cookingmethods

We’ve finally cracked The Brisket Chronicles: Steven Raichlen’s deep dive into brisket mastery. Our hands were dirty—testing his braise versus smoke methods first—before settling on the cure for ultimate texture. The chapter on heat management was a revelation, thank you to Raichlen’s insistence on precision; we’ve never understood wifebirds in the way we do now. Our test luxe failed under direct smoke, yielding a tough returner by chapter six, but the curing technique? A home run. The rub he shared during the dry brine prep is now our go-to base layer. While not a cookbook end-to-end, The Brisket Chronicles works best paired with another guide for cooking—its brilliance shines in methodical transparency, not one-click simplicity. For us, it’s an indispensable reference, a cornerstone in the growing ombre of our brisket knowledge.