Get ready for all the flavors under the sun in “World Of Flavor With Big Moe Cason” streaming only on National Geographic.
This U.S. Navy veteran and renowned celebrity pitmaster embarked on a journey to explore diverse dishes from various cultures. On Wednesday, July 20th, The Knockturnal was lucky enough to sit down with Big Moe Cason as he taught us the trials and tribulations of cooking a perfect brisket before we dove into the subject of his new National Geographic show.
The brisket, described by Cason, is the chest muscle of the cow that they utilize to get up and down. Therefore, not only does this make the meat extremely tough, but it also makes it that much more tedious to make a tender brisket. However, a few quick tips from Chef Big Moe Cason may make this process both enjoyable and delicious.
The first big tip was to purchase the best quality meat you can afford from a big box store and leave it in a separate fridge for about 30 days. This process is called wet aging and makes your meat more tender and flavorful.
Once this process is complete and you’re ready to cook your brisket, you can start by trimming the fat. Big Moe Cason noted that you should remove as much fat as possible from the face of the meat to make a better bite. After trimming the fat, you can start scoring your meat against the grain. This lets the chef know which way to cut the meat to get a perfectly tender slice once it’s done cooking.
When Big Moe Cason started to discuss the process of putting the actual meat in the smoker, he debunked two significant issues that both myself and many amateur chefs have. Firstly, place your meat in the smoker fat side down! I’ve heard that leaving the fat on top can make the meat juicier and Chef Moe made sure to quash these rumors. He explained that the quality and moisture are in the meat already, and the position of the brisket will not change that. Secondly, he advised using non-waxed butcher paper rather than aluminum foil. Due to the porous nature of the butcher paper, the meat’s crust will remain crisp and not soggy like it may get with foil.
Cook your brisket low and slow, between 210 and 300 degrees. Once the initial temperature reaches 170℉, wrap your meat in a boat (of the previously mentioned non-waxed butcher paper) to allow for it not to get too smokey but stay crisp. Then, once the internal temp hits 203℉, the brisket should be done. Your thermometer should be able to slide through the meat like a knife through butter when the cooking is complete.
Moe Cason is no stranger to barbeque, as you can tell by his tips and tricks in the kitchen. His new show “World Of Flavor With Big Moe Cason” on National Geographic will put him in brand new environments each episode cooking the food of the locals. Between diving for fresh conch in the Bahamas to eating ‘gator in Louisiana, you can see him learning new ways to cook, finding fresh flavors, and new ways to put his Big Moe twist on each cultural food he tastes. If you want to take a peek into the world of flavor, check out “World Of Flavor With Big Moe Cason,” premiering Monday, July 25th at 10/9c.
