The Perfect Smoked Brisket – How To, Tips & Recipe

It doesn’t matter from where you get the idea; the fact is there are times when you want to know everything about a smoked brisket and how it can be perfected. If you know a perfect smoked brisket recipe, it will help your generations to come, not to mention you. Brisket is not something for an amateur cook; it demands perfection in each and every detail. The smoky goodness of it comes with time so you can’t just rush to the cooking. The time is what needed for the smoky tenderness of brisket. Eventually, for the perfect smoked brisket you’ll be needing salt, pepper, smoke and most importantly; time.

What’s a Brisket?

I know you are familiar with it, but still it’s worth here, a brisket is from cow which is made of two distinct muscles i.e. point and flat. This meat is different from rest as it is the part which has been used a lot by cow containing many marble layers on it. So, to have the flavor, you have to cook it low and slow.

Buying a Brisket

You need to buy the full packer (point and flat). If you buy only one, you will end up with only half a story so both cuts of muscle are necessary. Keep in mind that you will trim a large amount of fat so buy the brisket considering this. If you buy a 10 pounds brisket, it will be 8 pounds after fat trimming and 6 pounds after cooking.

When I buy a brisket at a store, I must check the tenderness of it by lifting and bending it. The brisket that I prefer is tender and pliable. It always translated that tenderness of it when the brisket is cooked. So, I will recommend you if you are buying at a grocery store, the brisket must be tender and pliable.

Which is the Best Beef for Brisket?

If you want to have the perfect smoked brisket, you must not compromise on the quality of beef. Most importantly, you must consider the fat and marbling of it. Marbling of the brisket dictates its cooking so now you have a clear idea about why it’s important. Different kinds of meat are available, if you want a juicy tender meat morsel you need to make the best choice.

Grass Fed beef is usually amazing. But for marbling, it has perhaps less fat. The cooking process of it is usually short and so the flavor is also a bit more earth I should say.

USDA rated beef refers to the meat packing under the guidelines of USDA inspector to ensure marbling quality. The increased marbling is responsible for juicy slices of meat at the end.

American Kobe is the one known for its amazing marbling. It is highly recommended if you are going for a splurge. It is the best meat for smoking brisket in electric smoker.

Smoked Brisket

Many of you would have eaten rather than heard it; you know smoking a brisket can be expensive when you are doing it for the first time.

How to Smoke a Brisket in an Electric Smoker ? Step by Step Guide

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We all know it can be tricky and difficult to smoke a brisket for the first time. Many amateur just start smoking it and end up having left a big chunk of beef. I know it can be tricky, but trust me; you will not be having a horror episode once you go through this step by step guide. When you will get there after spending an amount of time, you’ll feel like this is the biggest accomplishment of you.

I have kept the things simple enough for you. Just follow these 6 Steps and you’ll be more then fine.

6 Easy Steps to Take for a Perfect Brisket

1. Pick and Trim the Brisket.
2. Put on the Rub
3. Set the Smoker on Fire
4. Smoke the Brisket
5. Wrap the Smoked Brisket
6. Slice the Brisket as Desired

1. Pick and Trim the Brisket

The brisket is usually a hard meat slice. This means smoking will be long but amazing. It is already explained when chunk of meat is better to select. The reason is all the meat parts can be cooked at the same rate.

Make sure to trim it in the right way not removing every bit of fat on it. Trimming can be a tricky part so what you should do is to follow these little steps.

• A good knife preferably narrow curved is good for trimming brisket.
• Don’t remove all the fat; just 1/4^th will be fine.
• For easy trimming do it right after taking out of freezer.
• Thinner bits should be removed as they get cooked fast.
• Arrange the meat perfectly on the cooking surface so that it can get the desired heat.

2. Put on the Rub

Different kind of rubs are available but for beginners it is better to use the Texas style one. To be on the safe side, just use salt and pepper. Complicated rubs can ruin your business especially when you are an amateur.

I always prefer to keep the brisket at room temperature before starting the process. You can do whatever you like in this regard.

Now, How to Put on the Rub:

• Apply the Texas Rub in equal parts with salt and pepper.
• Use a good shaker for the best coating results.
• Don’t put on too much rub. It will hide the meat flavor.

3. Set the Smoker on Fire

Setting the smoker perfectly is an art. If you fail, forget about the smoker ring. Get the smoker temperature between 220 – 250 F.

Remember, each brisket is different. The time for cooking a brisket of 1lb is normally an hour, but it can’t be certain.

The important thing here is to place the brisket on the apparatus. What you should do is:

• Place the brisket with fat side up.
• If the heat is coming from below, place the fat side down.
• The fattier point of brisket should be put close to fire.
• The smoke stack should be near to the flat end of brisket.
• Make sure to keep a level of moisture in the cooking chamber. A water pan will prove helpful.

4. Smoke the Brisket

This is perhaps the most time consuming but the easiest step in this whole process. You can do nothing most of the time and still be safe. Do keep in mind that avoids dirty fire in order to have the perfect taste. Always use dry wood in this process.

