Buying the brisket -Larger briskets (14+ lbs) tend to turn out better because they spend more time cooking, which allows the tough tendons and collagen to break down. -Try to find a brisket that doesn't have too much hard fat, because that will be wasted money. -If the brisket doesn't bend easily, don't buy it. A brisket that resists bending has a lot of internal hard fat that won't render. -If you don't have butcher paper already, I recommend buying a roll of the un-waxed pink/red kind. Trimming -Use a sharp, slightly flexible knife. -A cold brisket (right out of the fridge) is easier to trim because the fat isn't too soft. -Start by removing any gray (oxidized) meat. This is mainly found on the sides. -Round off the flat so that its thickness is roughly even on each side. As a guide, trim it until the start of the flat is at least 1.5 human fingers thick. If one side is too thin, it'll burn. -On the meat side (no fat cap) remove the grayish transparent film AKA "silver skin". -On the "fat side" the fat cap over the flat should be about a quarter inch thick. You *can* leave a fat cap on the point muscle, but it has so much marbling that you can remove it all. Removing all the fat cap over the point results in better burnt ends. -Remove the big section of hard fat on the side until you expose the fat seam that separates the two muscles. This seam is called the deckle. -Orient the brisket so it's meat side up again, and shape it such that there won't be any valleys where moisture can pool (and thus prevent bark from forming). You don't have to do this on the fat side because you'll be smoking it fat cap down. A pellet smoker's heat source is directly below the meat, so you'll want the fat cap to act as an insulating barrier (mainly to keep the flat from drying out). -Save your fat trimmings and cut them into single-bite-sized chunks. You'll use these to make beef tallow that will get added to the wrap. Smaller pieces will allow them to render faster. -Make a shallow cut in the tip of the flat against the grain. This is to remind you of which direction to make your slices. Seasoning -Cover the brisket with a thin binder layer. I've used yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and olive oil. Whichever you choose, don't use a lot since you're just trying to make the spices stick. -Spices are up to you. Some prefer Texas style (50/50 salt and pepper), but I like a little more than that. Salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika are usually my brisket rub. I don't recommend adding brown sugar because it will burn during such a long cook and add bitterness. -Use coarse grain kosher salt (table salt is too fine and risks over-salting the meat) and 16-mesh AKA restaurant grind pepper. The larger grains allow you to see how much salt and pepper you're putting on, and the coarser pepper grains result in a nicer looking bark. -The brisket should have a medium coat of seasoning. Not so little that it barely adds flavor or bark but not so much that it's caked on. Cooking (before the wrap) -250F is a good smoker temperature for whole briskets. -For pellet flavor I really like hickory or pecan. I avoid mesquite on long cooks because it's a very strong wood and easily overpowers a brisket. -As previously mentioned the brisket should go in fat cap down. Place a water pan in the smoker so there is constant moisture. I actually like to fill my water pan with cheap beer because it will vaporize faster and keep the chamber moister than with pure water. -Insert your temperature probe where the flat and point meet. -This is also when you insert a pan of the bite-sized fat chunks and begin rendering tallow. You can technically do this on your stove at med-low heat, but it won't have a smoky flavor. -You can estimate total cooking time based on 60-75 minutes per pound (untrimmed weight). -Plot your internal temps every half hour in Excel or something that can display a basic curve. You should expect a fast rise in the first 1-2 hours. The reason you want to plot the temps is so you can see where it's slowing down and about to hit the stall. This is where the meat is "sweating" because it's at thermal equilibrium, and if you let the brisket sit in the stall too long, it will dry out. -After two hours in you should start spritzing the brisket every half hour so it stays moist. You can use water, beer, apple cider vinegar, or whatever floats your boat. If you begin spritzing before two hours, you risk washing off the seasoning and ruining the bark. -The stall *usually* occurs in the 150-170F range, and a lot of people will wrap their brisket around 160165. However, don't wrap based solely on internal temperature. Two important things need to happen first. The meat itself should have a dark mahogany color, and the fat cap should have begun to render. You'll know it's rendered enough when you press your finger into it and it gives immediately without resistance. -If at any time during the cook you notice moisture pooling up, tilt the brisket and let it drain. This will prevent bald spots where there isn't any bark. Wrapping and finishing the cook -Lay down two overlapping sheets of the red butcher paper (~5 feet long). Pour your rendered beef tallow onto it where the brisket will lay. The chunks don't go in; just the liquid. -Lay the brisket meat side down and begin wrapping. Roll it over once or twice before you tuck the ends in and finish wrapping. -Re-insert your temperature probe in the same spot. -Return it to the smoker fat side up. You no longer need the fat cap to act as a barrier, and you want the meat side to sit in the tallow. It's also permissible to put the wrapped brisket in your oven if you want to save pellets, because it won't take on any more smoke in wrapped form. -Let the brisket ride until its internal temp is about 202 or 203. This doesn't mean it's actually done. This is where you check to see if it's probe tender. -As you move your temperature probe around it should penetrate the beef without any resistance (feels like softened butter). If any parts of the brisket still put up some resistance, keep cooking and check every half hour until the whole thing is probe tender. Resting -Brisket needs a very long rest. Ideally, 6-12 hours will yield the best results. If you're in a pinch, do not rest less than two hours before serving. -If you've planned out your cook such that you can do a long 6+ hour rest, let the wrapped brisket sit on the counter for 30-60 minutes to allow it to cool a bit, and then wrap it in a towel (keep the butcher paper on) and place in a dry cooler. If you place it in the cooler immediately, you risk steaming off the bark you worked so hard to get. -If you're doing a shorter 2-hour rest, just let it sit on the counter wrapped in a towel. Serving -It's a good idea to separate the flat and point from each other, because their grains run perpendicular to each other. -Using a serrated bread knife or a dedicated BBQ slicing knife, slice the flat against the grain. Cutting against the grain makes the slices more tender. A quarter-inch thick slice is ideal. -The point can be cubed up into burnt ends and glazed with sauce and/or leftover tallow. -How do you know if the brisket is the correct tenderness? Take a slice from the flat and do the "hang test" where you let it hang and see if it falls apart under its own weight. Then do the "pull test" where it should easily come apart with a light tug. DIFFERENCES FOR OFFSET STICK BURNERS -The smoker temp should be 275F. The sideways airflow in an offset creates an evaporative cooling effect, so you have to compensate with a slightly hotter chamber. -Orient the brisket fat side up the entire time since an offset’s heat flows over the top of the meat. -Face the point towards the fire initially. If the flat’s temperature lags way behind the point when it’s time to wrap, face the flat towards the fire so it can catch up.
