Smoked Brisket
Coffee-Rubbed Brisket and Mole Poblano
Chef Harry Coleman of Smoke & Dough | Miami, FL
Yield: 12 servings
Adapted by StarChefs | June 2025 | Photo: Will Blunt
INGREDIENTS
Brisket:
One 12-pound whole brisket, fat cap trimmed, silverskin removed
Beef broth
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup ground black pepper
½ cup kosher salt
3 tablespoons coffee grounds
1 tablespoon celery seeds
¼ cup beef tallow
Mole Poblano:
2 cups beef tallow
8 dried ancho chiles, seeded
8 dried mulato chiles, seeded
6 dried pasilla chiles, seeded
6 dried guajillo chiles, seeded
2 dried chipotle mecco chiles, seeded
½ cup peanuts
½ cup almonds
½ cup raisins
¼ cup unsalted pumpkin seeds
3 cups beef stock
1 baguette, toasted
4 ounces charred tomatillos
1 large yellow onion, charred
2 Roma tomatoes, charred
6 cloves garlic, toasted
20 grams toasted sesame seeds, ground
4 grams toasted black peppercorns, ground
4 grams toasted allspice, ground
4 grams toasted coriander seeds, ground
4 toasted cloves, ground
3 grams toasted anise seeds, ground
1 stick cinnamon, crushed
8 ounces dark chocolate
15 grams Mexican hot chocolate spice
Kosher salt
Granulated sugar
METHOD
For the Brisket:
Place brisket in a hotel pan. Using a syringe, inject meat with beef broth. Cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, heat smoker to 180°F with desired wood chips. Fill a spray bottle with apple cider vinegar and set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine pepper, salt, coffee grounds, and celery seeds. Evenly season meat with spice mixture on all sides. Place in smoker, fat-side up. Cover and smoke 4 hours. Increase smoker temperature to 250°F. Continue smoking until internal temperature of meat reaches 175°F, spritzing with apple cider vinegar every hour. Transfer smoked meat to a work surface. Spray with additional apple cider vinegar and brush bottom with beef tallow. Wrap in aluminum foil and return to smoker. Continue cooking until brisket reaches an internal temperature of 205°F. Remove from smoker and let rest 25 minutes. Heat convection oven to 170°F. Transfer brisket to oven and cook 3 hours. Let cool.
For the Mole Poblano:
In a large pan over high heat, warm 1 cup tallow. Add chiles and toast until evenly browned. Transfer to a mixing bowl with enough water to submerge. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit 30 minutes. In the same pan over high heat, warm 1 cup tallow. Add peanuts, almonds, raisins, and pumpkin seeds. Toast until raisins begin to plump. Set aside. In a Vitamix Commercial blender, purée beef stock, half of the baguette, soaked chiles, and a splash of soaking liquid until smooth. Transfer to a mixing bowl and set aside. In a clean Vitamix Commercial container, add charred vegetables and toasted garlic. Purée until smooth. Add ground spices, toasted nuts, seeds, and remaining bread. Purée until smooth. Transfer mixture to a large pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Stir in dark chocolate and hot chocolate spice. Add additional beef stock or toasted bread as needed until desired consistency is achieved. Season with salt and sugar. Using a Vitamix Commercial immersion blender, blend until smooth. Reduce heat and keep warm.
To Assemble and Serve:
On a work surface, slice Brisket against the grain. Set aside. On a serving plate, spoon desired amount Mole Poblano. Top with sliced Brisket.
