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Brisket is notoriously difficult cut of meat to master. Many amateur pitmasters have turned a 4lb brisket into a 4lb hunk of beef jerky. You shouldn’t let these horror stories put you off though. There is no greater accomplishment than slicing a juicy, perfectly cooked brisket after 12 hours tending to your smoker. If you want to learn how to smoke a brisket, there’s no better teacher than Aaron Franklin, the owner of the world-famous Franklin Barbecue restaurant. His brisket is so legendary that people willingly line up at 6:00am to queue for a taste. In this guide we go through his whole process from choosing the brisket, trimming and preparing it to how to manage the fire during the long cook. There is a lot of great advice whether you are smoking your first brisket or you’ve done this many times before. 1. The brisket – how to properly trim and add a rub to your brisketThe problem most people have with brisket is that it’s a tough cut of meat. This makes it perfect for low & slow cooking. Great brisket isn’t about fancy rubs, mops, marinades or BBQ sauce. Selecting the the right brisket from the butcher shop and preparing it properly will set you up for success well before you even fire up your smoker. BBQ with Franklin: The Brisket Tips for Selecting a BrisketWhile some people swear you need to buy Wagyu brisket, for practice cooks it’s fine to buy your brisket from places like Costco, Sams Club or asking your local butcher. If you want to go straight to the good stuff, Snake River Farms sells top-quality American Wagyu brisket and deliver everywhere in the continental United States. Check out our full review.
How to Trim a Brisket
Barbecue Brisket RubA lot of people use complicated rubs with chill powder, cumin, and paprika on their brisket. For true Texas-style brisket rub a lot of people will tell you you can only use even parts salt & black pepper. This simple style rub will still give you great bark, while still letting the beef flavor dominate, but most pitmasters like to add a few extras. You can add a little garlic powder and some paprika and still call it a Texas brisket. If you are wondering how to grind all that black pepper, the best option is to use a burr coffee grinder like the Cuisinart Supreme Automatic Burr Mill.
Calories: 297kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 56610mg | Potassium: 1584mg | Fiber: 30g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 647IU | Calcium: 559mg | Iron: 12mg Tag @smokedbbqsource on Instagram so we can admire your work!
Editors Note: If you want to be a bit more adventurous there is a whole world of rubs & injections. If you want to go home made we suggest investing in a rub shaker. These will let you experiment with different home made rubs and easily get an even coat on your brisket. If you don’t want to buy a bunch of spices, then you can skip straight to store bought. The BBQ Bros southern style seasoning set includes a Carolina, Memphis and New Orleans style rub in the same pack. This is a great way to find out what style you like. Or checkout our guide to the best store bought bbq rubs (all available to buy online). 2. The cook -- how to manage the fire and treat the brisket while it’s cookingWhile Aaron uses an offset smoker in these videos, the techniques he uses for preparing, smoking, and slicing the brisket can still be used if you are using a charcoal grill or smoker like the Smokey Mountain, converted Kettle, or pellet grill. BBQ with Franklin: The Cook Positioning the brisket on your smokerFat side up vs fast side down is a surprisingly controversial topic. While how much this actually matters is up for debate, the right way depends on your smoker setup.
How long to cook brisketAsk any experienced pitmaster how long to cook a brisket and they’ll roll their eyes and tell you to cook until it probes tender. Two similar sized briskets can have very different cook times based on a number of factors. But none of this helps you if you’re planning a dinner party and need to have things ready by 6:00pm.
For example: 10lb Brisket x 1.25 hours = 12.5 hours cooked at 250°F. You can also cook a brisket hot and fast and finish it in less time, and still get great results so give that method a try if you are short on time. Managing your brisket during the cook
To ensure a steady temperature and avoid opening the lid too often, make sure you have a quality wireless thermometer setup with dual probes so you can measure the temperature of the smoker, as well as the internal meat temp.
How to Keep Your Brisket Moist
Wrapping your brisket and dealing with the dreaded stall:
3. The payoff – wrapping, resting and slicing your brisketBBQ with Franklin: The Payoff Finishing your brisket
Slicing your brisket
You’re done! Time to relax and enjoy your barbecue brisket with a few drinks. And if you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, check out our guide on what to do with brisket leftovers and how to reheat brisket without drying it out. And if you found this useful you should check out our review of Aaron Franklins MasterClass where he goes into a lot more detail teaching you Texas style BBQ.
