Texas Smoked Brisket
Jules Moreau Demo- Makes
- 48 servings
- Active
- 2 h 30 min
- Total
- 15 h 30 min
You’ll Need Offset smoker (fed with dry post oak splits) or Weber Smokey Mountain with oak chunks or Kettle set up for indirect heat, Probe thermometer (with a meat probe and a cooker probe), Instant read thermometer, Pink butcher paper (unwaxed, 40 lb, 18 to 24 in wide), Spray bottle, Empty cooler and two old towels, Long slicing knife
Method
Salt and Pepper Rub
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Mix the and in a shaker.
Brisket
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Trim the lean side of the : cut away the dry, discoloured edge, the silverskin and loose surface fat, thin the hard seam of fat between the point and the flat, square off the thin end of the flat and round its corners.
smooth, rounded edges with nothing thin or flappy left to burn[object Object]
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Turn it over and trim the fat cap to an even 6.4 mm (¼ in), removing any hard fat that will not render and the loose flap on the side of the point.
[object Object]
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Shake the rub evenly over every surface and leave the brisket at room temperature for while the fire comes up to temperature.
an even, speckled coat with the meat still visible through it[object Object]
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Light the smoker and bring it to a steady 121 °C to 135 °C. On an offset, build a small, clean-burning bed of oak coals in the firebox and add a split whenever the temperature starts to sag.
128 °C ± 8 °Cthin, clear blue smoke from the stack, never thick white smoke[object Object]
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Put the brisket on the cooker, insert the meat probe horizontally into the thickest part of the flat, close the lid and leave it alone for while the bark sets.
128 °C ± 8 °Cthe surface is dark and dry and the rub no longer smears when touched[object Object]
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Spray the brisket lightly with and repeat every , keeping the cooker between 121 °C and 135 °C, until the flat reaches 77 °C. This usually takes from the start.
77 °Ca deep mahogany to black barkthe internal temperature has climbed past the stall to 170 F[object Object]
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Lift the brisket off, spray it generously one last time and wrap it snugly like a parcel in a large sheet of butcher paper, overlapping two sheets if your roll is narrow.
[object Object]
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Return it to the cooker fat side up and cook until the flat reaches 96 °C and is probe tender. Check by pushing an instant read thermometer straight down into the centre of the flat.
96 °Cthe probe slides in and out like it is going into soft butter[object Object]
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Leave the brisket in its paper on the counter for , then lay a towel in an empty cooler, put in the brisket, cover with another towel and close the lid. Rest for , keeping it above 60 °C.
60 °CIt holds safely in the cooler for a few hours as long as it stays above 140 F.[object Object]
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Unwrap and slice only what you will serve. Cut the flat across the grain into 6.4 mm (¼ in) slices; when you reach the point, turn the brisket a quarter turn and cut the point across its own grain into 9.5 mm (⅜ in) slices. Serve any sauce on the side.
a slice of flat bends over your finger without breaking apart[object Object]
From Jules Moreau
This follows Aaron Franklin's method as worked through at home by The Virtual Weber Bullet: equal parts Morton kosher salt and 16 mesh pepper, a steady 250 to 275 F fire, vinegar spritzes once the bark sets, and pink butcher paper at 170 F. The long rest in a cooler is not optional; it is where the brisket turns from cooked to great.
Notes
- The brisket: buy a 12 to 14 lb USDA Prime or high Choice whole packer, point and flat together. Expect to trim off roughly a quarter of its weight.
- Trimming: aim for an aerodynamic shape with no thin edges or ragged flaps that would burn; Franklin's trimming videos are worth watching first.
- Salt and pepper: Morton kosher salt is much denser than Diamond Crystal; if you use Diamond, use about twice the volume. 16 mesh (coarse, sifted) pepper gives the classic bark. Apply them separately if they will not stay mixed in a shaker.
- The cooker: an offset pit fed with dry post oak splits is the Central Texas way. The source cook was on a Weber Smokey Mountain with a full water pan, charcoal lit by the Minion method and three fist-sized oak chunks; the temperatures and timings are the same.
- Butcher paper: use unwaxed, uncoated 40 lb paper at least 18 in wide (24 in is easier). Foil also works but softens the bark.
- Servings: about half the raw weight ends up as sliced meat, so a 12 lb packer feeds roughly 16 people at a third of a pound each (an estimate, not from the source).
Storage
Wrap leftover brisket tightly and refrigerate for up to 4 days, or vacuum seal and freeze for 3 months. Reheat gently, wrapped, in a low oven.
Make Ahead
Trim the brisket the day before and keep it covered in the fridge. Plan the cook so it finishes 3 or 4 hours before you eat: a well insulated cooler holds it safely hot for hours.
When to Start
Plan backwards from a time
Filed under Main · North America › United States · Beef · Roast · Smoking · Weekend Project · Brisket. Tags: #barbecue, #central texa, #low and slow.
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