Brisket has a mystique all its own. From its bark to the tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat, a great slice of brisket is more than just a meal — it’s a moment of connection to the traditions, flavors and craft of barbecue.
For chef Shane Wiggins of Deuce’s Taste of the South, that tradition is firmly based in Texas. Wiggins, who is from the central Texas town of Normangee, grew up around his grandfather’s butcher shop. After working in the oil field for more than 20 years, he’s back to carving meat out of a little drive-thru spot in Broussard, slinging breakfast tacos, pulled pork, smoked brisket and classic barbecue sides like mac and cheese and purple hull peas to hungry customers.
There’s something undeniable about his brisket, which comes with a richly caramelized and flavorful exterior bark (a crust formed from the reaction of spices, sugars and the outer layer of the brisket itself as it smokes.) According to Wiggins, it’s the bark that sets a Texas brisket apart — and you only get it with a long, low-temperature smoke.
“I just use a simple seasoning, with salt, pepper and some seasoning rub,” he said. “The main thing is the slow, low-temperature cooking overnight. I use pecan wood for everything I smoke, and that’s where you get that flavor profile from…