Everybody who knows Texas BBQ, knows that one of the most sought after and arguably one of the hardest things to smoke is the brisket. Well not anymore, because we're going to help you make one of the most flavorful and juiciest briskets you've ever made!
To get things started first of all, you're going to want to make sure to trim the brisket. This is the first area where most people mess up on. Some people take off too much fat, and some people don't take off enough fat. What happens when you take off too much fat is the meat can dry out very quickly during the smoke, and if you leave too much fat your fat won't render down enough and this can give you really chewy pieces of brisket. Also make sure you don't have any sharp edges or they will burn quickly during the smoke. You want the brisket to be as uniform and rounded as possible to make sure you get a nice, and even smoke and cook. Also you want your smoke ring to be a deep pink, but never purple. Purple smoke ring means you've overcooked that brisket. Here is a picture of what you want your brisket to look like, once it's been trimmed.....
Now once the brisket has been trimmed, the fat has been properly taken care of and the brisket is a nice uniform shape, you're going to want to season the brisket! For this recipe we're going to use our SPG rub, which is our take on a Texas classic BBQ rub. Our SPG rub is exactly what it sounds like with Salt, Pepper, Garlic, and a little love from some other ingredients. You're going to want to use mustard as a binder. You're going to do the fat cap first, and then the top side of the brisket. Lather the mustard on the fat cap, and liberally put the SPG rub on top of that mustard. Make sure you're being liberal with the rub, as brisket is a very large piece of meat and you really can't over season it. After letting the rub sweat for about 15 minutes flip the brisket over and repeat this process for the top, as well as the sides. Let the brisket sweat until your smoker hits the temperature for a low and slow smoking.
Once your smoker hits 225 degrees, it's time to throw your brisket on until it hits an internal temperature of around 175 degrees, this is also typically when the bark is officially set in, and won't fall off of the brisket. SMOKE YOUR BRISKET FAT SIDE DOWN. This process can take anywhere from 6-8 hours depending on the size of the brisket and the heat of the smoker. However it definitely can take longer. I have had briskets take 10 hours to get to this point, and I've also had briskets take 4 hours to get to this point. BBQ is about feel and look, not cooking times. Get good at the feel, and look and you'll be cooking the best BBQ of your life.
Once that brisket hits an internal temperature of 165 it's time to wrap it, and wrap it tightly in some butcher paper. The brisket gets wrapped up like a present, folding edge over edge until it is fully sealed. Return the brisket to your smoker with the folded edges down and continue smoking at 225 degrees F until the internal temperature of your brisket reaches about 195 degrees internal. Most people say pull at 205, I haven't pulled a brisket at 205 in several years. 205 is overcooked in my mind. 195 is the perfect temperature to pull, and rest that brisket. Finally, once that brisket hits 195 it's time for a rest, and I mean a LONG rest. Resting your brisket for at least 2 hours, ensures that those hot juices settle down, and it allows them to be sucked back into the brisket. This also brings that brisket down to the perfect slicing and serving temperature.
The final, and one of the most important steps is SLICING THE BRISKET..... I cannot stress this one enough! Slice AGAINST the grain for maximum tenderness. There are two overlapping muscles and two different grain directions. You can split the point and flat sections and slice each individually against the grain before serving but that sometimes leaves pieces with no bark on top. Traditional Texas joints split the brisket down the middle, as close as possible where to point overlaps the flat, they then turn the point 90 degrees and slice it that way and then finish slicing the flat the opposite way. You will have some pieces where they grain isn’t perfect but if your meat is tender enough it won’t matter too much.
Ingredients
- 1 whole 14 lb packer brisket
- Yellow Mustard
- Little Lu's BBQ SPG Rub
- Butcher Paper
Instructions
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Store your brisket in the refrigerator until you are ready to start trimming. Cold briskets are much easier to work with. Flip your brisket over so the point end is underneath. Remove any silver skin or excess fat from the flat muscle. Trim down the large crescent moon shaped fat section until it is a smooth transition between the point and the flat. Trim and excessive or loose meat and fat from the point. DO NOT TAKE OFF TOO MUCH FAT. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT STEP.
- Slather the mustard on the brisket, and rub it on the top, the fat side, and the sides.
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Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees F using indirect heat and hardwood smoke. Post Oak or Cherry will work best for Brisket flavoring with Salt, Pepper and Garlic based rubs. Place the brisket on the smoker with the point end facing your main heat source. This is a thicker part of the brisket and it can handle the additional heat. Close the lid and smoke until and internal thermometer reads 165 degrees F (usually takes around 8 hours).
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On a large work surface, roll out a big piece of butcher paper (or foil) and center your brisket in the middle. Wrap the brisket by folding edge over edge, creating a leak proof seal all the way around. Return the wrapped brisket to the smoker, seam side down so the weight from the brisket crimps the edges of the paper wrap down tight.
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Close the lid on the smoker and, maintaining 225 degrees F, continue cooking until the internal temperature of the brisket reaches 195, *205 IS OVERCOOKED* degrees F in the thickest part of the meat (takes anywhere from 5-8 hours).
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Remove the brisket to a large cutting board and allow to rest for at least 2 hours before slicing. Slice both the point and the flat against the grain with a sharp knife and serve immediately.