Delicious Best Odds Brisket Mop

Mopping Brisket
Regarding BBQ, Inc.
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 10 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 1/4 cups

This is your best bet for a smoked beef brisket mop. The mixture of oil, vinegar, and beer will keep the meat tender and flavorful during the smoking process. It is applied every two hours. Brisket gets its layers of flavor from building up the bark. The dry rub is a big part of developing the savory bark, and some cooks simply leave it at that, but some also use mops.

Mops were originally used for open-pit barbecue, where the meat was more likely to dry out during the long hours of smoking. A mop is a thin sauce that has a bit of acid and oil, like a marinade. It is applied lightly so as not to wash off any of the dry rub. While the use of mop sauce is hotly debated, it can add extra layers of flavor to the brisket.

If you were cooking in a large open-pit barbecue, you might use an actual clean kitchen mop to apply the mop sauce. But for home use, look for a barbecue mop tool in the kitchen aisle. These look like miniature kitchen mops. Or use a spritz bottle, which is even less likely to disturb the rub.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup cider vinegar

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 1/4 cup beer

  • 3 tablespoons paprika

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Combine all ingredients—vinegar, olive oil, beer, paprika, salt, and pepper—and mix until the salt dissolves.

  3. Brush or spray over the surface of brisket as it cooks, about every 2 hours.

  4. If using a spray bottle, you can store the mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days after preparation.

Tips

  • The type of beer you choose is up to you. Some cooks like a typical American lager, while others go for the extra flavor found in India Pale Ale, porter, or stout.
  • Some recommend keeping the mop sauce warm so it doesn't reduce the temperature of the meat when you apply it. The ingredients should be stable at warm temperatures.
  • If you are using a mop tool rather than a spray bottle, the tool will be in contact with meat juices that could contain bacteria. It's best to pour some mop sauce into a separate container and only dip the mop tool into that container. Then discard any of the mop sauce that has come in contact with the mop tool. Clean the mop tool before using it during the next round of mopping.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
591 Calories
57g Fat
16g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 591
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 57g 73%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 2139mg 93%
Total Carbohydrate 16g 6%
Dietary Fiber 8g 27%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 69mg 5%
Iron 5mg 28%
Potassium 600mg 13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)