Depending on your grill it's hard to say. I'd use Google because you're going to get 100 answers and this is your first time doing it. I'd be basic until you have a couple times
I agree with the posters who mention ask 100 people get 100 responses. I think a single brisket is pretty easy of course seeing dozens on offset smokers at large BBQ joints come out great is impressive but here is a fail proof play by play to make it perfect every time. First off if you have an electric smoker that will keep heat steady around 225 then that already helps not screw things up. Make sure you always keep the drip pan full I use beer for flavor but any liquid helps to prevent anything from drying out. As far as the Brisket a 12-15lb Brisket you will trim 2 to 3lbs off of that so the end result will be 10-12lbs (watch a video online to help proper trimming) DO NOT BE CHEAP GET A PRIME BRISKET Use a yellow mustard binder after trimming then whatever rub (salt and pepper or one of many blends) Killen's Brisket Rub you can buy at HEB is great! Try to let this marinade as long as you can at least 12 hours but closer to 24 is better Make sure prior to smoking you get the Brisket to room temp then put it in and make sure at minimum you are feeding it wood chips and creating a ton of smoke the first few hours As far as wood chips go Post Oak is traditional I like adding Pecan and Cherry to the Post Oak I understand the desire to open the smoker but try not to of course you will need to check the drip pan to add more beer as it evaporates but less is more. You should have a couple of meat thermometers (one on the point and one in the flat) in the Brisket to keep track but estimate about an hour and a half per pound plus 3 hours of resting after. So everything I just told you is the easy part here is the money instructions When you hit the "stall" DO NOT WRAP!!! I am sure you see hipsters like Aaron Franklin doing it on TV but they are doing 100 a day you are doing 1! Trust me keep that pan full of beer or whatever liquid and stay strong it will push through. Finally you are told a Brisket is done at 203 degrees and that is correct but NEVER wait till 203 to pull it off! 193-195 is when you need to take the Brisket off and wrap it in Butcher paper not foil then put a towel around it then put it inside a cooler and let it sit 3 to 4 hours This will allow it to get to 203 and tenderize and the flat will have flavor not just the point. You will look like a BBQ God and win friends and influence people...
I've done brisket in a pressure cooker. I finish it in the oven to crisp up the outside with bbq sauce applied. If I want smoke, then I'll apply liquid smoke. lol
After adding that special Jamaican herb ... Do you bake it? No, no, no no. Do you fry it? No, no, no no. Do you smoke it? Yah, yah, yah yah.
Barbarian!!! (Actually, I used to do some "quick" ribs this way in an Instant Pot with the ribs resting on a trivet - never did brisket, though)
I personally use yellow mustard as a binder. SPG for seasoning, Position fat cap and point towards the heat source. 225-250 until stall and don’t wrap until bark is set. Once bark is set, wrap or foil boat it. Pull once probe tender. Let it rest.
so I picked up a pretty big ass brisket. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I’ve fallen into the lazy habit of sous vide and then finishing my smoking it. I just got a brand new smoker and so I think I’m gonna do this one old school. I know I can Google this stuff, but I figured to just come here and ask a couple of y’all…. I know the way I generally do it, but I’d love any tips that I am missing. much of the time I am buying the brisket already trimmed or smaller. 1. how much fat do you actually take off of the fat layer? I guess I seem to remember trying to leave it at like a quarter inch give or take? other than that, I’m just kind of trimming the sides, a little bit as far as skin or fatty little scrappy pieces. 2. how important is it to separate the point from the flank? I know that it allows you to get that more dense layer of the fat out but can I just smoke it as one giant piece? 3. are you putting salt on the day before you smoke it? 4. I’m planning on doing a drip pan underneath, how far underneath the brisket should that be in your opinion? I don’t remember the nature of the argument, but I remember that my father and his best friend argued about this quite intensely one day. I just don’t want to ask my dad because he will go on a 45 minute rant about his barbecue and frankly I don’t love his brisket.
I always trim all the hard fat off regardless of depth because it messes with the cook. I leave all the softer fat. I don't separate my brisket pre-smoke, salt way before, or use a drip pan. The only things I do that I've notice some other don't is I really only pull off when it probes tender. Some people pull it off when it reaches a certain temp but I notice my temps are maybe 5deg or more higher than the typical expected pull of temps. I also, do a very long hold after I pull the brisket. I wrap it up and put it in a cooler for hours until it's ready to serve.
