Pecan and Oak Smoked Brisket
Once considered a cheap cut, brisket is very prized for its flavor and tenderness in the bbq world. It is so popular that restaurants charge upwards to $30lb; even more. It’s even costly at your average grocery store. The best way to purchase a brisket is to buy it whole, untrimmed, still vacuum sealed in the bag. I purchased a whole one, 9lbs, for $4lb from my friends at wild fork foods.com. Best quality you can find for the price.If you purchase an untrimmed brisket, you will need to trim it unless you want to smoke it whole. I wanted just a brisket flat, meaning that I’m going to have to trim it. Any fat on the top muscle side should be trimmed off. I trimmed off 1/3 of the fatty triangle point side of the brisket. It is probably about 70% lean, so I’m going to keep that and grind it for some brisket burgers. But that’s another recipe for another time.This next step is very important and is a huge reason why people’s brisket turn out dry and flavorless. The brisket straight up needs to be brined. If you are concerned about sodium content and fat, maybe you shouldn’t be eating brisket. The brine will add moisture and flavor to your brisket, so after it smokes for hours on end, it will be juicy and not suck. I have no better way to say it. Brine it in a large bin, making sure it’s completely submerged; about 2 hours per lb. Allow it to dry out on a rack in the refrigerator for a day.Smoking brisket is labor intensive. It will take up to 90 minutes per lb at 250 degrees to reach an internal temperature of 200-205 degrees. So my 6lb brisket will take up 9 hours. A 10lb brisket will take up to 15 hours. You will want to use a digital probe thermometer to monitor the temp in the thickest part of the muscle. So when you start your brisket, it most likely will be in the ear;y morning. I through my brisket in the smoker at 7AM. It took 8 hours total to smoke. You will want to let the brisket rest for at least 30 minutes before slicing.Most people enjoy their brisket sliced with bbq sauce on sandwiches, which is absolutely delicious. But there are so many more things you can do with brisket. Get creative. Make smoked brisket tacos. Dice up a couple slices and add it to your omelette. Put it on top of a burger. The answer to your brisket needs is in the cheeba.
Equipment
- large bin for brining
- Electric Smoker
- Probe Thermometer
Ingredients
- whole beef brisket 8-12lbs
Brine
- 1 gallon water
- 1 cup sea salt
- 1 head garlic minced
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
Dry Rub
- 2 tbsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds ground
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
Wood Chips
- 1/2 pecan
- 1/2 oak
Instructions
- Pat dry the whole brisket.
- Trim off the large piece of fat from the top side. Leave the fat cap on the bottom untrimmed. Trim of 1/3 of the fatty triangle point end if you are looking to have just a brisket flat. Save for later use. If not, leave whole and disregard steps 1 + 2.
- Place the brisket in a bin that is large enough to hold it. My brisket was 9lbs untrimmed; 6lbs after I trimmed it.
- Mix together the brining ingredients and pour over the brisket, making sure that it’s completely submerged. Use a plate to weigh it down if it isn’t. Brine for 2 hours per lb.
- Take the brisket out of the brine and let dry on a rack overnight.
- Mix together the dry rub and rub the topside of the brisket.
- Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees. Why is the picture of the brisket dark, you ask? Because smoking a brisket is a long labor intensive process. You will want to start it in the early morning. Like 6AM or earlier depending on the size of the brisket.
- The brisket will take up to 90 minutes per lb. You will want to reach an internal temp of 200 - 205 degrees. Use a digital probe thermometer to monitor the temp through the cooking process. My 6lb brisket took 8 hours to smoke.
- Take the brisket out of the smoker when the internal temp is reached. Let rest for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
