Texas BBQ Style Smoked Beef Brisket

Some Steps To Mastering the Top Cut of the BBQ Food Chain

One of my favourite things to cook is also my arch nemesis. Simplicity is key with this cut of meat, but cooking it can be intimidating. This isn't like a pork shoulder, which is very friendly to temperature spikes. Successfully smoking a beef brisket is like beating the boss at the end of a video game. It may take you a few to perfect it, but the journey is always going to be delicious. It's an unforgiving cut of meat. To slay this dragon, two major components are key; Temperature and patience.

What Makes A Good Brisket?

Let's talk about the actual cut first. Most people buy one that is vacuum sealed and ready to be trimmed and cooked. My preference is going to an actual butcher (VG Meats in Hamilton, Ontario is my go-to) and getting a freshly aged one. I just find a real difference in how your bark develops throughout the cook when you get one out of the cooler, rather than the one in the cryovac. Both are good. One is just better.

This Thing Needs TLC Before Hitting The Smoke

Next important step is bringing it home and trimming it. You want fat in this thing, but the right amount and type. There is a really hard piece between the point and the flat called the deckle that won't render even if you smoke it for 18 hours. Trim it out as best you can. The soft, oily outer layers of fat are up for debate. I like mine trimmed evenly to about 1/4 inch, but some like to keep it whole. Your call, I guess.

The rub! So simple. Texas style brisket is rubbed with equal parts of coarse black pepper and rock (or kosher) salt! That's it! All the other stuff negates the term Texas Style. The only thing I’ll allow in my mix is some dried mince garlic. Dry MINCE. Not powder, not lazy chopped "fresh" garlic. It has to be the dehydrated chopped up little nuggets. They rehydrate as the meat heats up and lets go of it’s liquid gold purge (gross word, great thing) and reconstitutes perfectly. Try not to get too much rub in the flaps and cuts of the brisket or it will create flavour pockets and clumps.

The Cooking Venue

The cook! Get your smoker at a nice consistent 225° to 250° spitting out a thin blue smoke. I use nicely cured oak, pecan or cherry just because it burns long and consistent and doesn't mess your flavour up. Don't trust your grill/smoker lid thermometer as heat rises. You may be 25° to 50° different from grate to thermometer. Invest in a thermometer you can place at grate level. Once you see the consistent temperature difference after a few cooks, you can use the unit's thermo and just do the math. Place the point side towards the firebox and say goodbye because if you're lookin', you ain't cookin'. Spritz it lightly once every hour or two with beef stock mixed with a little vinegar. Fat side up, fat side down? That's like asking liberal or conservative. It's your choice. Don't let people try and fool you on this one. It really makes no difference.

It "Stopped cooking" around 160⁰. Is it Done? You're in the stall. Be patient!

The stall! To wrap or not to wrap, that is the question. Don't get discouraged. Your brisket will stall at around the 160-170⁰ mark. It's science! The slow, consistent heat is doing it's job of breaking down proteins, creating liquid. It's reached a point in the cook where it's pushing out moisture from all that rendered liquid gold (fat, collagen and connective tissue) inside. It can take a while, so relax. The other option is to wrap it. Also known as the Texas Crutch. Use peach butcher paper or aluminum foil. (Don't use waxed paper!) It'll trap that liquid gold and get you through the stall a little quicker. I like to use peach butcher's paper.

When is it Done?

Once you're out of the stall, you're looking to hit 203°. That's my magic number. Take it off the heat and let her rest. I like to give mine at least an hour. You can rest it even longer wrapped in a towel, placed in a cooler works well and the longer the rest, the better the taste. The juices come back home and pour out, somewhat impressively when you slice it open.

Speaking of slicing. Pencil thick cuts against the grain. The grain runs perpendicular where the flat meets the point. They just look cool and pile nicely on a bun!

Happy brisketing!