Don’t separate. But you do want to get that hard fat (the deckle) out of there. It doesn’t render, thus useless, and without it, you get better smoke penetration. It’s wedge shaped. I have a knife specifically for this, but it’s still easy nonetheless. The thickest part is exposed, sometimes easier to see from bottom. Cut in and around it knowing is tapers like a wedge (3d triangle) as you cut deeper. Start conservatively if you’re worried cutting too much, and then expand the area. It kinda wants to come out as one piece, so trust the process: cut around a wedge shape and pull it out. Corned Beef is a brisket, too. Good delis always cut the deckle out before slicing.
Why would anyone go through the trouble of barbecuing a chicken instead of a turkey? I've had plenty of stuff called BBQ chicken that was grilled chicken with BBQ sauce. I'm sure I've had some BBQ chicken that was actually BBQ chicken, but it has been a long time. With the chicken being small, I would not think the payoff or the need for barbecuing makes much sense given the time-intensive effort. Granted, maybe BBQ chicken is actually really good to some people, or people have plenty of room to just throw one on while doing other things. For me, the thought of actually BBQing chicken is just weird.
1. This is a great brisket trim video 2. Smoke the whole brisket, don’t separate the point and flat 3. No I normally season the brisket a few hours before I put it in the smoker. I’m sure you can season it 24 hours before but it’s such an huge cut of meat I don’t think that matters as the seasoning is mostly just the bark. Hence why you should get a prime cut if you can… 4. I don’t know, depends on the type of smoker but have never heard of drip pan distance debates. Just using one or foil somewhere to keep your smoker cleaner 5. (Unsolicited). Take some of the fat you trim and put it in a foil pan and smoke it with the brisket. When (if) you wrap in butcher paper, pour some(not a lot) of the melted tallow onto the paper for a little different flavor. I do this sometimes and it changes the flavor profile a little bit.
My method: -trim it to create a shape that doesn’t have dried chewy bits, and slices nice. -always put trimming in a foil pan, and create tallow/fat butter out of it to use later -season with whatever you want by I like mostly salt and pepper based rubs like Holy Cow Meat Church rub -important to let the brisket sweat a bit before putting on smoker so it binds. No need to use a binder imo, but use it if you don’t have time to let it sweat for a bit. -put on smoker for about 6 to 10 hours at 200-220. -spray on occasion with water and apple cider vinegar -After 6 hours you are looking to wrap it once the bark has set good. Most times I don’t wrap till 10-11 hours in. If it hits the temp 165 too early you probably have a grill that’s too hot. -wrap it in butcher paper with some tallow added -put it back on and at this point you want to put a probe in and pull it once you get to 205 internal temp, but main thing you are trying to get to is probe tender. Usually for me this is another 6-8 hours after wrapping -once you pull it, do NOT put it in a cooler to rest just yet. Leave it on the counter to cool for about 30-45 min. Then rest it at least another hour in a cooler or oven if you have a warm setting that isn’t too hot. -Good bbq joints have warmers that allow for temps around 100-150 degrees and they’ll rest briskets for 10+ hours. But for your sake, at least 1 hour, but ideally 2 to 3 hours. -slice and enjoy also- for what you dont slice for leftovers: -Vac seal it and freeze -when you want to reheat it THEN sous vide it at a lower heat for about 2-3 hours -should be solid reheated that way -I find it WILD that people cook their brisket sous vide first and then put on smoker.
Also: -Go with Prime over Choice if you can, but it’s not that big of a deal if prices are outrageous. -I have friends who spend a fortune on Wagyu just to impress and I can’t tell the difference. -you are getting it tender by slow cooking, using its own fat to render and add moisture, wrapping to braise, and your seasoning is providing flavor. The marbling of the fat or whatever you are paying for is pointless. It’s just brisket. Don’t spend your kids college fund just to impress. Just have patience and follow the method and you’ll be fine.
For those in Houston, Texas Star Grill Shop (a bbq supply store) has a refrigerator of Prime Angus @$6 and Wagyu $7-9/lb…at least when I was last there 3yrs ago. The Shepherd/59 location for sure, maybe all of them. Go on Tuesdays though, when new shipment arrives. They sell out. also consider, these are always well-trimmed by the butcher, ie you aren’t paying for a lot of fat that you trim off. The “Prime” at HEB is hit and miss. No guarantee what breed it is. Costco, etc even worse (e.g. you’re paying for bad butcher trimming, extra fat). When you don’t know the breed, choose Choice Angus over “unknown prime”, imso. You can usually always get Angus at Krogers, with several briskets to choose from — (Kroger’s has an exclusive with 34-Prime, Nolan Ryan’s angus business).. And you can ask them when their next Prime Angus shipment is due. Become friends with the butcher! bottomline tip: breed matters more than grade. a packers-cut brisket will easily last a month in frig. Buy when available, not when needed.
