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Started By
Message
Bill Cannon's brisket smoking recipe
Posted on 6/26/17 at 8:10 am
Posted on 6/26/17 at 8:10 am
I have used his technique to win BBQ contests in the past and I don't think he would have a problem sharing the recipe since he emails it out to everyone who has bought his brisket rub.
He has won the Houston Livestock BBQ grand championship multiple times and Craig Sharry who is basically his apprentice has actually beaten him using his own technique.
At any rate, some damn good advice in here and I think anyone who is looking to smoke a brisket an learn something from it.
I've watched his recipe evolve over the years and this email came just today to me so I think its by far his best version.
Enjoy
---------------------------------------------------------
Whole Untrimmed Beef Brisket
You are going to learn an exact method of cooking a whole beef brisket that is easy to do and the results are awesome.
This is the exact method I use to cook briskets for events and gatherings. This is the method I teach to my team at the Rodeo when we are preparing the briskets. This method just simply produces a great eating brisket every time.
We use this exact method to cook to feed 800 people that eat at our booth at the Houston Rodeo Cook Off each year. I have cooked about 4,800 of these briskets and fed them to over 93,000 people thru the years. I am not saying that to brag at all I just want you to know this is the method I have used over the past 30 years. Yes there have been small adjustments made over the years but you are getting everything I have learned while cooking briskets in this email.
But I want to be clear this is not a competition style brisket at all. This is just a great tasting juicy brisket that you will be excited about to feed your family and friends.
This simple system just plain works if you follow the directions exactly as they are given here in this report. So clear your mind from all the things you have read and seen on the internet because if you want to cook a really great eating brisket this one works and it works every time.
So follow the recipe exactly and you will not be disappointed. Listen brisket prices are high and to spend your hard earned money on this piece of meat I want you to succeed. So I am giving you the exact method I use when I fire up my pit and want to just have a great eating brisket.
Many of you are new to smoking meat. Many of you have never cooked a brisket before. This brisket recipe will get you a great eating brisket that people will talk about for months. It is that good.
What you are going to learn is how to cook a great brisket and then you can make small adjustments to get to a competition brisket if that is what you want to do.
But everyone has to start by first learning how to cook a good brisket. What to look for in the meat, what temperatures to cook the brisket, what internal temperatures for a great tender end product. I have been exactly where you are right now learning all of these steps and I was lucky enough to find a guy (we became great friends and cooked together for over 10 years) that showed me some of the tricks of cooking a brisket and I want to be that guy for you.
Brisket
Just the mention of the word “brisket” and some people will tell you that it is the hardest of all the pieces of meat you will ever prepare on your BBQ pit.
Don’t listen to them.
You are going to learn a simple but easy way to the brisket ready for smoking, what temperatures you should be cooking at, when and how to wrap a brisket, how to tell when the brisket is nice and tender, and how to cut your brisket for serving.
Following this easy plan you are going to be able to conquer the mighty brisket. But you have to take action, follow this plan exactly and you will cook that great brisket.
FIND A GOOD BRISKET (What to look for and what to avoid)
The very first thing that you are going to have to find is a brisket to cook and depending on where you live you will usually find a brisket at either the grocery store, a discount chain, club store, or a local meat market.
The kind of brisket that you will find, either a whole untrimmed brisket and/or a trimmed brisket flat also is affected by where you live. Some of you will find both of these cuts of brisket and others will only find one.
If you can find an untrimmed whole brisket pick one up and get it home. These usually run in the 10 to 16 pound range and come in a cryovac package. Try to find one in the 12 to 13 pound range (this is a great size to manage on the pit) but it does not matter if it bigger you will just have a little longer cook.
And I personally think a whole untrimmed brisket is just easier to cook than the trimmed up briskets because it has more fat to work. And for the new brisket cooker this is important.
If you can’t find an untrimmed whole brisket then what you should find is what is referred to as an “trimmed brisket” or a “trimmed brisket flat” which is basically part of the brisket called the flat that has been separated from the rest of the brisket and some of the fat has been trimmed from it. These are either in a cryovac bag or the butcher has trimmed the brisket and you will find it in the meat section with the steaks etc and it is usually in one of the plastic plates wrapped with food film. These will usually weigh in the 4 to 8 pound range.
First you need to know the advantages and disadvantages of cooking the whole untrimmed brisket versus the trimmed brisket. Here are the main advantages and disadvantages of both cuts of brisket:
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages of Whole Untrimmed Brisket
1. costs less (usually about ½ of the cost of trimmed brisket)
2. more fat in the meat for the long cooking time – keeps meat moist more servings
3. usually serves 15 to 20 people depending on the size more forgiving over a long the cook cooking time required by brisket
Disadvantages of Whole Untrimmed Brisket
1. larger piece of meat that may not fit on some smokers larger piece of meat to handle on the pit
2. harder to find in some areas a little harder to cut since grains run in different directions
3. if trimmed to much not much fat left on the meat for cooking longer cooking times
Advantages of Trimmed Brisket Flat
1. smaller piece of meat may fit better on some pits
2. less waste in the end product
3. grain runs in one direction so easier to cut less cooking time on the pit
Disadvantages to the Trimmed Brisket Flat
1. costs about double the price of untrimmed briskets
2. less fat for the meat to work with during cooking can cause drying out
3. If you are going to cook at high temps then you must inject this piece of meat or you chance drying it out
Take into consideration all of the advantages and disadvantages of the two kinds of brisket that you will find in the marker place. Your pit size and what is available to you in your particular market area will also weigh in the final decision you are making. Either one of these pieces of meat can be cooked to perfection but there is more preparation of the brisket flat in the initial preparation of the meat.
