smoked brisket recipe? - Cigar Asylum Cigar Forum

Have you smoked (meat) before? I'd suggest a pork shoulder as a good first smoke. It's far more forgiving...and generally less expensive.

I love brisket that's been done well - even more than I love a good pork butt (which is saying something), but my (limited) experience is that it's good to build your skills with more forgiving and less expensive cuts, and then take the step up to doing a brisket after two or three pork butts.
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Originally Posted by w squared:
Have you smoked (meat) before? I'd suggest a pork shoulder as a good first smoke. It's far more forgiving...and generally less expensive.

I love brisket that's been done well - even more than I love a good pork butt (which is saying something), but my (limited) experience is that it's good to build your skills with more forgiving and less expensive cuts, and then take the step up to doing a brisket after two or three pork butts.

Agreed, it is easy to mess up a brisket and they are pricey. A good pork butt is usually +/- $1.50/lb and is almost impossible to mess it up. Even if you have smoked several times, it is a good idea to get a feel for your new smoker and how it regulates heat before throwing a brisket on it.
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If you are dead set on starting out with a brisket, here's a good recipe. Rub it with your favorite beef rub. Soak your favorite wood to smoke with in water for a while before putting it on the heat to create the most smoke. Smoke the brisket for a couple 13-14 hours at +/- 180* until you can push the meat in with your finger at the thickest part and it does not rebound (you can see an indent after you remove your finger). I like to slap the brisket on my grill at high heat for a few minutes on each side to sear it before smoking.
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I do mine at 225 indirect heat with a water pan until the inside reaches 185. Then I wrap it in foil and some towels and throw it in a cooler for 1+ hours.
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Try poking around here for awhile, see if you get any ideas. :-)
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Lots of ways to cook good brisket, but the key IMO is to have a constant, steady temp. The suggestion of cooking a butt or two to learn your smoker is a great one. That being said here is how I do brisket:

-First of all I would suggest a full packer brisket. It is much better than just a flat IMO
-Trim all of the fat you can making sure to get all of the hard yellow fat between the flat and point
-Rub with a good beef rub. There are lots of good ones, but it is hard to beat Montreal Steak Seasoning as a good basic.
-Get your smoker going using mesquite chunks (it just goes well with beef) and let the temp settle at 225.
-Cook at 225 until the internal temp is 175 (anywhere from 12 to 15 hrs)
-Double wrap in foil and add some moisture to the brisket (I use apple juice or beef broth)
-Cook until the internal temp is 195 or so and a temp probe goes into the flat like it is warm butter (almost no resistance). I have had the temp go as high as 205. The key is when the probe goes in with little resistance.
-Separate the point and flat.
-Wrap the flat and put it in a cooler with towels to take up the extra space.
-Put the point back on the cooker for an hour.
-Cube the point into one inch squares, add some rub, put it in a pan, add some moisture, cover with foil, and put it back in the cooker for 1/2 and hour.
-Put some BBQ sauce on the cubes, put it in the cooler with with flat.
-Let sit at least 1/2 an hour, slice flat and serve.
-YMMV
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Originally Posted by Smokin Gator:
Lots of ways to cook good brisket, but the key IMO is to have a constant, steady temp. The suggestion of cooking a butt or two to learn your smoker is a great one. That being said here is how I do brisket:

-First of all I would suggest a full packer brisket. It is much better than just a flat IMO
-Trim all of the fat you can making sure to get all of the hard yellow fat between the flat and point
-Rub with a good beef rub. There are lots of good ones, but it is hard to beat Montreal Steak Seasoning as a good basic.
-Get your smoker going using mesquite chunks (it just goes well with beef) and let the temp settle at 225.
-Cook at 225 until the internal temp is 175 (anywhere from 12 to 15 hrs)
-Double wrap in foil and add some moisture to the brisket (I use apple juice or beef broth)
-Cook until the internal temp is 195 or so and a temp probe goes into the flat like it is warm butter (almost no resistance). I have had the temp go as high as 205. The key is when the probe goes in with little resistance.
-Separate the point and flat.
-Wrap the flat and put it in a cooler with towels to take up the extra space.
-Put the point back on the cooker for an hour.
-Cube the point into one inch squares, add some rub, put it in a pan, add some moisture, cover with foil, and put it back in the cooker for 1/2 and hour.
-Put some BBQ sauce on the cubes, put it in the cooler with with flat.
-Let sit at least 1/2 an hour, slice flat and serve.
-YMMV

+1
Can't beat any direction this man sends you for some cookin! Experienced it first hand, many times and never left something on the plate. Actually, that's a lie, the 4th or 5th plate usually has something left on it. But, I tried! :-)
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wow I forgot I posted this. there was some very helpful info in here that I missed. oh well. live and learn.
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Rub with worchestershire and a good dry rub. I have my favorite dry rub that I purchase online. Then place on the pit fat side down. By placing fat side down you will protect the meat from the heat coming up from the bottom of the pit and it will reatin much more of the moisture over the long cook. After an estimated 6-8 hours at 200-215 pull the brisket out and wrap it in foil along with some sort of moisture. I have used bouillion cubes mixed with rub and even pineapple juice and rub mixed together. Add approximately 1/2 to 3/4 cup of this moisture and pour it over the brisket, with the sides turned up on the foil it will hold all of the juices inside the foil. Place back on the pit for another estimated 2-3 hours. If you have an internal meat thermometer you can test the internal temp of the brisket and it should be in the 185 to 190 range.
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Lots of great information above from THE MAN when it comes to BBQ'n! :-):-)

All I'll add is that I am now definately hungry for some BURNT ENDS!!! :-)
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