Planning to cook Beef Brisket this weekend

Sorry I was going to change what I said before you quoted me

Thanks

My steps to successful Brisket (IMO)

Buy just the flat (Whole Foods will sell you what you want)
--Do not buy the standard huge whole brisket at Walmart or wherever. The thickness varies too much. You end up with some that is cooked right, some that is over.

Season with a dry rub (opinions vary and everyone has one they like). Season pretty heavily.

If you are a noob, inject with beef broth. (Optional).

Low and slow until temp is 199. Each thermometer will be slightly different.

It's not a tough piece to cook at all anymore. Nowadays digital thermometers are hanging around dollar stores and modern smokers are pretty much set it and forget it. If you don't have those components, get them. Then buy a good brisket. USDA choice, at a minimum. And you've already got the Internet. Brisket professionals tell you step by step how to do it. You got those things you can make it happen. Google cook times, woods and rubs and find what you think you'd like. For wood I like pecan and red oak. And screw getting just the flat. Get a fat full packer. With just a flat there is no point. No fat. No burnt ends.

Since I've been watching Big Bang Theory, I've been wondering about Howard's mom's Jewish Brisket. I found this:

My Favorite Brisket (Not Too Gedempte Fleysch)

Basically, this is what you'd offer your future in-laws to ensure their undying affection. This is a taste-great, feel-good classic Jewish brisket, but while the recipe has been in the family for years, Joan is not averse to a new tweak or twist: Add a jar of sun-dried tomatoes, dry or packed in oil, for a more intense flavor. Or add a 2-inch knob of ginger and a few large strips of lemon zest to the pot?remove them before serving.

Note: "Not Too Gedempte Fleysch" means "Not too well stewed." I didn't know either.

2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 (5-pound) brisket of beef, shoulder roast of beef, chuck roast, or end of steak
1 clove garlic, peeled
2 Tbs vegetable oil
3 onions, peeled and diced
1 (10-ounce) can tomatoes
2 cups red wine
2 stalks celery with the leaves, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
1 sprig rosemary
1/4 cup chopped parsley
6 to 8 carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Sprinkle the salt and pepper to taste over the brisket and rub with the garlic. Sear the brisket in the oil and then place, fat side up, on top of the onions in a large casserole. Cover with the tomatoes, red wine, celery, bay leaf, thyme, and rosemary.

2. Cover and bake in the oven for about 3 hours, basting often with the pan juices.

3. Add the parsley and carrots and bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes more, or until the carrots are cooked. To test for doneness, stick a fork in the brisket. When there is a light pull on the fork as it is removed from the meat, it is "fork-tender."

4. This dish is best prepared in advance and refrigerated so that the fat can be easily skimmed from the surface of the gravy. When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 350°F. Reheat the gravy in a pan on the stove. Some people like to strain the gravy, but Joan prefers to keep the onions because they are so delicious.

5. Trim off all the visible fat from the cold brisket. Then place the brisket, on what was the fat side down, on a cutting board. Look for the grain-that is, the muscle lines of the brisket-and with a sharp knife, cut across the grain.

6. Put the sliced brisket in a roasting pan. Pour the hot gravy on the meat, cover, and reheat in the oven for about 30 minutes.

Servings: 10
Source: The Brisket Book by Stephanie Pierson