All said, I always cook whole untrimmed briskets. But I can find them easily in the Houston area and I just like having all of the fat on the brisket to help protect the meat and add juices to the meat while it is cooking. You will need to decide which cut is best for your particular circumstances.
He has won the Houston Livestock BBQ grand championship multiple times and Craig Sharry who is basically his apprentice has actually beaten him using his own technique.
At any rate, some damn good advice in here and I think anyone who is looking to smoke a brisket an learn something from it.
I've watched his recipe evolve over the years and this email came just today to me so I think its by far his best version.
Enjoy
---------------------------------------------------------
Whole Untrimmed Beef Brisket
You are going to learn an exact method of cooking a whole beef brisket that is easy to do and the results are awesome.
This is the exact method I use to cook briskets for events and gatherings. This is the method I teach to my team at the Rodeo when we are preparing the briskets. This method just simply produces a great eating brisket every time.
We use this exact method to cook to feed 800 people that eat at our booth at the Houston Rodeo Cook Off each year. I have cooked about 4,800 of these briskets and fed them to over 93,000 people thru the years. I am not saying that to brag at all I just want you to know this is the method I have used over the past 30 years. Yes there have been small adjustments made over the years but you are getting everything I have learned while cooking briskets in this email.
But I want to be clear this is not a competition style brisket at all. This is just a great tasting juicy brisket that you will be excited about to feed your family and friends.
This simple system just plain works if you follow the directions exactly as they are given here in this report. So clear your mind from all the things you have read and seen on the internet because if you want to cook a really great eating brisket this one works and it works every time.
So follow the recipe exactly and you will not be disappointed. Listen brisket prices are high and to spend your hard earned money on this piece of meat I want you to succeed. So I am giving you the exact method I use when I fire up my pit and want to just have a great eating brisket.
Many of you are new to smoking meat. Many of you have never cooked a brisket before. This brisket recipe will get you a great eating brisket that people will talk about for months. It is that good.
What you are going to learn is how to cook a great brisket and then you can make small adjustments to get to a competition brisket if that is what you want to do.
But everyone has to start by first learning how to cook a good brisket. What to look for in the meat, what temperatures to cook the brisket, what internal temperatures for a great tender end product. I have been exactly where you are right now learning all of these steps and I was lucky enough to find a guy (we became great friends and cooked together for over 10 years) that showed me some of the tricks of cooking a brisket and I want to be that guy for you.
Brisket
Just the mention of the word “brisket” and some people will tell you that it is the hardest of all the pieces of meat you will ever prepare on your BBQ pit.
Don’t listen to them.
You are going to learn a simple but easy way to the brisket ready for smoking, what temperatures you should be cooking at, when and how to wrap a brisket, how to tell when the brisket is nice and tender, and how to cut your brisket for serving.
Following this easy plan you are going to be able to conquer the mighty brisket. But you have to take action, follow this plan exactly and you will cook that great brisket.
FIND A GOOD BRISKET (What to look for and what to avoid)
The very first thing that you are going to have to find is a brisket to cook and depending on where you live you will usually find a brisket at either the grocery store, a discount chain, club store, or a local meat market.
The kind of brisket that you will find, either a whole untrimmed brisket and/or a trimmed brisket flat also is affected by where you live. Some of you will find both of these cuts of brisket and others will only find one.
If you can find an untrimmed whole brisket pick one up and get it home. These usually run in the 10 to 16 pound range and come in a cryovac package. Try to find one in the 12 to 13 pound range (this is a great size to manage on the pit) but it does not matter if it bigger you will just have a little longer cook.
And I personally think a whole untrimmed brisket is just easier to cook than the trimmed up briskets because it has more fat to work. And for the new brisket cooker this is important.
If you can’t find an untrimmed whole brisket then what you should find is what is referred to as an “trimmed brisket” or a “trimmed brisket flat” which is basically part of the brisket called the flat that has been separated from the rest of the brisket and some of the fat has been trimmed from it. These are either in a cryovac bag or the butcher has trimmed the brisket and you will find it in the meat section with the steaks etc and it is usually in one of the plastic plates wrapped with food film. These will usually weigh in the 4 to 8 pound range.
