Grocery List
- Preferably a fresh 7-11 pound brisket although frozen works perfectly fine!
- Mustard, Mayonnaise or both.
- Spices (this varies depending on the rub that is being used, but a recipe will be in the article as well).
- Aluminum foil.
- Beer, plenty of it!
Recipe for Brisket Rub
- 3 tablespoons coarse ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
- 1 tablespoon whole cumin
- 2 tablespoons mustard powder
- 2 tablespoons chili or ancho powder and 1 tablespoon New Mexico chili pepper powder
- 3 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Prepping the Rub for the Brisket
Ideally, start by grinding the peppercorn down with a grinder, whether it be a coffee or spice grinder. Using already grinded peppercorn is fine, but the taste and aroma that is put off by grinding peppercorn yourself is noticeable. Once the decision has been made on whether to grind the peppercorn or not, the next thing that needs to be done is to add the rest of the spices together and mix thoroughly.
For the record, this recipe is for one 7-11 pound brisket, so obviously with multiple briskets there will need to be some basic math done to figure out the rub for the brisket.
Setting Up the Smoker
When setting up your smoker, there's plenty of different ways to go about it. Here is one method that seems to be simple, yet very effective. First off, decide on what you want to use: wood chips, wood logs charcoal briquettes or a combination. If using wood chips, soak a handful or two in warm water for a half hour before placing on top of the charcoal briquettes. Add a drip pan of water beneath the meat to help keep the temperature of the meat consistent. Once the grill is set up, light it up and maintain a temperature of 225-250 degrees Ferhenheit during the duration of smoking the brisket(s).
Brisket Preparation
Pull the brisket out of the fridge or freezer. If it was in the freezer, let it thaw completely before doing anything with the smoker. A brisket has a fat cap that should be a quarter (1/4") thick. The fat helps the meat become more tender during the smoking process. The fat cap shouldn't be to thick or else the smoke won't penetrate into that side of the brisket nearly as well. For this recipe, mayonnaise is lathered onto the outside of the brisket - think of it as an added layer of fat. Nom nom. When rubbing the brisket, it is a good idea to put a layer of the rub on before and after the mayonnaise has been lathered on. Mustard is another good substitute as well. Regardless of whether mayonnaise or mustard is used, it will help the rub stick to the meat so much better!
Smoke That Brisket!
At this point, the preparation of the brisket is complete. Now it's time to smoke the brisket! Again, the smoking temperature should be 225-250 degrees Ferhenheit. There are ton of different ways to smoke a brisket, but this method requires smoking the brisket for two hours with no aluminum foil. After the two hour time span is up, pull the brisket out of the smoker and wrap it in aluminum foil for the duration of the smoking session (4-6 hours). This is when it's good time to bust out the cooler of beer, kick back and watch the madness that comes in March; the NCAA Basketball Tournament. This weekend (4/1-4/4) is the Final Four so there will be plenty of time to watch the games and polish off a beer or two....or a case while your watching the games.
Ready to Destroy a Cow
Now that the brisket has been smoked, let's eat! If the brisket is for a later time then just throw it in a cooler and let the insulation keep it warm. It'll be waiting for you to enjoy!
Hope this was helpful for anyone that's never smoked a brisket before. Anyone that has any thoughts or would like to critic or add ideas or comments, feel free! I'm more than open to any thoughts in order to improve a brisket!
