Texas brisket purists will engage in hours-long heated debates about whether you should go with a simple salt & pepper rub as found in the Hill Country or whether you should get all fancy and add a little garlic powder. Then they'll openly mock the competition teams who "pump" their meat with injections, alternately damn or praise the "Texas crutch", and nearly come to blows over whether to use a mustard schmear or just use elbow grease to work the rub into the brisket.
While I loves me some Hill Country brisket, I like to extend the flavor profile a bit and try to find a style that's accessible to everyone while respecting the spirit of those German and Czech immigrants who helped give Texas barbecue its unique identity. This is a wet rub, which means you can use a yellow mustard or oil schmear to act as a binding agent for the spice rub. I used to use a French's yellow mustard base but I tried using a ton of reserved bacon grease once and I doubt I'm ever going back ...
Texas-Style Wet Brisket Rub2 Tbsp coarse grind black pepper
2 Tbsp ancho chili powder
2 Tbsp demerara sugar
2 Tbsp kosher salt
2 Tsp dry mustard
2 Tsp garlic powder
2 Tsp onion powder
2 Tsp ground cumin
2 Tsp cayenne pepper
bacon fat (may substitute olive oil or even salted butter)
I actually lightly toast this spice rub immediately prior to application over low heat in a non-stick skillet. Some of these ingredients are oil soluble so apply a healthy layer of cool bacon fat (should be congealed to the point of at least softened butter) and work into the trimmed brisket; if you want to inject your meat you should do so prior to this step. Then, apply the rub to the bacon fat and pat until well incorporated, wrap in plastic wrap and hold in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours prior to smoking.
