Can you cook great BBQ in your cast iron Dutch oven? Absolutely, I’ve got a great recipe for Dutch oven BBQ beef brisket. But why cook beef brisket in a Dutch? Why not just use your smoker grill?
Well, maybe you don’t have a smoker grill that can hold the temperature at 225F. Or, maybe you’re out camping and still want good barbecue. Or, maybe you just love cooking outdoors in your cast iron Dutch oven.
Whatever your reason, the point is, you can make delicious BBQ beef brisket in your cast iron Dutch oven. The trick is to use a trivet to raise your brisket off the bottom of the Dutch. This prevents the meat from boiling in its own juices so the meat will keep that good barbecue texture. But, more on this later, let’s get to the recipe.
BBQ Beef Brisket Recipe
Use a 12 inch camp Dutch oven.
Place 7 coals underneath your Dutch oven.
Place 14 coals on the lid of your Dutch oven.
This gives you about 300F.
Place your trivet in your Dutch oven and preheat.
Dry Rub
- ¼ cup firmly packed dark-brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 (4-pound) boneless beef brisket
You can of course use your own dry rub if you prefer but, I do suggest using dark-brown sugar. It will caramelize on your beef brisket and adds good maple flavoring.
To prepare your beef brisket, rub your dry rub into all sides of the brisket. Then place the brisket fat side down onto the trivet inside your pre-heated Dutch oven and let cook for about three hours or until done.
At 300F, beef brisket needs to cook 30 to 45 minutes per pound. When I did this the other day, it took right about 45 minutes per pound. You will need to replace the coals about every hour, and use a charcoal chimney to prestart the coals.
Which Cast Iron Dutch Oven Should You Use?
Well, we’re cooking outdoors with coals, so, you need a camp Dutch oven. All camp Dutch ovens have a raised flange on the outer edge of the lid. This allows you to place coals on the lid. And most camp Dutch ovens have legs on the bottom so you can place coals beneath it.
I used a Bayou Classic 8.5-qt. cast iron Dutch oven. This Dutch has the flanged lid of the camp Dutch oven but does not have legs. So, I used a tripod stand with chain to suspend the oven above the coals.
Both types of ovens work very well, I own both types and use both quite often. But, the Bayou Classic is a more versatile Dutch oven. The flat bottom allows you to cook with it on the stove top, in the oven or on a camp stove. And, with a tripod stand you can cook over coals or a camp fire.
The Bayou Classic oven even comes with a fry basket so you can use it as a deep fryer. I have deep fried lots of fish and chicken with. But, let’s get back to the BBQ brisket.
Use Your Trivet To Ensure Even Heating
As I mentioned earlier, by using a trivet, you raise the meat above the bottom of your pot. This allows the heat to circulate all around the brisket, sort of like a convection oven. The meat gets cooked evenly and thoroughly and, the moisture stays trapped inside the oven.
The result is an incredibly moist and tender BBQ beef brisket. In fact, I think I like the Dutch brisket better than any brisket I’ve cooked on the smoker grill. When I cook brisket on the smoker grill it tends to be more on the dry side. But in the Dutch, the moisture stays in the meat.
The one thing missing in the Dutch oven BBQ brisket is the smoke. I use liquid smoke, but it’s not the same. I think next time I might try placing a couple of wood chips in the bottom of my oven. Maybe that will give me the right amount of smoke.
Anyway, if you like cooking in your cast iron Dutch oven, give this BBQ beef brisket recipe a try. It really is delicious.