Brisket Made Easy - You're going to love this!
Smoked Beef Brisket
Any good brisket starts with a good rub.
Ingredients
1/3 cup course grind black pepper
1/3 cup kosher/coarse salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon (optional)
Next up is a brisket (Black Angus preferred). 11-12 lbs before trimming.
Trim fat cap to 1/2 inch then apply rub liberally and allow to rest overnight in the refrigerator covered up.
Remove from refrigerator approx. 1 hour before smoking to allow to come closer to room temperature.
Cook time (including rest) will be approx. 1 hour per pound. The last 2 hours are resting, so if it's an 11 lb. brisket, 9 hours of cooking and 2 hours of resting. 12 lb. would be 10 hours of cooking and 2 hours of resting. [Internal temperature measured at the thickest portion will determine absolute cook time completion]
IN A SMOKER:
Preheat smoker to 250 degrees and fill smoker box with chosen wood (I use Apple and Hickory)
Place brisket on middle rack with meat probe/thermometer inserted in thickest section.
Monitor temp until reaches the "stall" around 160-170 degrees. This is normally about halfway through cook time.
Wrap brisket in long sheet of aluminum foil to help pass the stall and reach fully cooked temperature (200 degrees).
Once fully cooked, resting for 2 hours is nearly as important as the cooking. Turn off smoker and allow to rest in there as the temperature comes down; remove from smoker and place in an empty cooler (not too large as to allow cooling to fast - and NO ICE - this needs to be a warm environment); or place in a 150 degree oven to maintain slow temperature reduction during rest. DO NOT PUT ON THE COUNTER. This will rush the rest and you will not have a buttery tender brisket.
IN AN OVEN:
Soak wood chips in water for at least an hour before use.
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Drain chips and place in bottom of roasting pan.
Place tray across roasting pan to allow about an inch to an inch and half of air space between the chips and the meat.
Create a loose foil tent over the meat, sealing the sides of the roasting pan to keep the wood flavor tight to the meat.
Cook for 3 hours without opening the oven. The initial cook temp is critical.
Remove wood chips and foil (reserve foil for crutch way wrap of meat) and return brisket to the oven on the roasting pan tray.
Monitor temp until reaches the "stall" around 160-170 degrees. This is normally about halfway through cook time.
Wrap brisket in long sheet of aluminum foil to help pass the stall and reach fully cooked temperature (200 degrees).
Once fully cooked, resting for 2 hours is nearly as important as the cooking. Turn off oven and allow to rest in there as the temperature comes down; remove from oven and place in an empty cooler (not too large as to allow cooling to fast - and NO ICE - this needs to be a warm environment); or place in a 150 degree oven to maintain slow temperature reduction during rest. DO NOT PUT ON THE COUNTER. This will rush the rest and you will not have a buttery tender brisket.
ON THE GRILL:
Soak wood chips in water for at least an hour before use.
Use a smoker box or wrap wood chips in foil tightly and poke a few holes in to allow smoke to escape.
*On a gas grill, place on lower section below grates (above burners) to allow heat to directly engage smoke.
On a charcoal grill, use wood chunks (not chips) and set in with charcoal in an offset *position.
Heat grill to 250 degrees and place meat offset for indirect heat - no active flame under the meat is crucial. Air flow in the grill will bring the heat and smoke to the meat.
The grill method will take more active involvement in ensuring temperature. Once a solid smoke level has been achieved (approx 3 hours), you can move the brisket to the oven on a roasting pan to achieve internal temperature of 160-170 degrees, known as the stall. This is normally about halfway through the total cook time. Grill temp fluctuations may delay this by several minutes to an an hour.
Once stall temp is achieved, wrap brisket in long sheet of aluminum foil to help pass the stall and reach fully cooked temperature (200 degrees).
Once fully cooked, resting for 2 hours is nearly as important as the cooking. Turn off oven and allow to rest in there as the temperature comes down; remove from oven and place in an empty cooler (not too large as to allow cooling to fast - and NO ICE - this needs to be a warm environment); or place in a 150 degree oven to maintain slow temperature reduction during rest. DO NOT PUT ON THE COUNTER. This will rush the rest and you will not have a buttery tender brisket.
Don't forget the sauce! Just go back to our Grilling Tips and Tricks post and make that beautiful red wine BBQ sauce. It's worth the effort I promise you.
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