First you need to know the advantages and disadvantages of cooking the whole untrimmed brisket versus the trimmed brisket. Here are the main advantages and disadvantages of both cuts of brisket:
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages of Whole Untrimmed Brisket
1. costs less (usually about ½ of the cost of trimmed brisket)
2. more fat in the meat for the long cooking time – keeps meat moist more servings
3. usually serves 15 to 20 people depending on the size more forgiving over a long the cook cooking time required by brisket
Disadvantages of Whole Untrimmed Brisket
1. larger piece of meat that may not fit on some smokers larger piece of meat to handle on the pit
2. harder to find in some areas a little harder to cut since grains run in different directions
3. if trimmed to much not much fat left on the meat for cooking longer cooking times
Advantages of Trimmed Brisket Flat
1. smaller piece of meat may fit better on some pits
2. less waste in the end product
3. grain runs in one direction so easier to cut less cooking time on the pit
Disadvantages to the Trimmed Brisket Flat
1. costs about double the price of untrimmed briskets
2. less fat for the meat to work with during cooking can cause drying out
3. If you are going to cook at high temps then you must inject this piece of meat or you chance drying it out
Take into consideration all of the advantages and disadvantages of the two kinds of brisket that you will find in the marker place. Your pit size and what is available to you in your particular market area will also weigh in the final decision you are making. Either one of these pieces of meat can be cooked to perfection but there is more preparation of the brisket flat in the initial preparation of the meat.
All said, I always cook whole untrimmed briskets. But I can find them easily in the Houston area and I just like having all of the fat on the brisket to help protect the meat and add juices to the meat while it is cooking. You will need to decide which cut is best for your particular circumstances.
2
Posted on 6/26/17 at 8:10 am to CAD703X
Here are some things you should look for in any brisket you are going to buy and cook:
1. Nice white fat just an indication of some grain feeding
2. In whole briskets find one that is as thick as possible in the flat (thin end) of the brisket, don’t buy one that tapers to nothing at the end
3. Most important is to look at the marbling of the brisket. It does not matter what the grade of the brisket is look for as much marbling as possible
4. Check the cryovac package to make sure the seal has not been broken and air has got into the bag.
USDA Grades of Beef Brisket
You will notice some markings on the cryovac packaging if your brisket is still in the packaging from the meat processor. These are USDA grades given to cattle as it is processed. Beef is the only meat that is given a USDA grade as pork and chicken are not assigned a grade.
There are 3 basic grades of beef – Select, Choice, and Prime. These grades are assigned to the cows as they are processed by a USDA grader who is at the processing plant. We are not going to go into the grading process and what the USDA grader is looking for in a particular cow to assign it a grade because the process is pretty in depth and we will just stick with a couple of basics for you to use. Knowing the grade of the beef you are buying can make a big difference in the end of the cooking period.
USDA Select- The lowest of the grades given cattle for human consumption. Not much marbling in the meat. Because of the less marbling in the meat a bit dryer when cooked but also less flavor in the end product. Most meat you will find is this grade.
USDA Choice – The mid grade. Much improved marbling of the meat and you should be able to see the difference in the marbling with the naked eye. Because of the better marbling a better flavor with the fat rendering inside of the meat for a juicier piece of meat. But the big difference will be a better tasting brisket.
USDA Prime – The top grade of beef. Really well marbled through the entire piece of meat. Much better beefy flavor of the finished piece of meat you are cooking with all of the fat rendering during the slow cooking process you just get a more juicy better tasting brisket.
Select grade is the easiest to find and the most common grade you will see.
Choice Grade Briskets are really nice briskets to cook. More flavor with much more moisture inside the brisket due to the marbling it has. These are more difficult to find but heck I find them mixed in with Select brisket all of the time. So search thru the briskets and look you might just find one of these and they are the same price most of the time.
Prime grade is the top of the grades but you are going to typically pay as much as twice the price if you can find one of these. I have on occasion seen them mixed in with other briskets of lower grades and marked at the same prices as the other grades but this is very uncommon and a great moment when you can find them at the lower price. Your finer meat markets and even some grocery stores with great meat departments will sometimes carry these. Also Costco will have these at some locations. You just got to hunt them down if you want to cook one of them.
So the best brisket for the money for the average guy cooking for family and friends will be a USDA Choice brisket if you can find one. This is the grade I cook the most because it is reasonably priced and just dang good.
I am going to share this little bit of information with you at this point. I will buy briskets 1 to 2 weeks in advance of my planned cook and keeping them in the cryovac package (you cannot break the bag open and the brisket you buy should be in a bag that has not been torn open or has opened because of a bad seal on the packaging. This bag should not have any large air pockets in it. The packaging will be tight around the meat). I will place them in my refrigerator until I need to cook them but not going over 2 weeks. This is what is called wet aging and it helps the brisket continue the natural aging process and helps the brisket break down and get tender over those two weeks. If the bag has been opened or you buy a trimmed brisket that is not in the factory closed cryovac packaging this will not work. In my opinion, after a couple of weeks in the frig wet aging the briskets will get more pliable and more tender. Do not be too concerned with the sell date stamped on the bag as this is what the store sell date is but you can also look for the packing date on the label as well.
