Whether you’re hosting a graduation party or a baby shower, a well-cooked brisket You can easily up your BBQ game. But, while many fail to achieve that perfect crisp, only seasoned BBQ lovers know that “low and slow” is the key to cooking a brisket.
The unique thing about smoking a brisket is that you can’t do it with any special smoked brisket recipe. You will need to follow specific instructions to bring out the best flavors in your meat.
Plus, you can’t do tests and trials with a brisket; a little slip on any step and your flavorful and juicy brisket might turn into a tasteless piece of meat.
If you do choose for good wood pelletsYour brisket will be irresistible, rich in flavor, and delicious.
Here are some steps you should follow to smoke the perfect brisket before taking charge of your party’s BBQ services.
Table of Contents
How to Choose the Perfect Beef Cut
You will find a variety of cuts and quality options when you shop for brisket.
How can you tell which one is better?
As brisket comes from cows, it is divided into two types of muscles – the flat and the point. Typically, it’s better to go for the whole brisket pack, having both muscles. That’s because if you buy and smoke only a single part, you will miss the full and natural flavor of the meat.
Comparatively, a whole package will give you a strong flavor.
Moreover, always buy the beef 2-4 pounds more than the actual weight you’re trying to smoke. That’s because trimming the fat reduces two pounds of the meat already, and then smoking steals the other two pounds afterward.
Now it’s time to assess the quality of your meat. The key is to carefully examine the marbling. The quality grades are:
- Choose: The lowest
- Choice: Being the mediocre
- Prime: Being the highest
If you are looking to purchase the best cut of beef to smokeChoose the best or most sought-after ones.
Trimming the Brisket
This is the stage where your brisket can be transformed into a beautiful sight. Trimming removes any excess fat or hard edges that could be an obstacle to your juicy marination.
Here’s how to trim your brisket like an expert:
How to Smoke Beef Brisket With Flavors
You can get the right flavor by using different rubs for your brisket. You should rub it well and allow it to rest for a while to absorb the meat. Wrap it in plastic and let it rest for 12-24 hours.
There are many ways to season brisket, but injections are the most popular. Even if you’re a beginner, you can easily ensure the taste and juiciness of your meat by inserting flavors in it with the injection.
How do you smoke a brisket? Simply marinate the brisket with the spices you prefer.
What is the best way to smoke a brisket?
Fat side up or fat side down? Well, that’s the most heated argument every BBQ lover has been a part of. If you’re skeptical about it too, we would suggest you go for the latter.
That’s because if you keep the fat side up, the fat will melt and drip down from the cap, taking all the seasoning with it. You will make your brisket look more attractive if you keep the fat sides down.
It will also prevent bark from forming on the meat’s presenting side.
How long does it take to smoke a brisket?
The best brisket is made by focusing on two things: the perfect texture and the right flavor. To be the master of this art, you must care for your brisket through the entire smoking process.
So the first question popping up in your mind would be ‘how long to smoke a brisket?’, followed by ‘what temp to smoke brisket?’.
Well, actually, you can’t work on any standard technique since every cow has different kinds of meat.
That’s why cooking times may vary from 8-16 hours, according to the size, temperature, and grade of your brisket.
You can however, use a general rule of thumb to determine the cooking time for each pound.
For instance, a 16 lbs brisket cooking at 270°F typically takes 10-12 hrs. The entire process from trimming to cooking will take approximately 18-20 hours.
This allows you to adjust the cooking time according to the weight of the brisket.
How to Smoke a Brisket On a Pellet Grill
Use a good pellet grill It is the easiest and most flavorful method to smoke brisket. It not only maintains a steady temperature, but also provides many useful features.
For an additional flavor boost, you can add smoke flavors like maple, apple, and oak to your brisket while it is being grilled.
Here’s how you can smoke a brisket on a pellet grill.
How to Smoke Brisket in an Electric Smoker
An electric smoker has a narrower temperature range than a pellet grill. This is one of its biggest disadvantages. But despite that, you can easily achieve a temperature of around 270°F in a quality electric smokerIt is delicious and flavorful.
These steps are easy to follow smoke a brisket in an electric smoker easily.
How to Smoke Brisket on a Charcoal Grill
Charcoal grills can be used to achieve the perfect smokey flavor good-quality charcoal.
If you prefer charcoal grills to any other type of grill, we recommend adding a few soaked chips (hickory and mesquite), to the top of the coal.
Then, follow these steps.
How to properly slice the Brisket
You can smoke your brisket either on an electric smoker, charcoal grill, or pellet grill. The meat should be left to rest for at most 1-3 hours before smoking. slicing it down. It preserves all the flavors and juices of the Brisket in every part.
To achieve the best texture and tenderness, you should cut against the grain. It will be chewy or rubbery otherwise.
You should slice the point into ¼-inch pieces.
Most importantly, the point’s grain of the brisket is present in a different direction than the flat’s grain. Keep this in mind when you are cutting your perfectly-smoked Brisket.
How to Make Smoked Brisket Easy for Beginners
How to make Texas Smoked Brisket properly
Wrap up
When you’re cooking to serve guests, the quality, tenderness, and flavor of your brisket all matter a lot. This detailed guide will save you a lot of money.
If you cook enough brisket, there will be plenty of leftovers. The best part is that you can easily reheat your brisket Enjoy the same taste the next morning!
Just cook the leftover brisket in its juices (or add some other flavors) till the temperature reaches 140°F. Then, remove it from the grill, and it will smell and taste like it’s just freshly smoked.
Happy grilling!
