A packer brisket is a specific cut of meat that comes from the lower chest or breast of the animal. All meat animals possess a brisket area, but the term is traditionally used to refer to beef, though sometimes veal. There are numerous popular ways to cook a brisket, but one of the most popular is to smoke it. It's probably one of the most commonly smoked meat. There are many brisket recipes out there, but today we want to guide you so you know how to do it in the easiest and fastest way. Enjoy the process of this delicious beef brisket recipe!
Step-By-Step Guide On How To Smoke Brisket
Step one: Choose The Perfect Brisket
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First, get familiar with the cut. This is integral to choosing a quality brisket. There are two parts of the brisket, the flat and the point. The flat is the wide, flatter, leaner portion that makes up most of the brisket. The point is the opposite end, which typically has a cap of fat. In choosing your brisket, select a weight and size that suits your needs and fits properly on your smoker.
Fat is good, but choose a brisket without too much fat layer; otherwise, you will be paying for something you end up trimming off in the end. That's why it is important to find a brisket without too much layer of fat.
Step Two: Prepare Your Brisket
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The benefits of a trimmed brisket can be decreased smoking time and less post-cooking fat. To trim the brisket, lay it on a clean, flat surface, and use paper towels to pat it dry. Trim the hard, white fat away in layers. Remove some, but not all of the fat. Your brisket should have at least a half-inch of fat remaining to prevent the brisket from drying out during the smoking process.
Season your brisket as desired. You can purchase a ready-made dry rub or you can make your own brisket rub by picking and choosing your seasoning. Most basic rubs include kosher salt, black pepper, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and brown sugar. Measuring your ingredients is not an exact science, but you can use approximately equal amounts of all of them-- and don't be afraid to experiment with the adding and removal of ingredients based on personal tastes to get the juicy brisket.
Ensure that the quantity of rub your craft is enough to cover the entire brisket, and when you're ready, do just that: cover the entire thing.
Step Three: Prepare The Smoker
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Get your smoker ready. We've used all types to make amazing brisket: charcoal, gas, or electric. Charcoal smokers use lump charcoal, briquettes, and hardwoods. Gas smokers generally require a smoker box filled with different types and flavors of woodchips, while using the gas to regulate heat. Electric smokers use a smoker box as well, and many rely on preformed hardwood pellets for smoke.
Bring your smoker to the temperature. The ideal temperature is 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the brisket on your pre-heated smoker and prepare to wait. The average cooking time for brisket is approximately 90 minutes per pound of meat. A 10-pound brisket, in other words, is going to take 13 hours at a minimum.
Step Four: Smoke Your Brisket
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For most of the cooking process, you will want to leave the meat alone to do its thing. Don't touch it, flip it, or poke at it. Just make sure that the grill maintains its temperature during the smoking process. Keep your hardwoods, wood chips, or wood chunks stocked to get a smoky flavor.
When you're about 75% through your planned cooking time, get your instant-read thermometer ready. Get your reading quickly, then close the lid so the temperature in your grill doesn’t drop.
Your brisket is ready to go when the temperature on your meat thermometer shows between 185 and 190 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the brisket from the heat source and wrap it completely in tin foil.
Step Five: Let The Brisket Rest
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Leave the meat in foil in a cool oven or an empty ice chest, allowing it to rest. This gives the beef brisket time to reabsorb any juices that are lost during the process of removing it from the grill. It will continue to cook slightly while cooling. Leave it alone for at least two hours. Then put it for a moment on a paper towel, and wait few minutes until it gets a bit dry.
Step Six: Serve Your Brisket
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From here you can carve your finished brisket. Now is the time for you to separate the flat and the point and trim off any additional fat that didn’t render off during cooking. Cut against the grain when slicing along the flat, rather than with it. From here you can slice or cube the point depending on preference and intended use of the meat.
To Wrap Up
Most people when thinking about smoked meat have a brisket in front of their eyes. It's extremely popular around the world and can be eaten in different ways. You can put it into your sandwich and add your favorite sauces. You can have it with fries, or potatoes. However, it is so good that you can eat it without anything.
The smoking process can take some time, but smoking brisket is very easy and doesn't require a lot of cooking skills. All you have to do is find yourself a good quality piece of meat, prepare and rub it, and at the end put it to your smoker. That's where the whole magic happens and from that moment all you need to do is be patient. Once it is ready leave it for a while to rest and start serving it!