IT’S GO TIME – PREPARATION OF THE PIT AND BRISKET
First, get your pit ready. I like to get the temps on my pit up to around 250 degrees and let it run at that temp for about 30 minutes before I put on any meat. The reason is to get the metal of the pit nice and hot and by getting the temp up any bacteria that could have been growing inside your pit will be killed and you won’t have to worry about that at all. And I like to have around 250 degrees in the pit when I add the cold meat to the pit. Remember you will be opening the pit up and placing a large piece of cold meat on the pit and that will immediately move the temp of the pit down to around 220 or less which is where you should cook a brisket.
If you are using an offset smoker check the smoke coming out of the chimney of your smoker. It should be a pale white to almost clear. Clear is where you want to get the smoke exiting the pit which means you are not smothering the meat with a stale smoke. If you are bellowing out a really thick white smoke from you chimney you will need to make some adjustments to your pit. Best way to handle this is to open up the air intake valve on the firebox and using the amount of wood you are using and the damper on the chimney you can control your heat in the pit. One note: when you add logs to your firebox you will see a whiter smoke for a few minutes and that is fine it will clear back up. You should maintain a nice bed of coals in the firebox at all times so when you add a stick of wood it will catch fire from the coals that are already in the firebox.
1. Nice white fat just an indication of some grain feeding
2. In whole briskets find one that is as thick as possible in the flat (thin end) of the brisket, don’t buy one that tapers to nothing at the end
3. Most important is to look at the marbling of the brisket. It does not matter what the grade of the brisket is look for as much marbling as possible
4. Check the cryovac package to make sure the seal has not been broken and air has got into the bag.
USDA Grades of Beef Brisket
You will notice some markings on the cryovac packaging if your brisket is still in the packaging from the meat processor. These are USDA grades given to cattle as it is processed. Beef is the only meat that is given a USDA grade as pork and chicken are not assigned a grade.
There are 3 basic grades of beef – Select, Choice, and Prime. These grades are assigned to the cows as they are processed by a USDA grader who is at the processing plant. We are not going to go into the grading process and what the USDA grader is looking for in a particular cow to assign it a grade because the process is pretty in depth and we will just stick with a couple of basics for you to use. Knowing the grade of the beef you are buying can make a big difference in the end of the cooking period.
USDA Select- The lowest of the grades given cattle for human consumption. Not much marbling in the meat. Because of the less marbling in the meat a bit dryer when cooked but also less flavor in the end product. Most meat you will find is this grade.
USDA Choice – The mid grade. Much improved marbling of the meat and you should be able to see the difference in the marbling with the naked eye. Because of the better marbling a better flavor with the fat rendering inside of the meat for a juicier piece of meat. But the big difference will be a better tasting brisket.
USDA Prime – The top grade of beef. Really well marbled through the entire piece of meat. Much better beefy flavor of the finished piece of meat you are cooking with all of the fat rendering during the slow cooking process you just get a more juicy better tasting brisket.
Select grade is the easiest to find and the most common grade you will see.
Choice Grade Briskets are really nice briskets to cook. More flavor with much more moisture inside the brisket due to the marbling it has. These are more difficult to find but heck I find them mixed in with Select brisket all of the time. So search thru the briskets and look you might just find one of these and they are the same price most of the time.
Prime grade is the top of the grades but you are going to typically pay as much as twice the price if you can find one of these. I have on occasion seen them mixed in with other briskets of lower grades and marked at the same prices as the other grades but this is very uncommon and a great moment when you can find them at the lower price. Your finer meat markets and even some grocery stores with great meat departments will sometimes carry these. Also Costco will have these at some locations. You just got to hunt them down if you want to cook one of them.
So the best brisket for the money for the average guy cooking for family and friends will be a USDA Choice brisket if you can find one. This is the grade I cook the most because it is reasonably priced and just dang good.
I am going to share this little bit of information with you at this point. I will buy briskets 1 to 2 weeks in advance of my planned cook and keeping them in the cryovac package (you cannot break the bag open and the brisket you buy should be in a bag that has not been torn open or has opened because of a bad seal on the packaging. This bag should not have any large air pockets in it. The packaging will be tight around the meat). I will place them in my refrigerator until I need to cook them but not going over 2 weeks. This is what is called wet aging and it helps the brisket continue the natural aging process and helps the brisket break down and get tender over those two weeks. If the bag has been opened or you buy a trimmed brisket that is not in the factory closed cryovac packaging this will not work. In my opinion, after a couple of weeks in the frig wet aging the briskets will get more pliable and more tender. Do not be too concerned with the sell date stamped on the bag as this is what the store sell date is but you can also look for the packing date on the label as well.
IT’S GO TIME – PREPARATION OF THE PIT AND BRISKET
First, get your pit ready. I like to get the temps on my pit up to around 250 degrees and let it run at that temp for about 30 minutes before I put on any meat. The reason is to get the metal of the pit nice and hot and by getting the temp up any bacteria that could have been growing inside your pit will be killed and you won’t have to worry about that at all. And I like to have around 250 degrees in the pit when I add the cold meat to the pit. Remember you will be opening the pit up and placing a large piece of cold meat on the pit and that will immediately move the temp of the pit down to around 220 or less which is where you should cook a brisket.
