Smoking Beef Brisket.... A Great Choice for the Barbecue Pit.

Smoking beef brisket is well worth the time and effort. When smoked properly it is tender and juicy.

There are basically two parts to this cut of meat, the flat and the point. The flat is the leaner meat, more uniform in shape. The point has more fat and irregular contours.

Smoking beef brisket is well worth the time and effort. When smoked properly it is tender and juicy.

There are basically two parts to this cut of meat, the flat and the point. The flat is the leaner meat, more uniform in shape. The point has more fat and irregular contours.

When looking at the fat, it should be a very white color, this indicates the animal was grain fed prior to slaughtering.

Look for a whole and untrimmed brisket which is usually referred to as a packers cut. It is best to get this type of cut from your local butcher.

Once you have made your choice it needs to be prepared. Trim the excess fat to ¼ inch over the entire flat and the point.

At this point you can add a rub, marinate or both. If you decide to marinate remember to rinse and pat dry prior to applying the rub.

Next, fire up your smoker and bring the temperature up to 250 degrees. If you are using an electric or propane smoker, add your wood chips and you are ready to go.

When smoking beef brisket, placing it fat side up or fat side down is entirely up to you. There are too many opinions on which way works best. Fat side down protects the meat from drying out because of too much heat at the bottom of the cooking chamber. Fat side up bastes the meat to help prevent it from drying out.

You can also place a pan of water in the cooking chamber to help prevent drying.

I put the fat side down and then place the fat I trimmed off earlier on the warming rack, directly above the brisket. This seems to work well for me.

The cooking time is between 1 ½ to 2 hours per pound, post trimming. When the internal temperature reaches 195 to 205 degrees, it is done.

Remove the smoked brisket from the grill and let it rest for a minimum of thirty minutes. Sixty minutes is best. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat to keep it moist.

Now you are ready to carve. Always cut across the grain, keeping in mind, the grain of the flat portion runs opposite of the point portion.

Smoking beef brisket is well worth the effort, you are now ready to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Pick out your wood chips and lets get smoky!




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