The "New School" Texas Brisket Chili Frito Pie
Chapter 4 — The Sandwiches & Plates
This is the zenith of Central Texas barbecue transposed into the ultimate street food, honoring both the minimalist thermodynamics of smoked brisket and the indigenous roots of an authentic, beanless Texas Red. A Frito pie built not from cafeteria compromises, but with a complex, seven-chile gravy and crowned with a pristine slice of post-oak smoked brisket. It demands patience and a respect for the stall, but whether you are tending an offset smoker, snaking charcoal in a kettle, or executing a clever oven workaround, the moment that peppery bark gives way to the chili and the crunch of corn chips, you'll know exactly what you've achieved.
Ingredients
- whole packer brisket12 lb
- kosher salt1/2 cup
- coarse black pepper1/2 cup
- dried ancho chiles4 large
- dried guajillo chiles2 med
- dried pasilla chiles2 med
- chipotle peppers in adobo2 small
- thick-cut bacon4 slices
- yellow onion1 large
- garlic6 cloves
- ground cumin1 tbsp
- Mexican oregano1 tbsp
- ground coriander1 tsp
- ground cinnamon1/4 tsp
- dark Mexican beer12 oz
- strong black coffee1 cup
- low-sodium beef broth2 cup
- masa harina3 tbsp
- Fritos corn chips4 cup
- sharp cheddar cheese1 cup
- red onion1 med
- fresh cilantro1/4 cup
- sour cream1/2 cup
- escabeche1/2 cup
Method
- 01
Smoke the brisket using post oak at 275F until the bark sets and you hit the stall.
Combine the salt and 16-mesh black pepper, then coat the trimmed brisket generously on all sides. Prepare your smoker, pellet grill with post oak, or a charcoal kettle to maintain an indirect 275F. Smoke undisturbed until the bark is dark mahogany and the internal temperature hits 165F.
- 02
Wrap the meat tightly in butcher paper and push through until it is completely probe-tender.
Wrap the brisket tightly in unwaxed pink butcher paper to preserve moisture while maintaining the crust. Continue cooking until a probe thermometer slides into the thickest part of the flat with zero resistance, hitting a target of 203F.
- 03
Rest the brisket for at least two hours before slicing the flat and chopping the point for the chili.
Place the wrapped brisket in a dry cooler or an oven set to 170F to allow the muscle fibers to relax and reabsorb the rendered collagen. When ready, slice the flat across the grain for the plate, and chop 2 pounds of the fattier point meat to serve as the foundation of your chili.
- 04
Toast the dried chiles in a dry skillet before rehydrating them in boiling water.
Heat a dry cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat and toast the ancho, guajillo, and pasilla chiles for 30 seconds per side until fragrant. Turn off the heat, cover them with boiling water, and let soak for 30 minutes until pliable.
- 05
Purée the softened chiles, chipotles, and broth into a smooth, bright red paste.
Discard the bitter soaking liquid. In a blender, combine the softened chiles, chipotles in adobo, one cup of the beef broth, and a pinch of salt. Blend on high until completely smooth.
- 06
Render the bacon fat and sauté the onions and garlic until deeply fragrant.
Return the Dutch oven to medium heat and cook the chopped bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon bits but leave the liquid fat in the pot. Sauté the yellow onion in the pork fat until translucent, then add the minced garlic for one minute.
- 07
Bloom the spices in the fat, then deglaze the pot with dark beer.
Stir in the cumin, Mexican oregano, coriander, and cinnamon, cooking constantly for one minute to release their oils. Pour in the beer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
- 08
Build the chili with the chopped brisket, coffee, and chile paste, simmering low and slow.
Add the strong coffee, the remaining one cup of beef broth, the blended chile paste, the reserved bacon bits, and the 2 pounds of chopped smoked brisket. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover partially, and simmer for up to two hours until rich and cohesive.
- 09
Whisk in the masa harina slurry to thicken the chili and add a toasted corn aroma.
In a small bowl, mix the masa harina with a few tablespoons of water to form a slurry. Stir this into the simmering chili during the final 15 minutes of the cook to tighten the gravy.
- 10
Assemble the pie by ladling the chili over a bed of Fritos, garnishing heavily, and crowning it with a pristine slice of smoked brisket.
Lay down a generous foundation of Fritos in a wide bowl. Ladle the hot Texas Red directly into the center. Immediately blanket it with freshly grated sharp cheddar, sour cream, diced red onion, cilantro, and escabeche. Finish by proudly laying a perfect 1/4-inch slice of warm smoked brisket across the top.
Notes
The Charcoal Kettle Snake Method.
If you are smoking on a standard 22-inch kettle, arrange unlit charcoal briquettes in a horseshoe shape along the outer edge, stacked two wide and two high. Place post oak chunks uniformly along the top. Ignite just the first few briquettes at one end; the fire will slowly creep along the ring, providing 10 to 12 hours of steady 275F heat with clean blue smoke.
The Urban Oven Workaround.
If you lack outdoor equipment, rub the brisket with salt and pepper, and apply exactly one teaspoon of diluted, high-quality natural liquid smoke. Bake on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet filled with a little beef broth, tightly sealed with heavy-duty foil at 275F for 6 to 8 hours until probe tender at 203F. Remove the foil and bake at 300F for 45 minutes to polymerize the pepper and simulate the bark.
From Cook BBQ at Home.