Entrée: United States – Smoked Beef Brisket

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 10

Approximate Time

Prep 15 min

Cook 12 hrs

Additional 1 hr

Total 13 hrs 15 min

Ingredients

1 whole beef brisket (packer, 10–14 lb / 4.5–6.4 kg), fat cap trimmed to 1 / 4 in (0.6 cm)
1 / 4 cup coarse kosher salt
1 / 4 cup coarse black pepper
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 cups wood chunks (oak or post oak preferred)
Beef stock or water (for the drip pan), to taste

Instructions

1. Combine salt, pepper and garlic powder; rub evenly over entire brisket and let sit 1 hour at room temperature or refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat smoker to 225°F (107°C); add wood and set a drip pan with a cup of beef stock below where the brisket will sit.
3. Place brisket fat-side up on the smoker grates, insert probe thermometer into the thickest part, and smoke until internal temperature reaches 165°F (about 6–8 hours depending on size).
4. If the bark is set and color is deep, wrap brisket tightly in butcher paper (not foil) and return to smoker until internal temp reaches 203°F and probe slides with little resistance (another 4–6 hours).
5. Rest wrapped brisket in a cooler or insulated box for at least 1 hour, then unwrap and slice thinly against the grain; serve immediately.