Texas-Style Smoked Brisket

Tags: #meat #barbecue #texas Serving: 12 servings Total time: 12–16 hours

Central Texas classic with a simple salt-and-pepper rub, post oak smoke, and a proper long rest for tender, juicy slices.

Ingredients

• 5000 g whole packer beef brisket, untrimmed
• 100 g kosher salt
• 70 g coarse black pepper
• 300 ml water (for spritzing)
• 1000 g post oak wood chunks or splits

Steps

1. Refrigerate the brisket for 30 minutes to firm for trimming.
2. Trim the external fat cap to 6–8 mm thickness.
3. Remove the hard deckle fat from the underside.
4. Square thin or ragged edges of the brisket.
5. Pat the brisket dry with paper towels.
6. Mix the salt and black pepper in a bowl.
7. Season the fat-cap side evenly with the rub.
8. Flip the brisket.
9. Season the meat side evenly with the rub.
10. Rest the seasoned brisket at room temperature for 30 minutes.
11. Preheat the smoker to 120°C with indirect heat.
12. Add the post oak wood to the smoker.
13. Place the brisket on the smoker grate with the fat cap facing the heat source.
14. Insert a temperature probe into the thickest part of the flat.
15. Smoke the brisket until the internal temperature reaches 70–75°C.
16. Spritz the surface lightly with water every 45 minutes after the first 3 hours.
17. Wrap the brisket tightly in unwaxed pink butcher paper when the bark is set.
18. Return the wrapped brisket to the smoker.
19. Cook the brisket until the internal temperature reaches 93–98°C.
20. Probe the flat and point for tenderness with a thermometer or skewer.
21. Remove the brisket from the smoker when the probe slides in with little resistance.
22. Loosen the wrap to vent steam for 5 minutes.
23. Rewrap the brisket tightly.
24. Wrap the brisket in a clean towel.
25. Rest the brisket in an insulated cooler for 1–2 hours.
26. Unwrap the brisket and place it on a cutting board.
27. Separate the point from the flat along the natural seam.
28. Slice the flat across the grain into 6–8 mm slices.
29. Slice the point across the grain into 10–12 mm slices.
30. Serve the slices with any collected juices.

Notes