My First Beef Brisket

Would I get it right, or would it be an expensive learning experience?

So we bought a pellet smoker, and I have really enjoyed using it this summer. For whatever reason, we started with a brisket on our very first cook, even after I read numerous articles declaring it was the most difficult thing to get right. Pictured above is my very first attempt! It turned out so much better than I had ever anticipated.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I hear all of the folks out there who swear by a 'real' offset or barrel smoker, and I have to admit that the pellet smoker made it easy. Set it and forget it! All I had to do was get the prep right, and it practically cooked itself. Okay, wait a minute! There was actually a lot more to it.

There are many articles out there, and everyone had a different opinion. I studied all of the various methods, and found it rather intimidating. Ultimately, I found some themes that seemed to carry over from one recipe to the next, and realized I was just going to have to take a stab at it with what I believed to be the best advice, and hope it all turned out alright.

I am here to tell you, I was thrilled with the end result of my first attempt, and haven't changed a thing with the subsequent smokes. It had a great smoke ring, it was perfectly tender and had great flavor, and the fat had rendered away as if a professional had trimmed it. My only critique was the lack of that bark that everyone (including myself) covets.

I can't really take all of the credit, because there were a lot of good teachers out there. I watched a LOT of videos, and read a LOT of articles. What I can take credit for was figuring out what really made sense, and following my gut. I am going to share the various methods, tips and tricks I landed on, and what I believe to be the perfect rub.

With regard to prepping the brisket before the cook, videos are the best way to learn how to trim, so I would recommend watching a few. I chose to go with a salt brine the night before, and put a rub on the next morning with no salt. Also, be sure to allow the brisket to sit out with the rub for at least an hour before putting on the smoker. And last but not least, use good quality, whole spices and grind fresh whenever possible. You will notice a difference!

I have included in my instructions what is called the 'Texas Crutch', which is simply wrapping the brisket when it gets to 150 degrees to prevent it from stalling out. It doesn't have a huge impact on the bark, and really makes the cook go faster.

My First Beef Brisket

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons dark chili powder

• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, ground

• 1 tablespoon celery seed, ground

• 1 tablespoon garlic powder

• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds, ground

• 1 tablespoon dried oregano, rubbed

• 1 tablespoon smoked Spanish paprika

• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns, ground

• 10-12 pound brisket, before trim

• 1 cup apple juice

• 1 cup water

Directions

1. The night before smoking, trim your brisket, removing all fat from the meat side, and trimming the fat side on the bottom down to ¼ inch thick.

2. Liberally apply kosher salt all over the brisket, and wrap in plastic wrap. Place on a sheet tray in the fridge overnight.

1. The next morning, we usually start the smoker at 6 AM and set to 225 degrees, and let it heat up while we prep the brisket. This usually puts dinner at around 7 PM.

2. Remove the plastic wrap from the brisket, and apply the rub liberally.

3. Place on the center of a rack where heat will be distributed most evenly in your smoker.

4. Monitor the temperature in the cabinet, keeping it at around 225 degrees, and spray the brisket every hour with a spray bottle of equal parts water and apple juice.

5. After about 4 hours, insert a probe into the fat between the flat and the point, deep into the center of the brisket and start monitoring.

6. When the temperature reaches approximately 150 degrees, pull the brisket and wrap loosely in a foil tent, leaving the temperature probe in place. Place back in the smoker.

7. After the brisket reaches an internal temperature of 195 degrees, start monitoring closely and checking for doneness using the temperature probe.

8. Pull the brisket when the temperature probe can be inserted very easily, like butter, usually around 200 degrees, but do not allow to go past 205 degrees.

9. Leave the brisket in the foil tent, and wrap in towels and place in a cooler for at least one hour to rest.

I like to serve with pickled red onions, candied jalapenos and my family's favorite BBQ sauce - all will be featured here on this blog. Please leave comments if you use the rub recipe. I want to hear how yours turns out!