Recipe

Smoked Brisket with Cuban Coffee and Sour Orange Mojo

Name: Smoked Brisket with Cuban Coffee and Sour Orange Mojo
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 480 min
Total time: 615 min
Ingredients: 2.5 kg beef brisket (brisket), flat cut, thick; 25 g salt; 10 g coarsely ground black pepper; 8 g medium-roast coffee, very finely ground; 6 g garlic powder; 2 g ground cumin; 10 g brown sugar; 15 ml mild olive oil; 150 ml unsalted beef broth, hot; 30 g unsalted butter; 100 ml sour orange juice; 50 ml mild olive oil; 4 garlic cloves (about 12 g), crushed; 1 teaspoon dried oregano (1 g); 2 g salt

Smoked beef brisket with a moderate touch of Cuban coffee, wrapped in broth and served as tender slices with sour orange mojo.

CiberCubaNovember 6, 2026

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Preparation45 min
Cooking8 h
Total time10 h 15 min
Servings8 servings
DifficultyMedium

Brisket is the beef chest that American barbecue cooks for hours over low smoke until tender, with a dark crust on the outside. This version is a fusion adaptation, not a traditional Cuban dish. It combines that technique with two very local flavors: a moderate touch of coffee in the rub and a sour orange mojo with garlic and oregano to accompany it.

It is designed for slow cooking, on a weekend or for a family gathering on the patio, something very typical for Cubans living in the United States who already have a smoker or charcoal grill at hand. The result is juicy slices with their crust and juices, and the mojo served separately so each person can add as much as they like.

Method

Meat preparation (active work)

With the brisket still cold from the fridge, trim the hard fat and keep a covering of 5-7 mm. Before seasoning, check carefully the direction of the fibers: you will need to know this when slicing.
In a bowl, mix the salt, pepper, coffee, garlic powder, cumin, and brown sugar. Brush the meat with the oil and spread the rub evenly over its entire surface.
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Indirect smoking (passive cooking)

Prepare the smoker or grill for indirect cooking and stabilize the chamber at 120-130 °C (248-266 °F). Place the grease-catching tray under the meat's location, with no coals directly underneath. Add the wood and wait for the smoke to come out thin. Place the meat with the fat facing the main heat source and insert the probe into the center of the thickest part.
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Cook with the lid closed until a firm crust forms that does not flake off when touched gently and the interior reaches about 70-75 °C (158-167 °F). This phase usually takes about 3-5 hours. Avoid opening the lid continuously or adding more wood throughout the entire cooking process.

Wrapping and final cooking (passive cooking)

Place the meat on a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Pour the hot broth around it and place the butter on top. Seal the package well so liquids do not escape and return it to the smoker.
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Adjust the chamber to 135-140 °C (275-284 °F). Start checking the texture when the interior reaches about 90 °C (194 °F): the probe should enter with very little resistance in several spots. It is usually ready between 92 and 96 °C (198-205 °F), but what matters is that tenderness; a single temperature or time is not enough. For a flat of this weight, allow about 6-10 hours of total cooking, counting both phases.
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Resting and serving

Remove the package and open it slightly for 10 minutes to release steam; then close it again. Complete a total resting time of 90 minutes (the 10 minutes of venting included). The meat must stay at 60 °C (140 °F) or higher; if it approaches that temperature before serving, keep the package in the oven at 70-80 °C (158-176 °F) for the rest of the resting time.
While the meat rests, prepare the mojo: mix the sour orange juice, oil, crushed garlic, oregano, and salt. Keep it in the fridge until serving.
Open the package, recover the juices, and remove excess fat from the surface.
Slice the meat into 6-8 mm slices, always against the grain (perpendicular to it). Drizzle them with some of their juices and serve the mojo on the side.
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Tips and variations

Equipment needed: smoker or covered charcoal grill, chamber thermometer, meat probe, grease-catching tray, and heavy-duty aluminum foil. For smoking, one or two small pieces of culinary wood, such as oak or applewood.

Timing: preparation takes about 45 minutes and total active work is around 60 minutes spread throughout the process. Cooking is estimated at about 8 hours, but allow a real margin of 6 to 10 hours depending on the cut and equipment, plus 90 minutes of resting. The approximate total is about 10 hours and 15 minutes, almost all passive cooking and resting. The 10 minutes of venting the package are included in the 90 minutes of resting; do not add them again. Do not try to shorten the cooking to a fixed time: here texture and patience rule.

About the coffee: it functions as a seasoning, not as the star. Respect the 8 g so it does not become bitter.

Why it is wrapped in broth: the flat is a relatively lean cut. That is why a layer of fat is kept and it is finished wrapped with broth and butter, so it does not dry out.

If you cannot find sour orange: substitute the 100 ml with 65 ml of sweet orange juice and 35 ml of lime or lemon juice.

Storage: keep leftovers in the fridge, well covered and with some of their juices, for a maximum of 3 days. To reheat, place them in a covered container with juices or a splash of broth and heat over low heat until the center reaches 74 °C (165 °F). The mojo keeps refrigerated for 2 or 3 days.