If you’re new to smoking meat or even have a bit of experience, the one cut that seems to intimidate people is the beef brisket. It makes some sense, as it can be an expensive cut of meat, and when you add in the time commitment and stories of how difficult it can be to smoke… well I don’t blame anyone who decides to stick with smoking ribs or pork shoulder.
However, getting great results when smoking a brisket isn’t all that challenging, as long as you follow some well-established steps and learn what to expect. So, this is my quick primer to getting a fantastic brisket out of your smoker. First, I’ll touch on the ingredients and material you will need and then I’ll walk through the process.
The Smoker
You can get great results with your smoked brisket in just about any type of smoker. Whether you have an electric woodchip smoker, an automatic pellet-fed smoker, or something old school requiring a supply of firewood, it will all work. It will definitely help if you have a good working knowledge of your smoker. One key to smoking a brisket is temperature control. One some smokers this is as simple as setting a temperature gauge, but on others, there is more of a learning curve on how to acquire and maintain proper temperature. I wouldn’t necessarily use brisket as your first experiment with a new smoker, but at the same time, if that’s what you want to do - go for it!
The Meat
There are people who write entire articles on how to select the right brisket, so I’m not going to cover everything here. But, I can provide a few key tips. All of my experience has been with briskets ranging from 9-12 pounds This is important to note because I have a few friends who have tried to smoke smaller 2-3 pound briskets and their results have been wildly different. So, I highly recommend going with a larger cut. If you’re cooking for a group, going with ½ pound per person is a decent starting point. But, remember that you can always freeze the leftovers, so don’t be shy about the poundage! Include both the point and the flat in your brisket. The best way to get the right size and cut is to find a good local butcher shop. Your local grocery store may be sufficient, but I happen to have a great butcher shop nearby that has become my go-to for any type of quality meat for the smoker. Remember that it all starts with the meat itself, so if you want the best results, you should go the extra mile and get a great cut of meat.
The Rub
Once again, opinions on the best rub for your brisket could fill a book and lead to many arguments. So, I won’t promise any single rub recipe or pre-made option is the best for you. Everyone’s tastes are different. However, if you don’t already have a favorite type of rub or recipe of your own, I highly recommend either the Salt Lick Dry Rub (Original or Garlic) or one of the amazing offerings from The Meat Church. You can find these and many more options on Amazon (no affiliate links here).
Other Items
- Large cutting board - For trimming your brisket during preparation.
- Meat thermometer - To monitor the internal temperature. This is 100% a must. If your smoker has a built-in thermometer you are all set. If not, get a good one that you can either leave in and monitor or insert easily on the fly.
- Butcher paper or foil - Not everyone agrees with this method, but honestly, you can’t argue with the results, so trust me. If you can’t find butcher paper, foil works fantastically.
- Chef’s knife - You want a large, sharp knife for slicing and serving and possibly a slightly smaller one for trimming.
The Process
Now the fun part. Let’s get that brisket ready to smoke and eat!
Trimming
When you bring your brisket home from the butcher it should have a large fat cap on one side and some internal fat as well. Not every pitmaster trims their brisket and you don’t have to do anything. However, I find that giving it a trim (not a crewcut) can help your results. This is largely by feel, but you can remove big sections of fat, but remember that you want some fat left behind to keep the brisket juicy. This step should happen about 24 hours before you are ready to put it in the smoker.
Time for the Rub
After trimming, apply a very liberal coating of your selected rub. And I do mean liberal. Personally, I like to get a nice coating on the entire brisket, top, bottom, and sides. Once this is done, put it on a big tray and put it in your fridge until it’s time to cook.
Heat up the Smoker and Start Cooking!
I look to get the smoker up to 225 degrees for the 9-12 pound brisket. I have preheated the smoker and also put the brisket in a cold smoker and then fired it up and both have worked flawlessly. But, typically I preheat my smoker and wait for it to reach 225 before putting in the brisket. Once it’s time, put your brisket in the smoker. There are a lot of arguments about whether the fat cap should be up or down with good reasoning and great results for both. I tend to put the fat cap on top, but honestly, I don’t think it matters. Once you pop it in, settle in for the next 8 hours or so. Keep your smoker nice and smoky and just keep an eye on the meat thermometer. You want to see the brisket reach 165 degrees for the next step.
The Stall
As your meat thermometer shows the temp slowly but steadily rising, a funny thing is going to happen. At some point around 145 to 165 degrees, the temperature is going to simply stop going up. It might even go down. If you aren’t prepared, this is going to be frustrating and a bit baffling. How can the temperature go down? Well, there will come a time where the liquid fat on the surface of the brisket is evaporating at a rate that begins to cool the meat. Similarly, the internal fat is breaking down and creating that amazing juicy goodness you want. But, this process plays havoc with the internal temperature. This is called the Stall, and every pitmaster who smokes brisket knows all about it. So, don’t get overly frustrated as this is entirely normal.
The Texas Crutch
Once you get past the stall and hit 165, it’s time for phase 2. This is where we take the brisket out of the smoker and wrap it in butcher paper or foil. This is often called the Texas Crutch. Some pitmasters think this is cheating. Personally, I don’t care. The results speak for themselves. Pop the wrapped brisket back in the smoker and continue smoking until your internal meat temp reaches just over 200 degrees. This can take anywhere from 5-8 hours. I know, that’s a wide range of time. Welcome to smoking brisket. Basically, you should expect cook times from 12-18 hours for a brisket of this size. It’s a commitment, but worth it.
Take a Rest
Do not skip this step! Once you hit your internal temperature over 200, do not take it out and cut it up. Please, just trust me. Take it out and wrap it in a towel (preferably one you don’t mind tossing out) and put it somewhere temperature controlled, like a cooler (but with no ice). Leave it in there for an hour. At this time all those amazing juices get to redistribute within the meat and the meat itself relaxes, making it more tender.
Time to Eat!
Now you can take it out, pop it on a cutting board and carve up some amazing slides of brisket or burnt ends. Add sauce if that’s your jam, or just eat it as is. You can’t go wrong with either choice.
Good luck on your next smoking adventure!