You can do certain things while cooking the brisket. Here are some things which you can do….

• Always watch the fire and keep the temperature steady.
• Make sure you get clean heat from smoker instead of dirty smoke.
• Keep the lid of the smoker closed. Don’t check the apparatus too often.
• If there appears dryness then you can use apple juice or cider.

5. Wrap the Smoked Brisket

Wrap it or not, it’s entirely your choice. It is somewhat a controversial topic. If you want to wrap the brisket, you can do it after 5 hours. Otherwise, you can cook for 10 hours almost and not wrap it. Wrapping generally helps save time when your guests are anxious. Moreover, the moisture will be preserved by wrapping the brisket.

Now, for how to wrap the brisket, here are some steps that I follow….

• When the temperature of brisket gets to 175° F, the brisket releases the moisture.
• Now place the brisket carefully on a large foil sheet.
• Wrap it up carefully then again place it on smoker till the internal temperature reaches 190°F.

6. Slice the Brisket

Now, time has come to slice the smoked brisket. But first, you have to let it rest for a little bit after taking it off from cooker. Again wrap the brisket in a foil and then a blanket. Leave it for 3 hours and you’ll be fine. Remember, brisket is an even piece of meat so slicing it can take a while. Even if not perfectly sliced the first time, you still have done a good job.

Now, for how to slice the brisket, here are some tips….

• Always cut against the grain until you reaches a point. Now turn it to 90° and then cut again.
• Avoid scrapping off the bark and use a proper knife preferably a serrated one.
• The fattier part must be cut around the thickness of a big pencil while the thinner part must be cut according to a smaller pencil thickness.

Some Smoked Brisket FAQs

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1. How to Store the Leftover Brisket?

I store the leftover brisket in a refrigerator by getting it into an airtight container. The uneaten brisket should be frozen otherwise it will become uneatable in about a week.

2. How to Freeze the Leftover Brisket?

Leftover brisket can be frozen easily. You just have to vacuum pack it or pack it in a Ziploc bag without air. Remove the sauce from the brisket before freezing; it will make the smoked brisket clumped up.

3. Is wrapping of brisket necessary or not?

It’s not the question of right or wrong here. It is entirely dependent on your choice. Wrapping the brisket tends to get a greater bark and texture.

4. What are the best woods to smoke brisket?

I usually prefer post oak, apple wood and cherry tree wood. The fruit woods burn sweeter making the atmosphere quite astonishing. You can also use Pecan and Hickory wood.

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Read More: Smoked Salmon – How To, Tips & Recipe

Things to Remember

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Here are few things you must remember in order to have a great brisket experience.

1. Time is needed

Smoking a brisket is not a quick task. You need to give yourself some time for the best results. The cooking time varies from brisket to brisket. Usually, it has been said that for 1 pound brisket, 75 minutes are need to cook.

2. Setting up the Gear

Make sure that you are properly prepared for the smoking adventure and your gear is ready for it. You can use any type of electric smoker for the best results.

3. Give it Some Time

I know it is irresistible when you are done with smoked brisket; you always want to have a go at right away. But you should give it some time to relax the fibers in it. Wrap the brisket and place it in a cooler for a few hours.

Here is the Ultimate Recipe for Smoked Brisket

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Difficulty: 2.5/5

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cooking Time: 8-10 hours

Cuisine: BBQ

Ingredients:

These are the things required for a perfect smoked brisket….

• 15 Pound Packer Brisket
• 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

For the Rub, you need…

• 1/3 cup ground pepper
• 1/3 cup kosher salt
• 1/3 cup garlic powder

The Tools you need are….

• Large Tongs
• Instant Read Thermometer
• Peach Butcher Paper
• Two Zone Thermometer

Preparations:

Instructions

Follow this perfect electric smoker brisket recipe for a lovely smoked brisket…

1. First you need to trim the extra fat off the brisket. It can be done prior to a day before cooking. Take the rub ingredients and combine them in a bowl. Now carefully apply it on the brisket. Leave the brisket for some time preferably for a night.
2. On the day of cooking, preheat the smoker to 250°F using fruit woods.
3. Now, place the brisket on the smoker using large tongs. Now insert the meat probes.
4. One meat probe is for insertion in flat and the other is for monitoring the temperature in cooking chamber.
5. Note the internal temperature of brisket, when it gets to 170°F remove the brisket and place it on the wrapping paper carefully. Now, remove the meat probe and wrap the brisket tightly. Again, insert the meat probe now and place it back in the smoker.
6. Keep on cooking for several hours until the temperature of brisket becomes 190°F. When this temperature is reached, now you need your instant read thermometer. The brisket will be done somewhere around 200°F.
7. Remove the brisket from smoker and rest it for an hour or so without removing the wrapping.
8. Slice well against the grains. Your Smoked Brisket it ready to serve. Enjoy the ambiance.