If you are using an offset smoker check the smoke coming out of the chimney of your smoker. It should be a pale white to almost clear. Clear is where you want to get the smoke exiting the pit which means you are not smothering the meat with a stale smoke. If you are bellowing out a really thick white smoke from you chimney you will need to make some adjustments to your pit. Best way to handle this is to open up the air intake valve on the firebox and using the amount of wood you are using and the damper on the chimney you can control your heat in the pit. One note: when you add logs to your firebox you will see a whiter smoke for a few minutes and that is fine it will clear back up. You should maintain a nice bed of coals in the firebox at all times so when you add a stick of wood it will catch fire from the coals that are already in the firebox.
This post was edited on 6/26/17 at 8:13 am
Posted on 6/26/17 at 8:10 am to CAD703X
TIME TO GET THE BRISKET READY FOR COOKING
Take the brisket out of the refrigerator and place it in an aluminum pan with the fat cap facing up and the exposed meat facing down. Take a knife and cut the bag long wise down the center of the bag. Remove the brisket trying to keep as much of the red liquid that is in the package to stay inside the package as you remove the brisket.
Note: Many people believe the red liquid in a package of fresh packaged beef is blood. It is not blood at all as most of the blood is removed from the animal at slaughter. There is actually very little blood left in the animal after it has been slaughtered and it usually remains in the muscle tissue. The red liquid in the package is water from the beef combined with a protein. And it is harmless just mostly water.
Now you will focus on getting the brisket ready for the pit using the simple 1-2-3 method.
The brisket is lying fat up in the aluminum pan. There is no need to trim away any of the fat on the brisket unless you need to for space on the pit or if you just want to. The fat will actually render during cooking and help to keep plenty of moisture in and around the brisket. After cooking the fat can be removed very easily with the back of the knife or using your fingers.
You will need about ¼ to ½ cup of worchestershire sauce and about 1 ½ to 2 cups of Texas BBQ Rub to get the brisket ready for the pit.
Pour enough worchestershire on the fat side of the brisket to cover it and especially make sure that any exposed meat that you see while the brisket is laying with the fat up has some worchestersire sauce on it. Take about ¼ cup of Texas BBQ Rub and hit the exposed meat that you see on the fat side of the brisket with some rub. Don’t worry about covering any of the fat with rub as it is pretty thick and the rub will not penetrate it and you are also going to be cooking fat side down on the pit and any rub on the bottom fat cap will just fall off so don’t worry about getting any rub on the fat cap.
Take the brisket and flip it over in the aluminum pan. Now you are looking at the top of the brisket with the meat exposed. There will be some fat present on this side and especially you will see a large piece of fat off to one side. It is thick and hard. You can either cut it out or leave it on the brisket. I leave it on the briskets I cook. Again it will add moisture and flavor and protect the meat of the brisket so why take it off now.
Take the remaining worchestershire sauce and cover the top of the brisket with it. Using your fingers, run the worchestershire all over the top and sides of the brisket. If you need some more worchestershire sauce add what you need to get a nice coating of sauce on the brisket.
Pour the remaining Texas BBQ Rub over the top of the brisket and using your fingers and hands cover the top of the brisket with a nice coating of rub. About ¼ inch will do fine. Do the same for the sides but it will be hard to keep a build up of rub on the sides so just cover them with rub.
You will see the rub and the worchestershire sauce mixing together and actually forming kind of a pasty substance on the top of the brisket. You are ready to take the brisket and place it on the pit.
Your brisket is sitting in the aluminum pan with the fat down and that is the way you are going to place it on the pit. Remove the brisket from the aluminum pan and place fat down on your pit and if you can point the thickest part of the brisket (the point) towards the firebox of your pit. Close the door and get yourself something to drink and sit back.
You just have to watch and manage the temperatures in your smoker at this point.
Cooking temperature should be 220 to 230 degrees as this is a great cooking temperature that will cook your brisket evenly without driving out all of the fat as it renders and therefore will make for a more moist brisket. It allows ample time for a total breakdown of the collagen and fatty tissues inside of the brisket turning them into a gelatin type of substance. So try to maintain the 220 to 230 degrees but remember that spikes in temperatures are going to happen but don’t worry about them if they are short. That is not going to make any major changes in the way the meat cooks. Check the brisket about every 2 hours and make sure it is not burning at the end facing the heat. If it has started to burn it is no big deal just move it further away from the heat source and watch the temps on your smoker. If you don’t have room in your pit to move the brisket back from the heat then place a layer of aluminum foil under the brisket and that will help keep the brisket from burning.
After about 7 hours of smoking you will see the brisket is getting to be a really nice brownish color (kind of a nice dark walnut color) and it is at this point you should wrap the brisket. Do not worry about the internal temperature of the meat at this time. You are just looking for a great color on the outside of the brisket. You will probably see signs of moisture coming from the meat and making the rub look moist. That is what you really want. If you don’t want to wrap your brisket that is fine, that choice is up to you.
