Do you really believe that a smoked brisket recipe can be quick or easy or have you been drinking some cactus juice?
There is nothing quick about smoking a brisket but it can be done easy. First of all do you know what brisket is. What part of the cow is the brisket? It is a cut from the great muscle of the chest-one of the toughest parts of the cow.
Think of the cow in the boxing ring standing up and getting cow-punched in the breast. In people us it would be the chest. You need a tough muscle to protect your inner organs-and that’s where brisket comes from.
So rich people were never interested in eating brisket-it was for the working people like us not the millionaires they were busy eating the soft behinds of a cow and paying thru the nose for the privilege. We on the other had had to learn how to smoke a brisket.
Well if I ever became a millionaire I would still love cooking-brisket for hours over a nice hickory wood smoker. I love the smell of brisket in the moonlight next to ribs its my favorite bbq.
And I might invite you to the next smoking So pay attention to this smoked brisket recipe and let me know how it goes.
Here is some brisket i made in the smoker
I say not be the best photographer but I sliced thru my brisket to show you the important things having the smoke red ring from hickory on the crust right on the edge of the brisket you see the smoke doesn’t penetrate all the way into the brisket but its enough to cause a red hickory ring. Also you can see the white fat on the bottom you always want fat in your brisket show it tastes great and doesn’t dry out!
How to smoke a brisket
First you got to go out and get a brisket from the grocer get the lowest priced brisket with some fat on it you need the fat during the long smoking that will be going on. You want a brisket that is around 5 to 10 pounds it can be less or more but I like to eat snacks of brisket all day so it lasts longer.
You are going to be cooking for hours figure one to one and a half hours for pound when the temperature in the cooker is around 225 degrees f . That’s the magic temperature that you are aiming for. Everything depends on the weather the temperature so if you live where its colder you may need to cook longer.
When are you smoking a brisket? I like to cook on a Saturday morning when I am home and I’ll prepare the brisket the day before. This smoked brisket recipe wants you to pay attention to the brisket for the day or the brisket will get jealous . Once everything is cooking in the smoker you will have time to do important things like drink a beer or talk to the dawg.
You take your brisket the day or night before you cook and place your favorite mustard all over the brisket to hold the rub on it. Then you take your rub and coat the brisket with it and place the brisket in a plastic container in the refrigerator.
When you are ready for cooking-brisket get your smoker ready the way you did for ribs using the chimney to get the coals going ,add the hickory wood chips to the unheated coals at the bottom of the smoker. Cover the wood hips with the hot coals,place your water pan above the coals,feel the water pan with water from a flower waterer and put your steel grate on.
Take your soon to be smoked brisket out of the refrigerator and kiss it goodbye wish it a wonderful ride on the smoker because its going to be there for around 10 hours I can’t due to math but if its 10 pounds times one hour it will probably cook for at least 10 hours.
I’ll get up around 4 am on a Saturday morning and get the fire going in the smoker and then place the brisket in the smoker and disappear for the next two hours coming back to check the water pan and the coals thru the door on the side. You do not want to lift the lid of the smoker all that heat takes a toll on the time making it add at least another 15 minutes.
And I’m hungry I don’t have anything to eat-so I want to have my smoked brisket by 1500 hours or 3 pm for you none military folks in the afternoon on Saturday.
So after 5 hours on the grill check the smoked brisket recipe and use a mop to keep the meat moist. I like to use a mixture of apple juice and some tomato sauce. Place the brisket now in aluminum foil and continue to cook for the remaining hours.
Then check the temperature at the 10 hour,if its over 180 internally after you poke it in several different places you are ready to take the meat over to the dining room and wow your family and guests.
How Long to Smoke a Brisket
Item To Be | Smoking Target Temperature | Approximate | Final Internal Temperature |
Brisket (Thin Sliced) 8 to 12 lbs. | 225° F to 250° F | 1.5 hours per pound | 185° F |
Brisket (Thick Sliced) 8 to 12 lbs. | 225° F to 250° F | 1.5 hours per pound | 195° F |
Brisket (Pulled) 8 to 12 lbs. | 225° F to 250° F | 1.5 hours per pound | 205°F |
So if your smoked brisket goes well how about inviting me over with my bbqcat and kitten. Make sure for the side dishes you have at least cole slaw and barbecue baked beans.
What are you going to have for dessert? Are you going to have any room for dessert is a better question? Aren’t you happy you stuck with this smoked brisket recipe? Now go and take a snooze you deserve it.
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