John makes the very best brisket. It has to be seasoned and sit over night. Then he cooks it on the pit using mesquite wood ONLY for at least 12 hours. He never allows anyone to help, watch all you want but no one touches his brisket. He turns it every 2 hours with a towel, never a fork or a knife and brushes on his own sauce he makes. He is asked to BBQ for any function in town. He could BBQ every single weekend for someone if he wanted to.

Cindy, its kind of like fajita meat being considered "trash" meat in the north. But its expensive for us because its special. Its all in the area you are in and what people are "use" to cooking with. Here briskets are always on sale for 99cents a pound at Memorial day and Labor day. Because those are BBQ weekends. We buy at least 6 or 8 for John to cook all together. He can get 12 on his big pit. When buying a brisket, the secret to getting a tender one is to fold it in half end to end. The farther it folds to the ends touching the more tender it will be. Also, DO NOT cut the fat off before cooking. And never stick it with a fork or knife when cooking or you will loose juices. Also in slicing it, you must cut across the grain never with it. And the grain turns several times in a brisket. We do several BBQ cookoffs a year. Trophies all over my bedroom. (Yeah, that really thrills me, like a deer head on the wall would!) I wish everyone was closer, I would have him cook a huge pit of brisket, ribs and sausage. Potato salad and pinto beans, bread, onions and pickles. A meal for a king!