TIME TO WRAP THE BRISKET
Wrapping the brisket is pretty simple and in my opinion makes a prettier, more moist brisket. Tear off 2 pieces of foil each about 3 feet long. Lay them on flat surface. If you have to carry the brisket a little distance from the pit to wrap it up, use the foil pan that you rubbed the brisket in. (It should have been washed out) Stack the 2 pieces of foil one on top of the other and lay the brisket fat side down on the top sheet of foil. Fold up the sides just a little as you are going to pour some liquid on top of the brisket and don’t want the liquid to run on the floor. Gently pour ½ can Coke or Dr Pepper or what I use is Coke Zero over the top of the brisket. Fold up the sides of the first layer of foil over the brisket and I then roll up the sides. Then repeat folding and rolling the second layer of foil over the first and you have double wrapped the brisket. Return the wrapped brisket to your smoker.
Grab a cold beverage and manage the temperature of your pit in the 220 to 235 degree range.
Cook for another 3 to 5 hours and check the internal temperature of your meat with an internal meat thermometer. You should feel the probe of the meat thermometer slide into the thickest part of the brisket with no resistance at all. You will be done with the cooking once the meat has reached 200-215 degrees (a good target temperature is 205 degrees) or when you feel no resistance to the probe going into the meat.
If you don’t have a meat thermometer just use a fork and slide it into the thickest part of the brisket. When you have no resistance to the fork sliding in you are done cooking the brisket.
Take the brisket out of the refrigerator and place it in an aluminum pan with the fat cap facing up and the exposed meat facing down. Take a knife and cut the bag long wise down the center of the bag. Remove the brisket trying to keep as much of the red liquid that is in the package to stay inside the package as you remove the brisket.
Note: Many people believe the red liquid in a package of fresh packaged beef is blood. It is not blood at all as most of the blood is removed from the animal at slaughter. There is actually very little blood left in the animal after it has been slaughtered and it usually remains in the muscle tissue. The red liquid in the package is water from the beef combined with a protein. And it is harmless just mostly water.
Now you will focus on getting the brisket ready for the pit using the simple 1-2-3 method.
The brisket is lying fat up in the aluminum pan. There is no need to trim away any of the fat on the brisket unless you need to for space on the pit or if you just want to. The fat will actually render during cooking and help to keep plenty of moisture in and around the brisket. After cooking the fat can be removed very easily with the back of the knife or using your fingers.
You will need about ¼ to ½ cup of worchestershire sauce and about 1 ½ to 2 cups of Texas BBQ Rub to get the brisket ready for the pit.
Pour enough worchestershire on the fat side of the brisket to cover it and especially make sure that any exposed meat that you see while the brisket is laying with the fat up has some worchestersire sauce on it. Take about ¼ cup of Texas BBQ Rub and hit the exposed meat that you see on the fat side of the brisket with some rub. Don’t worry about covering any of the fat with rub as it is pretty thick and the rub will not penetrate it and you are also going to be cooking fat side down on the pit and any rub on the bottom fat cap will just fall off so don’t worry about getting any rub on the fat cap.
Take the brisket and flip it over in the aluminum pan. Now you are looking at the top of the brisket with the meat exposed. There will be some fat present on this side and especially you will see a large piece of fat off to one side. It is thick and hard. You can either cut it out or leave it on the brisket. I leave it on the briskets I cook. Again it will add moisture and flavor and protect the meat of the brisket so why take it off now.
Take the remaining worchestershire sauce and cover the top of the brisket with it. Using your fingers, run the worchestershire all over the top and sides of the brisket. If you need some more worchestershire sauce add what you need to get a nice coating of sauce on the brisket.
Pour the remaining Texas BBQ Rub over the top of the brisket and using your fingers and hands cover the top of the brisket with a nice coating of rub. About ¼ inch will do fine. Do the same for the sides but it will be hard to keep a build up of rub on the sides so just cover them with rub.
You will see the rub and the worchestershire sauce mixing together and actually forming kind of a pasty substance on the top of the brisket. You are ready to take the brisket and place it on the pit.
Your brisket is sitting in the aluminum pan with the fat down and that is the way you are going to place it on the pit. Remove the brisket from the aluminum pan and place fat down on your pit and if you can point the thickest part of the brisket (the point) towards the firebox of your pit. Close the door and get yourself something to drink and sit back.
You just have to watch and manage the temperatures in your smoker at this point.
Cooking temperature should be 220 to 230 degrees as this is a great cooking temperature that will cook your brisket evenly without driving out all of the fat as it renders and therefore will make for a more moist brisket. It allows ample time for a total breakdown of the collagen and fatty tissues inside of the brisket turning them into a gelatin type of substance. So try to maintain the 220 to 230 degrees but remember that spikes in temperatures are going to happen but don’t worry about them if they are short. That is not going to make any major changes in the way the meat cooks. Check the brisket about every 2 hours and make sure it is not burning at the end facing the heat. If it has started to burn it is no big deal just move it further away from the heat source and watch the temps on your smoker. If you don’t have room in your pit to move the brisket back from the heat then place a layer of aluminum foil under the brisket and that will help keep the brisket from burning.
