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Marianist Table
minor case of homesickness for Marianist 
Brother Chicago Schuller has led to a heapin’ 
helpin’ of Texas for the rest of us.  
A native of Mission, Texas, Bro. Chicago 
missed home cooking while studying at the 
Novitiate in Dayton, especially smoked 
brisket. Just one, big problem: The Novi­
tiate didn’t have a smoker. 
So, with help from his mom, Kerry, 
and Marianist Brother Dennis Bautista, 
director of novices at the time, he experi­
mented with spices and oven-cooking 
methods. He shares the five-year refining 
project with us but has kept his original 
title for the recipe — Fake It Till You Make 
It Texas-Smoked Brisket. 
“Since it’s not made in a smoker, at first we 
thought of it as not quite authentic,” said Bro. 
Chicago, who teaches freshman/sophomore 
theology as well as Catholic social teaching to 
juniors at St. John Vianney High School in 
Kirkwood, Missouri. “But after  
experimenting for five years, I’d say we’re not 
faking it anymore. We’ve made it.” 
What he’s learned along the way: 
• Add brown sugar and paprika to the rub  
to give color to the outer coating, which is 
known as bark. 
• Add a bottle (not just a few drops) of liquid 
smoke to the steaming liquid. 
• Use a leave-in thermometer. This prevents 
opening the oven door to check the tempera­
ture, which may add cooking time. 
• Most important: Temperature, not timing, is 
everything. To hit the smoky, juicy, tender 
sweet spot, brisket must be cooked until it 
hits an internal temperature of 200-205°F. 
Time is irrelevant.  
Cases in point: Bro. Chicago’s 8-pound brisket 
cooked about 8½ hours, while our 4-pounder 
took almost 11 hours. Whether cooked in the 
oven or a smoker, brisket is prone to a “stall” 
around 170-180°F, when the internal moisture 
evaporates and the temperature stops rising — 
sometimes even drops. It’s like sweating; moisture 
evaporates from your skin to cool you on a hot 
day. Eventually, the meat runs out of moisture, 
and heat takes over again.  
 “So, make it a day ahead of time. Slice it the 
day of,” he said. “Clear your schedule, and relax 
about the timing.” 
Though he cooks about once a month, often 
on Sunday, Bro. Chicago makes the brisket only 
twice a year or so, “for a celebration.” He recently 
prepared this recipe for his community in St. 
Louis with authentic Texas sides of white bread, 
camp beans (a Texas version of baked beans), 
sliced onions, pickles, and pickled jalapeños.  
Though St. Louisans wouldn’t think of serving 
smoked brisket without coleslaw, Bro. Chicago 
refers to the side as a “Midwestern invasion on 
the barbecue scene.” He humored us, though, 
with his blessing for photos.  
He also allows for a pound of meat per person, 
“because I want the leftovers for sandwiches, 
and I don’t have to think about what to make 
for lunch for a few days,” he said.  ■ 
 
Kathleen Nelson is a writer/photographer from  
St. Louis.
MAKING IT, 
NOT FAKING IT
A
PHOTOS BY KATHLEEN NELSON
By Kathleen Nelson
Brother Chicago Schuller, SM

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