Texas Style Smoked Brisket
If Texans mostly care about Texas, it’s fair to say the Smoked Brisket is a close second followed by Dr. Pepper. Every Texan who cares about food has an opinion about Brisket - where to get it, how to cook it, what seasonings to use, sauce or no sauce, and what wood to use.
I’ve tried a few varieties but central Texas style brisket is probably my favorite. All you need is a good brisket, kosher salt, black pepper, a fire, a device to safely contain said fire and TIME. Time is the key here. The experts say you’ll need about 1.5 hours per pound. I say, get that meat up to 200-205 degrees Fahrenheit and you’re good to go.
I know it’s daunting, but who doesn’t enjoy waking up at 4:30 am to start a fire and smoke a brisket all day for your family or friends?
Ingredients
1 whole 12 - 20 lb packer brisket (flat and point)
1/2 cup of kosher salt
1/2 cup of course ground black pepper
Empty spice shaker
1 cup of apple cider vinegar
Clean squirt bottle or bbq mop
Butcher paper without the wax finish or heavy duty aluminum foil
A smoker
1 pot of coffee
12 pack of Lone Star or Lone Star Light cans
Old bath or beach towels
Large cooler
Method
Start your pot of coffee
Pre-heat your smoker to 250 degrees Fahrenheit
Pour yourself a cup of coffee and consume
While the smoker is heating up, remove the brisket from the packaging
Trim some of the excess fat (you want to be left with 1/4 -1/2” of fat)
Combine the kosher salt and black pepper into an empty spice shaker
Liberally cover all sides of the brisket with the salt and pepper mixture - resist the urge to pack the rub into the meat
Let the brisket rest for 20 minutes at room temperature
Pour a second cup of coffee and consume
Add the apple cider vinegar to the squirt bottle
When the smoker reaches 250 degrees Fahrenheit add the brisket fat side up
Fidget with your smoker one last time and walk away
Now you either continue drinking coffee or switch to Lone Star or Lone Star Light
About once an hour check the smoker temperature and adjust if necessary to maintain a steady 250 degrees Fahrenheit
Once the internal temperature of the brisket reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit, remove the brisket from the smoker and place on butcher paper or aluminum foil
Spray the brisket with apple cider vinegar
Wrap the brisket up tightly and return to the smoker
Drink a beer
Once the brisket reaches an Internal temperature of 205 degrees Fahrenheit it’s time to remove it from the smoker and transfer to a towel lined cooler
When the brisket temperature drops to 140 degrees Fahrenheit it’s time slice
Slice the flat against the grain about the width of a pencil
Once you reach the point, rotate the brisket 90 degrees and slice the point into fat pencil width slices
Serve to your friends and family
Serve with smoked Polish sausage, dill pickle slices, raw sliced onion, pickled jalapeno, sliced cheat white bread, and/or whatever your favorite side is
*BBQ Sauce should not be needed, but I will not judge you (too much) for using it