After about 7 hours of smoking you will see the brisket is getting to be a really nice brownish color (kind of a nice dark walnut color) and it is at this point you should wrap the brisket. Do not worry about the internal temperature of the meat at this time. You are just looking for a great color on the outside of the brisket. You will probably see signs of moisture coming from the meat and making the rub look moist. That is what you really want. If you don’t want to wrap your brisket that is fine, that choice is up to you.
TIME TO WRAP THE BRISKET
Wrapping the brisket is pretty simple and in my opinion makes a prettier, more moist brisket. Tear off 2 pieces of foil each about 3 feet long. Lay them on flat surface. If you have to carry the brisket a little distance from the pit to wrap it up, use the foil pan that you rubbed the brisket in. (It should have been washed out) Stack the 2 pieces of foil one on top of the other and lay the brisket fat side down on the top sheet of foil. Fold up the sides just a little as you are going to pour some liquid on top of the brisket and don’t want the liquid to run on the floor. Gently pour ½ can Coke or Dr Pepper or what I use is Coke Zero over the top of the brisket. Fold up the sides of the first layer of foil over the brisket and I then roll up the sides. Then repeat folding and rolling the second layer of foil over the first and you have double wrapped the brisket. Return the wrapped brisket to your smoker.
Grab a cold beverage and manage the temperature of your pit in the 220 to 235 degree range.
Cook for another 3 to 5 hours and check the internal temperature of your meat with an internal meat thermometer. You should feel the probe of the meat thermometer slide into the thickest part of the brisket with no resistance at all. You will be done with the cooking once the meat has reached 200-215 degrees (a good target temperature is 205 degrees) or when you feel no resistance to the probe going into the meat.
If you don’t have a meat thermometer just use a fork and slide it into the thickest part of the brisket. When you have no resistance to the fork sliding in you are done cooking the brisket.
This post was edited on 6/26/17 at 8:15 am
Posted on 6/26/17 at 8:10 am to CAD703X
LET THE BRISKET REST
It is important to let the brisket rest after the 11 to 12 hours of cooking in the heat of the pit. Sitting the brisket on the counter at room temps will allow the juices in the brisket to redistribute thru the brisket.
Just take the brisket out of the smoker and place the wrapped brisket in a roasting pan or in a large aluminum pan leaving it wrapped up. After about 30 to 45 minutes take a knife or scissors and cut a 6 to 8 inch slit following the long part of the brisket. Carefully open the foil at the top of the brisket as this will allow the steam that has built up in the brisket to escape which will allow for the bark of your brisket to tighten up. (Careful there is going to be steam that will escape when opened and it is really hot) Leave the top of the foil open for about 15 to 30 minutes and then fold the foil back over the brisket. Let the brisket rest for 1 to 3 hours if you can stand waiting that long to eat it. The rest is worth you holding off on slicing and eating it right out of the pit.
The other great advantage of letting the brisket rest and start to cool down is it will be much easier to slice at a cooler temperature than when it is hot right out of the pit.
Note: If you want to add some BBQ sauce on the brisket this is a great time to do that. While you have the foil on top of the brisket open add about ½ cup of BBQ sauce on the top of the bark and then let it sit. No need to placing it back on the smoker as the sauce will be absorbed by the bark.
SERVING
The main thing here is to cut across the grain of the brisket. This will not only allow for cleaner looking slices but it will not get you stringy pieces of meat that will occur if you were cutting with the grain. So you need to identify which way the grain is running and cut across that grain.
When cutting the brisket cut cross grain on the brisket. When you get to the point end (the thick end) of the brisket the grain runs in two separate directions. You will see that the two have a layer of fat between them you can simply cut the point off of the flat where that layer of fat is and cut it separately or chop it for beef sandwiches. The meat in the point contains a lot of fat and in my opinion is some of the best tasting brisket meat there is.
And don’t cut your brisket too far in advance of serving as it will dry out naturally so save the carving to right before you are ready to serve it.
You have succeeded in cooking a brisket.
Let’s recap this proven method:
1. Pick a great piece of meat to cook
2. Prepare the brisket using worchestershire sauce and Texas BBQ Rub’s Brisket Rub
3. Place on the pit fat side down for the entire cook
4. Cook at a temperature of 220 to 230 degrees over the entire cooking time
5. Wrap the brisket after 7 to 8 hours using Coke, Dr. Pepper or Coke Zero added
6. Back on the pit, fat side down, wrapped and cook until you get a tender brisket
7. Internal temperature should be around 205 degrees when your brisket is done
8. Take off the pit and let the brisket rest for 2 hours or more
9. Slice the brisket across the grain of the brisket for serving
And congrats to you on cooking a great brisket. I am excited for you.
