Only a few places in Thailand attempt the time-consuming task of smoking a brisket. The patience and time required to properly smoke an American-style brisket can almost be considered worthy of a medal to many people in the US.
However, there is a specialised smokehouse in Pattaya that consistently produces mouth-watering, authentic-tasting, American-style beef briskets that can bring tears of gratitude to the eyes of old cowboys in Thailand. The place is called The Collective, and it's in the Holiday Inn Pattaya, right on Beach Road. Everyone should make a point of visiting the Collective to taste the height of perfection in the art of barbecuing.
What Is American-style Brisket?
A beef brisket is a cut of meat from the breast or lower chest of typically a male steer. The brisket muscles include the steer’s pectoral muscles. And, as bovines don’t have collarbones, these muscles have a lot of connective tissue and support much of the forward weight of the animal when it’s moving or standing.
This is why the brisket has developed the tradition of long, low and slow cooking. The lengthy cooking time at low heat helps tenderise this connective tissue.
Signature Texture and Flavor
The other result of this low and slow approach to barbecue is a signature texture and flavour, unlike any other barbecued meat.
Because of the lengthy cooking process and the size and relatively expensive cost of the meat, the care taken in cooking a brisket properly has become almost a fanatical pursuit by devoted barbecue chefs. The telltale signs of expertly prepared American-style smoked brisket are a smoky “bark” or crust on the outside of the meat, a juicy interior, and a melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. The meat itself is the star of the show in American-style BBQ. There's no seasoning used other than salt and pepper.
How is a Brisket Smoked American-style?
The cooking process involves slow-cooking the brisket over indirect heat for 12-18 hours. Gas barbecues are almost sacrilegious to use for cooking briskets. You should always use a dense hardwood like oak or hickory in your barbecue or smoker. You want the thin, blue, and long-lasting smoke that only a hardwood can provide. Many seasoned brisket chefs say that maintaining a steady temperature throughout the long cooking process is the key to getting the perfect bark and the ideal texture and juiciness.
The brisket is cooked fully at approximately 105 to 110 degrees celsius wrapped in butcher paper or foil to seal in the juices. Once the internal temperature reaches 94 degrees, you can remove it from the cooker and let it rest for about an hour before slicing. This helps redistribute the juices throughout the meat and improves both the flavour and juiciness of the brisket.
Experience American-Style Brisket at The Collective
Few casual chefs have the patience, time, or barbecue equipment needed to properly smoke a brisket to perfection. Thankfully, you don’t need to cook a brisket for yourself when you can visit the Smokehouse in The Collective at Holiday Inn Pattaya and savour the flavours of an authentic American-style smoked brisket.
Order several of the traditional sides to accompany an order of brisket, like mac and cheese, tangy coleslaw, and corn bread drenched in butter. The Collective also offers gourmet wood-fired pizzas, burgers, ribs, and local Thai favourite dishes, as well as speciality drinks and cocktails. You can also sit outside or indoors and enjoy live entertainment.
The Collective is the ideal place to end a day of exploring the sights of Pattaya. Sit out on the terrace and enjoy the view of the sun setting over Pattaya Bay while sipping a tall cold drink and taking in the tantalising aromas of the Smokehouse to whet your appetite.
So why not plan to spend the weekend in Pattaya? Book a table at The Collective at Holiday Inn Pattaya and experience the rich, smoky flavours of authentic American-style brisket.
