Texas BBQ Brisket

Slow-smoked beef brisket: Central Texas tradition, rubbed with salt, black pepper, and sometimes a little paprika, then smoked over post oak for 12 to 16 hours until the bark is mahogany-black and the interior is tender enough to pull apart with a finger. Served sliced, often with white bread, pickles, raw onion, and pickled jalapeños on butcher paper. The signature is the smoke ring, the peppery bark, and the deep beefy fat of the point cut. Sauce is contentious; the best Texas brisket needs none. The wine must handle aggressive smoke, peppery char, and dense beef fat.