Central Texas Style Smoked Beef Brisket

[Fosgate]

 I poured a lot of time researching Aaron Franklin (Branklin's BBQ, Austin TX) and watched a few of his videos on brisket on youtube. Gave a shot with three briskets over new years eve and all three turned out differently. First off Half Morton kosher salt half 16 mesh black pepper for rub. Light coating of Frenches mustard for binder. 225 temp. One 14lb Choice Black angus, two 19lb Prime cut (unknown breed). Went on 11:30am. Spritzed with Apple cider vinegar. First one off at 6:am the following morning was the Angus cut. Thermopen read 186f,188f,189f but color was spot on, fat transparent and soft sponge, picked it up and was like floppy jello. Spritzed it with 50/50 Worch sauce and water, wrapped in butcher paper and put it in the pre warmed Yeti cooler. Spritz and wrapped another about an hour later and returned it until about 12:30pm before it hit 203f. It never did get spongy and would be the driest. Last one pulled at 5pm as I hit 202. That one was great on the point. Served at 7pm. 145 serving temp. The angus was like butter from end to end. Hands down my best and the topic of discussion and envy at the party as people commented how it was "melt in your mouth", "Meat Candy", "Bark is perfect" that they never had with brisket in any restaurant before. Learning the hot spots of the grill as these were my second attempt at brisket. Didn’t have a choice in cuts either as these were the only three I could find.

So going forward what I'm narrowing down to:

• 10-15lb Black Angus packer cut (Both the flat and point of the cut) the Brisket

Rub

• 1/2 cup Morton Kosher Salt (This has nice uniformity in size)
• 1/2 cup 16 mesh Black Pepper
• 1 tsp Hungarian Paprika (Optional)
• 1 tsp Granulated Garlic (optional)

1. Pat dry the brisket and Trim- 

 

2. Mix the ingredients for the rub and lightly smear mustard on the brisket as a binder for the rub. Careful not to overseason. That means do not work into open flaps or cuts of the meat. 

3. Leave out at room temp for an hour while preheating your smoker to 225 for a Pellet Smoker and 250-275 on a traditional smoker. 

4. Place meat in the smoker with the fat side toward your smokers heat source and the Point of the brisket toward the hottest area of the smoker. 

5. Don't lift cover for 3 hours...Drink beer and have a cigar during this time. 

6. Lift the lid and sprits with AppleJuice, Applecider Vinegar or Water. to keep from burning about once an hour. (I only hit my last angus 4 times during the last smoke)

7. When it hits the stall at about 160 this is where it can vary from cut to cut. Few may push through to 170 quickly and others will sit for hours until it pushes through. This is where you can push through by using the "Texas Crutch" by wrapping in pink wax free butcher paper or foil. Foil will result in a softer bark, where paper will let more water escape resulting in a middle of the road bark. Leaving it unwrapped will take longer but the flavor is usually a bit stronger. I learned this last time for my best result on this particular cut was to go low and slow right through it without wrapping and wait to check on it again until it hits about 185f on the thermopen and it was all together.

I look at the meat more than the temp at this point. The meat will be done when it decides its done. When the color is there, the fat is squishy and I pick it up and it feels like firm jello that feels like it's going to pour out of my hands, it's done. 

8. Layout over two overlapped pieces of butcher paper. (Again watch Aaron Franklin how he tightly wraps his). But spritz it with a 50/50 mix of worcestershire sauce. Set in the preheated cooler (preheat if serving is more than 5hrs away) and use a towel to fill the void. Let it sit and serve once it hits below 150f. 

9. Lookup how to cut, again the flat cut cross wise from the entire cut in No.2 pencil size and the Point gets cut lengthwise of the entire cut in the width of the fat pencils you used in Kindergarted (or sharpie thick)

Plate immediately and enjoy.

 

This was the best cut, the Certified Black Angus. 

 

Lots of people sqeeze the meat to show off the juicyness and in the process sqeeze the juice of of the cut. I'm just holding it here, but she was heavenly juicy. 

 

Fat on the bottom and the center channel rendered nicely. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ksblazer]

Looks great!!

Thanks for taking the time to share this with us here. ?

 

 

[Fosgate]

I learned another step to bring it a level higher. Take your fat trimmings, render them down in a pot on the stove to make beef tallow (liquid beef fat). Pour it into a jar until ready to wrap and after you quirt with worch/water mix. place spoonfuls of the now cooled tallow on top and wrap it.