Brisket Mop Sauce

Mopping, or basting, gives brisket additional moisture and flavor.  (Some cooks feel otherwise and this can become a controversial subject.  They feel that opening and closing the lid causes a loss of heat, humidity and cooking time, and that the meat stays moist without mopping.  It's a toss up, but for brisket I favor mopping.)


So here's a great mop sauce.  Wait until the brisket has cooked for two to three hours before beginning to mop so that the dry rub cooks into the meat, and then mop every hour or two.

For a sensational sauce to serve with the meat, double the recipe and then mix the leftover sauce with pan drippings.  By the way, black pepper is intentionally left out since there's already enough from the injection marinade and dry rubs.

Brisket Mop
     1 12-oz can beer
     1 medium onion, chopped
     3 cloves garlic, pressed
     1/2 cup cider vinegar
     1 TB paprika
     1 tsp salt
     1/4 cup vegetable oil

Combine everything in a sauce pan, except the oil, and bring to boil over medium-high heat.  Lower the heat and simmer for ten minutes.  Add oil just before mopping.