It is important to let the brisket rest after the 11 to 12 hours of cooking in the heat of the pit. Sitting the brisket on the counter at room temps will allow the juices in the brisket to redistribute thru the brisket.
Just take the brisket out of the smoker and place the wrapped brisket in a roasting pan or in a large aluminum pan leaving it wrapped up. After about 30 to 45 minutes take a knife or scissors and cut a 6 to 8 inch slit following the long part of the brisket. Carefully open the foil at the top of the brisket as this will allow the steam that has built up in the brisket to escape which will allow for the bark of your brisket to tighten up. (Careful there is going to be steam that will escape when opened and it is really hot) Leave the top of the foil open for about 15 to 30 minutes and then fold the foil back over the brisket. Let the brisket rest for 1 to 3 hours if you can stand waiting that long to eat it. The rest is worth you holding off on slicing and eating it right out of the pit.
The other great advantage of letting the brisket rest and start to cool down is it will be much easier to slice at a cooler temperature than when it is hot right out of the pit.
Note: If you want to add some BBQ sauce on the brisket this is a great time to do that. While you have the foil on top of the brisket open add about ½ cup of BBQ sauce on the top of the bark and then let it sit. No need to placing it back on the smoker as the sauce will be absorbed by the bark.
SERVING
The main thing here is to cut across the grain of the brisket. This will not only allow for cleaner looking slices but it will not get you stringy pieces of meat that will occur if you were cutting with the grain. So you need to identify which way the grain is running and cut across that grain.
When cutting the brisket cut cross grain on the brisket. When you get to the point end (the thick end) of the brisket the grain runs in two separate directions. You will see that the two have a layer of fat between them you can simply cut the point off of the flat where that layer of fat is and cut it separately or chop it for beef sandwiches. The meat in the point contains a lot of fat and in my opinion is some of the best tasting brisket meat there is.
And don’t cut your brisket too far in advance of serving as it will dry out naturally so save the carving to right before you are ready to serve it.
You have succeeded in cooking a brisket.
Let’s recap this proven method:
1. Pick a great piece of meat to cook
2. Prepare the brisket using worchestershire sauce and Texas BBQ Rub’s Brisket Rub
3. Place on the pit fat side down for the entire cook
4. Cook at a temperature of 220 to 230 degrees over the entire cooking time
5. Wrap the brisket after 7 to 8 hours using Coke, Dr. Pepper or Coke Zero added
6. Back on the pit, fat side down, wrapped and cook until you get a tender brisket
7. Internal temperature should be around 205 degrees when your brisket is done
8. Take off the pit and let the brisket rest for 2 hours or more
9. Slice the brisket across the grain of the brisket for serving
And congrats to you on cooking a great brisket. I am excited for you.
This post was edited on 6/26/17 at 8:17 am
Posted on 6/26/17 at 8:10 am to CAD703X
n/m
This post was edited on 6/26/17 at 8:17 am
Posted on 6/26/17 at 8:49 am to CAD703X
fat side down?
i thought you were supposed to cook the brisket fat side on top so the fat renders down into the meat?
i always season 12-16 hours before
and the coke or DP is new to me
i thought you were supposed to cook the brisket fat side on top so the fat renders down into the meat?
i always season 12-16 hours before
and the coke or DP is new to me
Posted on 6/26/17 at 9:03 am to CAD703X
Have you done this method? What's the rub mentioned, is there a recipe?
Posted on 6/26/17 at 9:16 am to LSUvegasbombed
Recipe is pretty standard except the coke. At about 7 hours the brisket will probably be done taking smoke. I like a bit more done bark though, so not a fan of the coke addition.
Fat side whatever you want, it really doesn't make a difference. It won't render in the meat. Fat side down does help some if your heat source is close to your meat, other than that, it doesn't make a difference.
quote:
fat side down? i thought you were supposed to cook the brisket fat side on top so the fat renders down into the meat?
Fat side whatever you want, it really doesn't make a difference. It won't render in the meat. Fat side down does help some if your heat source is close to your meat, other than that, it doesn't make a difference.
This post was edited on 6/26/17 at 9:30 am
Posted on 6/26/17 at 9:23 am to LSUvegasbombed
There's as many arguments about fat side up or fat side down as there are arguments about how to make gumbo. I do it both ways depending on the pit I'm using and where the heat is coming from. On my trailered pit, I have tuning plates which generate radiant heat from underneath the brisket and so I put it on fat side down to use the fat as a shield from the heat. On my smaller offset, with no tuning plates, it actually gets hotter at the top of the pit, so I put it fat side up. Again, this is to protect the meat from the higher heat. Am I right or wrong? Who knows but it works for me and either way, I've always had good results. 
This post was edited on 6/26/17 at 9:26 am
Posted on 6/26/17 at 9:46 am to slacker130
quote:
Have you done this method? What's the rub mentioned, is there a recipe?
ive done this or a variation on this probably 100+ times.
the coke is new.
the rub is his own brand, which i usually buy when it goes on sale. i would link to it but i think that's frowned on here. its very easy to find online.
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