Perfect Backyard Brisket

1. Choose the right brisket

•  Look for a brisket with uniform thickness in the flat.
  
  
• Perform the "fold test" to check for excessive hard fat. Choose a brisket that bends easily.

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2. Prep the brisket

• Trim the fat off the brisket.
  
  
• On the bottom side, locate where the point meets the flat.  Remove all fat from the point portion of the bottom and trim the fat from the flat portion to ¼ inch thick.
  
  
• On the top side, trim all large chunks of fat and silver skin.
  
  
• Cut off the grayish fat on the edges of the brisket.
  
  
• Trim any protruding pieces of meat to ensure a smooth appearance.

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3. Inject the brisket

• In a jar, mix 1 ½ cups beef bone broth with about a tablespoon of Big Dad’s Spicy Dust.
  
  
• Determine which way the grain of the meat runs and inject the mix with the grain. Inject the mixture in a grid-like manner every 1 to 1 ½ inches.
  
  
• When the injection comes out of the meat, you can move to the next spot.
  
  
• You won’t use all of the injection, but keep the remaining for later in the cook.

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4. Season the brisket

• Season all sides heavily with Big Dad’s Spicy Dust.
  
  
• Allow the seasoned brisket to rest in the refrigerator overnight. This allows the meat to absorb the moisture and seasoning, resulting in a flavorful brisket.

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5. Smoke the brisket

• Set your smoker to 250 degrees.  If you are cooking overnight, you can set it to 200 degrees.
  
  
• Place the brisket on the smoker with the thicker part of the brisket towards the hotter side of the grill.
  
  
• Use the GrillSpyk to monitor the internal temperature of the brisket.  You want to insert it into the thicker portion.  Smoke until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
  
  
• At this point, the brisket has reached the stall. This occurs when the juice is evaporating out of the brisket, causing it to cool off.

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6. Separate the Point from the Flat

   - Separate the point from the fla.  Watch the accompanying video for the technique.

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7. Wrap the Point and Flat

 When wrapping the point and the flat, we want to pour the remaining injection in the foil.  Pour half of it in with the point and the other half with the flat.  With heavy duty aluminum foil or butcher paper, wrap the point and the flat.  Get it wrapped as tightly as possible.  If it’s loose, this will cause too much steam, which in turn will soften the bark.

At this point, we don’t monitor the temperature.  It typically takes about 2 to 2 ½ hours to finish the brisket.  Start checking the point and flat with an instant-read thermometer.  We’re not checking for temperature; we are checking to see of the thermometer will insert as if you are putting it in a stick of soft butter.  If the brisket feels like it is grabbing the probe when you pull it out, it’s not done.  Keep checking the tenderness every 20 to 30 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when you can insert the thermometer and pull it out, and the brisket doesn’t feel like it is sticking to the thermometer.  I find that the internal temperature is somewhere around 210 degrees at this point.

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8. Let it rest

Place the flat (still wrapped) in a large cooler for a minimum of 2 hours wrapped in a moving blanket.  Resting will allow the flat to absorb some of the juice back into the meat.  If you don’t let it rest, your brisket slices will be dry.

After resting, carefully open the foil making sure not to lose the juice.  We will use this juice after we slice the flat.

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9. Prepare Burnt Ends

• Using a sharp carving knife, cube the point into 1 inch cubes.
  
  
• This next step is optional, but we like to place the cubes in a small foil steamer pan, add butter slices on top, and pour your favorite BBQ sauce over them.
  
  
• Return the pan to the smoker at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes until the BBQ sauce caramelizes.
  
  
• After 20 minutes, cover the pan with foil, wrap it in a moving blanket, and place it in the cooler with the flat. 

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10. Slice and Serve

• Using a sharp carving knife, slice the flat into slices.  I like to cut the slices between ¼ and ½ inch thickness.
  
  
• Pour juice from the foil back over the slices.
  
  
• Enjoy your perfectly smoked brisket, along with the delicious burnt ends!

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Final Thoughts

The most common question is how long it will take to smoke a brisket.  This is a tough question to answer as there are a lot of factors to be considered.  There are some “standard” rules you can follow, but these are more of a guideline than a rule.  When smoking a brisket at 250 degrees, I like to plan about 1 hour per pound.  

When I smoke a brisket in the Grill Shak, I like to smoke it over night at a lower temperature.  I will typically start it around 10:00 pm and go to bed.  I don’t worry about it, because I’ve got my phone beside me, and with the GrillSpyk, I will get an alert on my phone if the temperature reaches 165 degrees sooner than I was planning.  Remember, 165 degrees is typically where a brisket reaches the stall, so it will stay at that temperature for a while.  At this point, usually around 9:00 or 10:00 the next morning, I will separate the point and flat and get them wrapped.  I crank up the smoker to 250 degrees and plan for a couple hours to finish.  Once finished, I can leave them in a cooler wrapped with a moving blanket for several hours and they will stay hot.  I’ve left them in a cooler for 6 hours and they still came out hot.  

One more thing I like to do is pour the juice from the foil into a fat separator.  This will allow the fat to rise to the top and you have the perfect juice to pour onto the sliced flat.  When you use a fat separator, the juice comes out of the bottom, so all of the fat remains and you’re left with the perfect Au Jus.

Good luck, and if you have any questions, find us on Facebook and we can help you through this daunting yet rewarding adventure.

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