The Affordable Type Of Brisket You Should Be Smoking This Summer

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Smoked beef brisket is a barbecue classic, but if you're smoking a whole one (meaning one that weighs between 12 and 24 pounds), it can get pretty pricey. Even if you're only paying four bucks a pound, a larger brisket could still run to nearly $100. Pork belly, while it might cost about the same amount per pound, tends to run smaller, topping out around 11 to 12 pounds, and is often cut smaller for a somewhat cheaper option. Brandon Hurtado, author of "Barbacoa: The Heart of Tex-Mex Barbecue," notes that in some areas, pork bellies tend to be priced lower than beef briskets, too, especially when compared to prime beef. In addition to its affordability, he highly recommends its flavor.

Hurtado told The Takeout, "Pork brisket is generally made from smoking a skin-off pork belly similarly to how you would a beef brisket." He describes smoked pork belly as "incredibly rich and gelatinous," and says it's perfect for making barbecue fusion dishes such as pork belly brisket banh mi sandwiches or tacos. You could also use it in a barbecue version of ramen chashu, a dish traditionally made with (unsmoked) pork belly.

"The beauty of pork belly brisket," said Brandon Hurtado, "is that you can cook it almost identical to a beef brisket and come up with an incredibly supple result, with similar bark as well." This means the cook time for your brisket may require up to an hour per pound on the smoker. You'll also need to spend some time trimming that brisket, too, especially if you buy your pork belly pre-wrapped from the grocery store instead of ordering it from a bespoke butcher. As Hurtado pointed out, a pork belly brisket needs to have its skin removed, but this can be easily done by slipping a sharp knife between rind and meat and sliding it down with a gentle sawing motion until all the skin is gone.

While you can serve pork brisket with the same toppings you'd use for beef, Hurtado offered another suggestion. "I love a good mustard sauce when eating barbecue," he said, explaining that "The acidity helps cut through the richness of the meat." (His cookbook contains a recipe for such a sauce.) You could also play into the richness of the pork by pairing it with a sweet and fruity barbecue sauce or opting for a tangy vinaigrette, since your brisket will be delicious no matter how you serve it.