Let's talk about the big fella of bbq, Brisket. I feel like this is one that we'll have the most activity on.
A lot of people consider brisket to be the hardest to cook, most intimidating, very expensive, and a pain in the arse to deal with. BUT when it's done right.....man it's worth it.
Here's a basic recipe that I feel will definitely help some of the newer guys. I'm not saying that it's perfect or the best, but I think it turns out a pretty good brisket. Adapt as you feel necessary. Realize that I'm speaking to beginners through intermediate bbq cooks here for this recipe.
Brisket selection:
12#-15# usda prime whole packer (whole untrimmed brisket). I picked a prime for a couple reasons. It's much more forgiving than any lower grade. As far as price, we're talking maybe a 10% difference in price from a choice. If you're in the practicing stage, and already planning to spend $40-$60 on one, go with something that if you do kinda mess it up....it'll still be better than a select or choice.
Trimming:
I tend to trim aggressively, so trim however you feel comfortable. I square the long sides and remove the gray looking meat, remove all the fat covering the deckle (point) muscle, and most of the 2 side fat pockets. I leave about 1/4"-1/2" of fat on the flat. The point has plenty intramuscular fat, so there's no real need to have the fat cap covering it. This allows for more rub coverage and bark for burnt ends if you wanted to make those.
Rub:
I like to apply this the night before cooking. Really simple here. 1.5-1 black pepper to salt. I like 3/4 part of restaurant grind black pepper, 3/4 part coarse black pepper, and 1 part coarse kosher salt. Apply a very generous coat of rub all over the brisket. Using a cheese shaker helps with even coverage. Here's something else if you have the space. Leave it panned and uncovered in your refrigerator or ice chest overnight. I think it helps with adhering your rub.
Cooking:
I love dry heat for brisket. So I'm setting up either my uds with a perforated deflector, ole hickory cto, or wsm with no water pan and using a perforated deflector in it's place. I use B&B hickory lump with hickory and oak wood chunks, place the brisket on these types of smokers fat side down, and I'm cooking at 275* the whole time. Some people like to mop, baste, spray, or do nothing during the cook. Since we're keeping it simple, spray a mist of plain water every hour or so that you're smoking. This helps keep your edges from drying out, smoke adheres better to a moist surface, and it can help with the smoke ring a little. Once you reach the stall (around 150*-170* IT for you temperature guys), this is where it becomes a debatable decision.....wrap or wait through the stall unwrapped. I personally like to wrap in butcher paper. You can wrap in foil or in a foil covered pan. From here it becomes a waiting game. In my opinion, brisket is truly done right when it probes very easily, like butter. If you care to temp it, this can be anywhere as low as 190* IT to as high as 215* IT. It's very important to remove it from the heat as soon as it probes like that, because you can overcook it by taking it a little farther than that. If you wrapped, vent it to stop it from cooking any more.
Rest and Slice:
You can rest it as little or as long as you like in a cambro, dry ice chest, or on your counter top. I like to separate the two muscles, and slice them across the grain.

I know this is a little long winded, but I had more time on this one. Hopefully it helps some of you. Feel free to offer your cooking processes, suggestions, tips, and any questions.