Texas Smoked Brisket

Ingredients

• 5 kg (11 lb) whole packer brisket, trimmed to a 6 mm (¼ in) fat cap
• 3 tbsp coarse kosher salt
• 3 tbsp coarse black pepper (16-mesh if you can find it)
• 1 tbsp garlic powder (optional)
• Post oak, hickory or oak wood chunks (see Notes)
• Spritz: 120 ml (½ cup) apple cider vinegar mixed with 120 ml (½ cup) water, in a spray bottle
• Pink butcher paper, for wrapping
• White bread and pickles, to serve

Steps

1. Trim the brisket so the fat cap is an even 6 mm (¼ in) thick and any hard, dry fat is removed. Round off thin, ragged edges so they won't burn.
2. Mix the salt, pepper and garlic powder and coat every side. Let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour, or chill uncovered overnight.
3. Heat your smoker or kettle grill to 120 to 135°C (250 to 275°F) with a steady, thin, blue-grey smoke. Place the brisket fat side up (or toward the heat source).
4. Smoke undisturbed for 4 hours. When the surface has set into a dark mahogany bark, spritz it lightly every 45 minutes.
5. When the internal temperature hits about 74°C (165°F) and the bark does not smear when pressed, usually 5 to 6 hours in, wrap tightly in butcher paper.
6. Return to the smoker and cook until the thickest part reads 93 to 96°C (200 to 205°F) and a probe slides in like warm butter, another 3 to 4 hours.
7. Rest the wrapped brisket in a dry cooler or a 65°C (150°F) oven for at least 1 hour, up to 3.
8. Separate the point from the flat if you like. Slice the flat about 6 mm (¼ in) thick against the grain, and cube the point for burnt ends.
9. Serve on butcher paper with white bread and pickles.

Notes

• Wood: post oak is traditional; use any hardwood, and avoid heavy mesquite for a long cook.
• Oven option: cook at 135°C (275°F) on a rack with a few drops of liquid smoke in the rub for a close cousin.
• Leftovers: chop for tacos, chili or baked potatoes; reheat sliced meat gently with a splash of stock.
• Make ahead: wrapped, it keeps 3–4 days chilled; freeze portions 3 months. Reheat in foil at 150°C (300°F) with a splash of stock until steaming hot.
• Pair with: pinto beans, creamy coleslaw and potato salad.
• Twist: for a non-traditional bark, swap the garlic powder for 1 tbsp finely ground coffee.