# Smoked Brisket



## Chuck Smith (Feb 22, 2005)

I got this easy to follow recipe from Smoking Meats website. It is easy and turns out great! Give it a try for sunday football!

To start with, pick out the most tender brisket you can find. If the brisket is just wrapped in plastic, you can check the flexibility of the brisket by bending it. "The easiest bender is the most tender".. you could almost make a rap out of that phrase but I digress..

Do NOT get rid of all the fat.. that's were a lot of the flavor is. I know some folks trim all the fat and if you get great results that way then go for it but if you are still learning to cook briskets, leave the fat cap on entirely.

Score the fat cap.. make cross cuts into the fat cap along the length and width of the brisket and then diagonally. Only make the cuts through the fat down to the meat. This will allow the rub and/or marinade to get to the meat a little better. This will also allow the smoke to get to the meat better without sacrificing the flavor, juiciness and protection that the fat cap offers the brisket.

Add a rub to the brisket.. did I mention adding a rub? If you don't do anything else, add a rub mixture to the brisket, one that you like. I use my Jeff's naked rib rub and I think you should to but the main purpose is to add something that will compliment the natural flavor of the brisket. It's a thick piece of meat, you are not going to cover up the flavor of the meat so don't be scared to be generous with the rub.

To make it stick better, rub some regular yellow mustard all over the brisket then pour on some rub and massage it into the brisket. Show it a little love and it will love you back later by becoming really tasty and juicy during it's time in the smoker.

Some folks inject marinade into their briskets.. I don't generally do this myself but I do know that many competitions are won using this method. I say that very lightly since what is served at competitions is now always what I would fix for my family at home. I won't get into that but you can catch my drift. Competition and home cooked goodness may be two entirely different things. Just want to let you know that injecting is certainly an option if you care to do that. What you inject is up to you, equal parts of Worcestershire, beer and melted butter is always a great flavor if you care to try it.

Otherwise, most of the store-bought injection marinades are also pretty decent and the main purpose is to add a little juiciness to the center of the meat.

I have my own tricks for making the brisket juicy that I will share in this article so don't feel like you have to inject the brisket to make it juicy.. it's just an option and I don't want to leave anything out.

Prepare the smoker for about 230 degrees. I know the trend recently has been to smoke at much higher temperatures but I am not conforming to that way of thinking personally. I think there is something almost magical about the the low and slow methods that have been practiced for decades and I just can't seem to get the same results at the higher temps.

If you can do that, then go for it. I don't judge, I just tell you how I do it.

Use a good robust wood for this cut.. it's a big piece of meat and it can handle some big smoke flavor. I almost always use mesquite, pecan,hickory or oak for large pieces of meat like this and it never lets me down. If you have a favorite fruit wood, feel free to mix it in at a ratio of 1:1 such as mesquite and cherry or pecan and oak, etc..

Here's a trick you don't want to take lightly.. if you follow my instructions, it will be the juiciest brisket you have ever eaten and/or served to your guests.

1. Place rubbed brisket in aluminum pan fat side up and place in smoker. Let it smoke for 2 hours.

2. Flip brisket to fat side down and smoke for another 2 hours.

3. At the beginning of the 5th hour, return brisket back to fat side up and cover the entire top of the pan with foil.

4. Continue to cook the brisket until the thickest part of the meat reads 200 degrees. There may come a point when the temperature comes to a standstill.. this is the famous brisket plateau and is completely normal. Just be patient and don't give in to the temptation to turn up the heat.

5. Once the meat reaches 200 degrees, carefully remove the brisket from the smoker and set it on the counter to cool for 20-30 minutes.

6. Remove brisket from pan and set on cutting board. Tent some foil over the top to keep it warm for a bit.

7. Pour the juices from the pan through a grease separator or you can just pour it into a container and place it in the freezer. The fat will solidify at the top and can then be removed.

This fat can be saved for flavoring other dishes like beans or soups or it can be discarded.

Set the juice aside.

8. Go back to the cutting board and use a long sharp knife to separate the flat from the point. There is a layer of fat that runs right through the center of the brisket.. just follow this layer all the way through the meat until the two parts of the brisket are separated.

9. Spend a little time removing any large chunks of fat and anything else that looks inedible.

10. Slice the brisket across the grain in 1/2 to 3/4 inch slices. Cooking the brisket this way should yield a very tender brisket so you will probably need to slice it fairly thick to keep it from falling apart on you.

Note: watch the grain on these briskets as it changes directions several times.

11. Lay the pieces overlapping in a serving dish in the same order they were sliced for aesthetics.

12. Reheat the juice that we set aside earlier in the microwave.. just enough to get it nice and warm.

13. Pour some of the juice over the brisket and call everyone to come and try it.

14. You will be lucky if you get a piece at this point so you might want to grab yourself a couple of slices and set them aside before everyone comes running.

15. Enjoy the moment!

Here is a rub I like as well:

Memphis Shake:
1/4 cup sweet paprika 
3 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar 
2 tablespoons dried oregano 
2 tablespoons granulated garlic 
1 tablespoon ancho chili powder 
2 teaspoons kosher salt 
1 teaspoon celery salt
Whisk paprika, brown sugar, oregano, garlic, ancho powder, salt, and celery salt in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 2 months.

Makes about 3/4 cup

Shopsmart: Ancho powder is simply finely ground dried ancho chiles. Anchos are the sweetest of the dried chiles and are not terribly hot, so don't be put off by the amount used in this recipe.

Good luck...and I think I might have to do a brisket this weekend!


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## CMURPHY (Aug 9, 2007)

That sounds amazing!

I am thinking about doing some goose breast this weekend and may try your rub recipie.


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