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how to smoke a brisket

Smoked Brisket

Carson Morby
There are a lot of ways to cook a brisket, but my all time favorite way is to smoke it. This recipe will show you the steps for smoking your first brisket, or improving your brisket game.
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Ingredients
  

  • 1 Full Packer Brisket- About 14-16 Lbs
  • 1/4 Cup Your Favorite Beef Dry Rub

Instructions
 

  • Trim the excess fat off of the brisket. My general preference is to take the fat cap down to about 1/8 of an inch. Round the thinest part of the flat off ever so slightly. The super thin meat will overcook compared to the rest of the brisket.
  • Apply a generous layer of your favorite beef dry rub over the entire brisket. Make sure to get the sides too, not just the top and bottom. Get outta here with those mustard and oil binders. The seasoning shouldn't have any problem adhering to the meat without them.
  • Preheat your smoker to 225-300 degrees F. If you are using a pellet grill, I recommend closer to 225 F. If you are using charcoal or an offset smoker, 275-300 works well as long as the heat source isn't too close to the meat to char it.
  • Smoke the brisket until it reaches about 170 degrees internal temperature. Check to see if the rub is adhered enough to the meat. As long as it's adhered to the meat, it's time to wrap it.
  • I like foil. It's cheaper than butcher paper, and easier to use. I recommend the heavier duty, wide foil from the big box stores. Wrap tightly in foil with about 1/4 cup of beef broth.
  • Let the wrapped brisket smoke until the meat is around 202-205 degrees F internal temperature. Start probing the flat of the brisket. That's the thin part. If it isn't probing tender like butter, let it keep going. Lower grade beef tends to take a couple extra degrees.
  • When the flat is probing tender, remove the brisket from the smoker. Keep the brisket in the foil, and let it rest for 30 mins to an hour. Remove from the foil and slice AGAINST THE GRAIN. The grain changes directions when you get from the flat to the point, so make sure you change your slicing direction to keep cutting against the grain. Enjoy!