Advanced BBQ Brisket TechniquesIf you’re still mastering the basics of barbecue brisket, you can probably ignore this next section. The videos and steps above are a great introduction for beginners and will give you all the info you need. Advice for Buying BrisketIf you’re cooking brisket in a barbecue competition, or just want to make the best brisket humanly possible, you need to understand how beef grades work. In the United States, beef handled at a USDA-inspected facility grade their meet on the marbling and the age of the animal slaughtered. The three most common beef grades that you’ll see (from highest to lowest level of marbling) are:
Each of these grades can be further broken down into Upper, Middle and Lower grades. To give you a practical example, Certified Angus Beef, must be graded as Upper Choice Because meat is graded based on the marbling of the ribeye, a totally different part of the animal, there’s no guarantee the brisket will be marbled in the same way. However there’s a good chance meat from the same carcass will have similar marbling. Aaron Franklin prefers to use Prime Angus, but due to the limited supply he also uses Upper Choice Angus beef. Some other things to look out for include:
What about Wagyu beef?It’s a common misconception that Wagyu is a grade of beef. This is incorrect. Wagyu is beef that comes from Wagyu cattle. While the type of beef originated in Japan, Wagyu cattle these days has often been born and raised in the US. While most people picture the highly marbled A5 Wagyu style, plenty of Wagyu will actually resemble choice or prime. With that out of the way, there’s no denying the prevalence of Wagyu brisket on the competition circuit. You can generally expect more marbling, but more importantly, the quality of the fat is higher. This gives you better moisture. If you want to give Wagyu a try, Snake River Farms is a very popular producer.
Cooking only the brisket flat or pointA whole packer brisket is going to weigh between 8 – 16 pounds, which is a lot of meat! If you’re only cooking for a few people, this just might not be practical. Many briskets will sell just the flat or point. Try and get the point as it has more marbling and will result in a more tender end product. If you get just the flat you won’t get much marbling. These cuts are more commonly used for slow cooking in liquid. Technique will be the same for cooking just the point, but allow for less time. Using a Beef Brisket InjectionThe advice above says not to use any kind of injections. However, there’s no denying plenty of pro pit masters use a beef brisket injection. Malcolm Reed from howtobbqright.com recommends injecting beef brisket, because it “gives your meat more flavor and helps to keep it moist during and after the cooking process”. Meathead from amazingribs.com says “I almost always inject briskets with beef broth”. This is a good basic brisket injection recipe courtesy of howtobbqright.com Beef Brisket Injection Recipe
Heat ingredients together and mix then use a good meat injector to inject into your brisket before you add your rub. Apply salt and rub the night beforeIf you can, it’s best to trim your brisket the night before you plan on cooking it. This way you can apply the salt and rub and give it plenty of time to work its way in. The added advantage of doing this is that everything is prepared already so you can focus on getting your smoker going nice and early. Keeping your brisket warmTrying to time a brisket to be ready at the exact time you want to serve dinner is asking for failure. Your best option is to aim to have it ready at least an hour early. When the brisket temperature gets to around 203°F, wrap it in foil an an old towel, and then place it in a beer cooler. The faux cambro technique is a lifesaver.
This technique will allow you to keep meat safe for up to 3 hours. Wrapping it upOne of the best things about BBQ is that there are so many different opinions. But don’t feel like you need to stick to the videos and advice in this guide. Some cook fat side up, others cook fat side down. Some use a mop, some use a spritz. Want to add some bourbon to your water try? Give it a try! (And let me know how it goes in the comments below). What is the best seasoning for Smoked brisket?What is White Pepper?
How to choose best wood for smoking brisket?
How to cook a brisket to tender perfection every time?How to Smoke a Brisket on a Grill
What is the best wood for smoking brisket?What Types Of Wood Are Best To Smoke Brisket?
What is the best way to Season brisket?The best rub for beef brisket is a simple mixture of coarse salt and pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. These simple seasonings make an incredible complement to beef, especially brisket!
What flavor is best for smoking brisket?Stick to mild flavored woods like oak, which is a staple for brisket. From there, you can add other varieties of wood that pair well with brisket without overpowering the flavor, like apple or hickory. If you are someone who really loves mesquite flavors, it is recommended to do so sparingly with barbecue beef brisket.
How long do you rub a brisket before smoking?You can apply the rub right before cooking or up to 24 hours in advance. We recommend applying it at least an hour in advance to give the flavors a chance to seep in. Leaving it on overnight is our preferred method.
What is the best liquid to put on brisket before smoking?Apple juice, often combined with water or other ingredients, is one of the most popular bases for brisket spray. Apple cider vinegar is another top choice (see Using Apple Cider Vinegar Spray For Brisket, below). Some chefs prefer to substitute red wine vinegar for a milder flavor.
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