Smoked Brisket

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Picking the brisket

This may be the most important step, and it will require a bit of detective work. Since this brisket is for the holidays, I want a whole “packer’s cut,” which typically weighs 8 to 16 pounds and comes in a Cryovac plastic wrap.

First, decide on the grade. The higher the grade the better the marbling. A brisket needs to be well marbled with fat to be more tender and juicy. So you want to make sure your brisket is graded “choice” or better (“prime” and “wagyu” are the best). I normally get my brisket at Costco, which carries choice.

I try not to get a brisket over 12 pounds, the theory being that the larger the brisket the older the steer, making for tougher meat.

Also, try to pick a brisket that bends easily. The more flexible the more tender the brisket. Try seeing if you can get the two ends to touch. When I picked my last brisket at Costco, they had 8 packer briskets and two had a lot of flex to them. One, I could actually touch the ends together, so I felt like I had a winner.

There is one last thing you can check that is kind of “out there” as Texas brisket theories go. Is your brisket left-leaning or right-leaning?

What?!? OK, listen up. This theory is a little hard to follow.

Most steers rest on their left side. When a steer gets up it has to use the brisket muscles on the right side more than the left to push itself up. This extra workout on the right side makes it tougher (and not as tasty) as the brisket on the left.

So how do you tell if a brisket is left-handed? Take a packer brisket and lay it fat side down with the narrow point end facing you. If the curve on the point end curves right you have a left-handed brisket.

I don’t know if this is true or not, but both of the flexible briskets I picked out also happened to be left-handed.

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Ingredients

  • 8 to 12 pound Brisket
  • 2 tablespoons beef base
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • Salt and pepper or your favorite rub
  • Aluminum foil
  • Digital meat thermometer
  • Smoker

Preparation

Step 1

Rinse brisket with water and pat dry with paper towels.

Cut crosshatch pattern into fat cap. Rub all sides of the brisket down with olive oil, then rub all sides with beef base. Next coat brisket liberally with rub or salt and pepper. Wrap in plastic wrap.

Place wrapped brisket into refrigerator for 24 hours.

Pre-heat smoker to between 225º to 250ºF.

Place brisket fat side up in smoker and insert thermometer probe.

Smoke until temperature reaches 180ºF, remove brisket and wrap with foil leaving the thermometer probe in.

Place wrapped brisket back in smoker and continue smoking until the internal temperature reaches 195º to 205ºF.

Remove brisket and let it rest for 30 minutes to 2 hours before slicing.

Be sure to check the step-by-step pictures in the slideshow above the story.

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