting cooler or warm holding oven, grill or cast iron pan. If using the Gateway drum, use your preferred Royal Oak charcoal setup.

The Method

North African Brisket Pita

Trim and season- Trim the cold packer, leaving roughly ¼ inch of fat on the cap. Remove hard fat and thin edges that will burn. Pat dry. Rub the brisket all over with the neutral oil as a thin binder. Apply a very light Boss Blend base coat, then Texas Rub, cumin, coriander and coarse pepper evenly on every side. Press the seasoning in; avoid a thick salted crust. Refrigerate uncovered 1–4 hours while the pit stabilizes, or season just before smoking.
Build bark- Run the smoker at 250–275°F with clean smoke. Place the brisket with the fat toward the stronger heat. Keep the lid closed as much as practical. Smoke until the bark is dark, set and does not rub off easily, usually when the thickest part of the flat is around 165–175°F. The bark, rather than that number, decides when to wrap.
Wrap and finish- Wrap tightly in unwaxed food grade butcher paper. Return to the pit and cook until a probe slides into several spots of the flat with very little resistance, often around 200–205°F. The point may read differently. Start checking before 200°F and use tenderness as the final test.
Rest without overcooking- Vent the paper briefly to stop carryover cooking, then close it back up. Hold the brisket warm for 2–4 hours before slicing. Keep it safely hot, at or above 140°F during a long hold. Catch any juices from the wrap for moistening sliced beef.
Make the two finishes- Warm the honey just enough to whisk in Competition Sauce, harissa paste, lemon juice and water. Divide the finished harissa honey between a clean basting bowl and a serving squeeze bottle; do not return a brush that touched meat to the serving sauce. Stir cumin, paprika, coriander, turmeric and cayenne into the olive oil. Fold in the hand chopped cilantro, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, roasted red pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Hand chopping keeps the green herbs and red flecks distinct. Refrigerate the chermoula until serving.
Prepare the carrot garnish- Toss carrots with oil, cumin and salt. Grill or sear in cast iron off camera until charred in spots and tender with a little bite, about 8–12 minutes depending on size. Finish with lemon. Set a small amount beside the completed pita for the final presentation; the carrot cook is not part of the filming timeline.
Brush before slicing, then chop- After the warm rest, open the wrap and brush a thin coat of harissa honey over the bark of the rested whole brisket just before the knife goes in. Do not put the honey sauce back on the pit. Separate the point and flat as needed, slice each across its grain, then chop enough brisket for the pita filling. Reserve the clean portion of sauce for the final drizzle.
Build the pita- Mix the tomato, onion, parsley, cilantro, lemon, oil and cumin just before serving; drain excess liquid. Warm pita and open the pockets gently. Fill with chopped brisket. Drizzle with the reserved clean harissa honey, add tomato and onion salad, and finish with chermoula as the final topping. Keep the sauces light so the bread holds. Use the charred carrots only to garnish the serving platter.