Smoked Beef Brisket

Directions

Prep: 20 minutes
Total: 12 hours
Serves: 25–35

• Unwrap brisket and pat dry.
• Use a sharp knife to remove hard, dense fat from the top and the bottom. Leave ¼ inch of fat on the meat to render during the cooking process and add moisture and flavour. For a 14-lb. packer, trim away about 1 lb. of fat. Carve out some of the large fat pocket that attaches the flat and the point.
• When the fat cap is evenly trimmed, liberally season brisket with seasoning, salt and pepper. Rub the seasoning into the meat evenly. Let stand at room temperature for an hour. Meanwhile, heat smoker to 225°F.
• Place brisket directly on the smoker’s grill, fat-side down, so the point is on top. Cook for about 7 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F.

Chef’s Notes: To feed a large group, ask your Co-op butcher for a 12–16 lb. “full packer” brisket. A full packer contains two distinct parts that cook differently: the point (the oddly shaped, more marbled smaller part on top) and the flat. For a smaller group, ask for the flat, which weighs 6–10 lb. The cooking instructions remain the same, but the cooking time will decrease significantly. In my opinion, cooking the whole packer is worth the extra effort: the point is really delicious because of that marbling!

Use a charcoal, wood or pellet smoker. In my pellet smoker, I use a combination of cherry, hickory and oak pellets. Experiment with different kinds of wood and create your own signature blend. Hickory and mesquite are very strong and can taste acrid or over-smoked, so mix it with mellow fruit wood like apple or cherry. If you are using a charcoal smoker, have four–five fist-size pieces of wood on hand to add for the smoking process. Check wood supply or fuel source regularly, so smoker temperature remains constant. If you are cooking over charcoal, add more smoking chunks as they run out.