100 Favorite Dishes 2015: Brisket at Little Miss BBQ

This year we're marking the hundred-day countdown to Best of Phoenix 2015 by sharing some of our favorite dishes at restaurants all over the Valley. Have a suggestion for a dish you'd like us to try? Leave it in the comments section or email [email protected].

7. Brisket at Little Miss BBQ

Think about all the things you could do in 11 hours. You could drive nearly all the way from Phoenix to San Francisco in that amount of time. You could fly direct from Phoenix to London and still have time to get your stuff from baggage claim and probably grab a coffee. You could even watch the extended versions of all the movies in the Lord of the Rings series. 

Or, you could make the best brisket in Phoenix. 

That's right, it takes Little Miss BBQ pit master Scott Holmes about 11 hours to make near-perfect brisket. Of course, the exact cooking time varies depending on a whole bunch of different factors, but the point is, it's not so simple to make food this good. It helps that the restaurant uses a custom-made smoker and that Scott and his wife, Bekke, have years of experience under their belts, but with one bite of the brisket at this popular Phoenix spot you'll understand why there's always a line winding around outside when they open the door. 

The brisket — specifically the fatty brisket — is the most popular offering and yet the recipe calls for just a simple dry rub of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a bit of cayenne. It's the gentle kiss of smoke over many hours that makes the meat shine; by the time the meat's removed the luscious fatty brisket will actually melt in your mouth.  



The 100 Favorite Dishes so far...
100. Waffle at Matt's Big Breakfast 
99. Pacific White Fish Taco at La Santisima 
98. Beef Roll at Taiwan Food Express
97. Zinc Burger at Zinc Bistro
96. Goat Biryani at Khyber Halal 
95. Key Lime Doughnut at Welcome Chicken + Donuts
94. Chicharrón Prensado Quesadilla at La Merced
93. Moist Succulent Pork Chop at Mrs. White's Golden Rule Cafe
92. Deep Fried Squid with Salt and Pepper from Nee House Chinese Cuisine
91. Coconut Raspberry Brownie at Karl's Quality Bakery
90. Fried Chicken at Phoenix Public Market Cafe
89. The Tyler at Cheese 'N Stuff
88. Hurricane Popcorn at Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour
87. Ceviche at El Chullo
86. Date Shake at Couscous Express
85. Red Bean and Rice Burger at Liberty Market
84. Banh Thit Nguoi at Da Vang
83. Breakfast Sandwich at Ollie Vaughn's
82. Crispy Pig Ears at Crudo 
81. Parillada at Asadero Norte De Sonora 
80. Warm Jar of King Crab and Butter at Little Cleo's Seafood Legend
79. Pumpkin Spice Macaron at Essence Bakery
78. Falafel Sandwich at Al Hana Restaurant
77. Sheng Jian Bao at DingHao Shanghai
76. Baked Vegetable Pesto at Oven + Vine
75. Pollo Guisado at FrinGo's Kitchen
74. Aloo Paratha at Tahoora Grill 
73. Exotic Mushroom Pan Fry at Cowboy Ciao
72. Otro Cortado Salad at Otro Cafe
71. The Standard with Cheese at The Stand 
70. Kimchee Bokum Bap at Hodori 
69. The 301 Pizza at Forno 301
68. Green Chile Burrito at Rito's Mexican Food 
67. Aloo Tikki Chaat at Little India
66. Oysters Rockefeller at The Salt Cellar Restaurant
65. Bún Thit Nuong at Hue Gourmet
64. Pistachio Chicken Liver Pate at The Gladly
63. Fried Green Tomato Sandwich at Welcome Diner
62. Crawfish at Angry Crab Shack
61. The Lady at Short Leash Hot Dogs
60. Torta Ahogada at Tortas Paquime
59. Baiynchaiv Crepes at Reathrey Sekong
58. The Straw at Miracle Mile Deli
57. Fresh Shattered Potato Chips at Ingo's Tasty Food
56. Southern Fried Chicken at Bobby-Q
55. Buffala Verace at Pomo Pizzeria Napoletana 
54. Baklava at Middle Eastern Bakery and Deli
53. Tri-Tip Sandwich at Grassroots Kitchen at Tap 
52. Fig, Cheese, and Caramel Empanada at Republica Empanada
51. Cauliflower Pizza at Forge Wood-Fired Pizza
50. Bandeja Paisa at La Tiendita Cafe
49. Footlong at Ted's Hot Dogs
48. Chettinad Dosai at Woodlands Vegetarian South Indian Kitchen
47. Sticky Buns at El Chorro 
46. Wood Grilled Artichoke at Central Bistro
45. Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings at New Hong Kong Restaurant
44. Carne Adovada Enchiladas at Los Dos Molinos
43. Mac n' Cheese at Lux Central 
42. Carolina Dog at Joe's Farm Grill
41. Whole Chicken at El Pollo Supremo
40. Fried Saimin at Aloha Kitchen
39. Hummus at Princess Market 
38. Xiaolongbao at Chou's Kitchen
37. No. 6 Crepe at Jobot
36. Lo-Lo's Special at Lo-Lo's Chicken and Waffles
35. Banana Cream Pie Trifle at The Parlor Pizzeria
34. Bean & Cheese Burrito at America's Taco Shop
33. Butterfish Tatki at Roka Akor
32. Pan Seared Scottish Salmon at Bootleggers Modern American Smokehouse
31. Peking Duck at Hong Kong Asian Diner
30. Vic's Meatloaf and Eggs at Dick's Hideaway
29. Arizona Super Taco at LuLu's Taco Shop
28. Zucca Chips at North Italia
27. Haemul Soon Du Bu at Café Ga Hyang
26. Salmon "Yasu Style" at Yasu Sushi Bistro
25. Pineapple Li Hing Mui Ice Candy at Super Chunk Sweets and Treats
24. Mixed Grill at Copper Kettle
23. Super Colossal Shrimp Cocktail at Steak 44
22. Egg Tart at Great Wall Cuisine
21. The Pittsburgher at Wimpy's Paradise 
20. Beignets at Southern Rail 
19. Ricotta Gnocchi at Rancho Pinot
18. Ika Kare Age at Hana Japanese Eatery 
17. Pork Belly Pastrami at Citizen Public House
16. Pig Face Dumplings at The Clever Koi
15. Grand Prix at Crepe Bar
14. Hoppin' John at Yard Bird + The Larder
13. Churros Rellenos de Cajeta de Cabra at Barrio Cafe
12. Pig's Feet at Christopher's Restaurant and Crush Lounge
11. Tsukuri Six at ShinBay
9. Oaxaca Special Burro at Carolina's
10. Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream at Sweet Republic
8. French Fries at Bink's Midtown