Big Sur Smokehouse Brisket
Thomas J. Story
Smoking brisket is an art that requires patience and repetition to perfect. Keeping your temperature stable in an offset smoker or a charcoal grill loaded with wood chunks requires constant babysitting that can stretch from sunrise to sunset. For some people, that’s heaven. But if that’s not your idea of a good time, there are any number of excellent pellet smokers on the market that will allow you to dial in your temperature and maintain it at a steady slow and low without as much effort. There are other smoked brisket “hacks” out there, but this recipe is a minimalist version that succeeds on the quality of the meat and the smoker—and the patience of the cook. At Big Sur Smokehouse they use oak wood, but feel free to use whatever suits your taste.
This recipe, and others like it, can be found in the article Your Barbecue Just Got Better: 7 Recipes for an Epic Summer Feast.
How to Make It
1
Trim outer fat of brisket to about ¼ inch in thickness. Rub the entire brisket with salt and pepper.
2
Fire up your smoker or pellet grill according to directions using your preference of wood and bring the temperature up to 225°F according to manufacturer's directions.
3
Place the brisket in the smoker and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. This can take between 5-7 hours, so begin checking on the early side.
4
Remove the brisket from the smoker and wrap with butcher paper and then foil. Make sure to crimp the foil so it’s sealed completely around the brisket.
5
Place back in the smoker until the internal temperature reaches 200°F, which could take another 3-5 hours.
6
Pull the brisket out of the smoker and let it rest for 20 minutes. The brisket should have some bounce to it when you tap it with a knife.
7
Slice against the grain and serve while hot.
Ingredients
1 (10-12 lb.) beef brisket
3 tbsp kosher salt
1 ½ tbsp fresh ground black pepper
oak, hickory or applewood hardwood or pellets, depending on what type of smoker you’re using
Directions
1
Trim outer fat of brisket to about ¼ inch in thickness. Rub the entire brisket with salt and pepper.
2
Fire up your smoker or pellet grill according to directions using your preference of wood and bring the temperature up to 225°F according to manufacturer's directions.
3
Place the brisket in the smoker and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. This can take between 5-7 hours, so begin checking on the early side.
4
Remove the brisket from the smoker and wrap with butcher paper and then foil. Make sure to crimp the foil so it’s sealed completely around the brisket.
5
Place back in the smoker until the internal temperature reaches 200°F, which could take another 3-5 hours.
6
Pull the brisket out of the smoker and let it rest for 20 minutes. The brisket should have some bounce to it when you tap it with a knife.
7
Slice against the grain and serve while hot.
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