Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 1 (12-16) pound whole packer brisket
  • ¼ cup salt
  • ¼ cup black pepper

Instruction

  • Remove the brisket from the refrigerator and immediately start trimming. To trim, cut the fat cap so that it's ¼-inch thick and trim any gray edges. Flip the brisket over and trim any excessive fat patches and silver skin. Locate the hard fat mass near the point cut and remove it, leaving the meat underneath the fat intact. (Please refer to photos in the blog post if needed.)
  • Stir together the salt and pepper. Sprinkle all over the surface of the meat and fat cap, including the sides. Let it sit in room temperature for an hour.
  • Prepare the smoker and set it to 225 degrees. Add a water pan in the smoker (and keep it filled while cooking) and place the brisket fat-side up directly on the grates with the point cut closest to the heat source. Insert a leave-in thermometer in the thickest part of the flat cut.
  • Close the smoker and smoked until the smoker reaches about 160 degrees. This is about when the temperature will stall for several hours. Remove the brisket and wrap it like a present so that it's nice and sealed in peach butcher paper to help the brisket get out of the stall and remain moist.
  • Place the brisket back on the smoker with the leave-in thermometer and cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 200-205 degrees with 203 degrees being the sweet spot.
  • Remove from the smoker. Create a small vent in the butcher paper and let the brisket rest in room temperature for at least an hour or up to two hours. Do not skip this step. Skipping this step will result in a dry brisket. If you need to keep the brisket longer, wrap it in a towel and place it in a dry cooler with no ice for up to six hours.
  • Slice the brisket across the grain, keeping in mind that the different cuts will have grains running in different directions. If desired, serve with smoked baked beans. Enjoy!