Texas Smoked Brisket

Method

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1. Trim the fat cap to an even 6 mm and square off any thin, ragged edges — they only burn.

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2. Mix the salt and pepper and coat the brisket heavily on all sides. Let it sit an hour at room temperature.

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3. Bring the smoker to a steady 110 to 120C with clean, thin blue smoke. Thick white smoke makes bitter meat.

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4. Put the brisket on fat side up, point towards the hotter side of the chamber. Close the lid and leave it alone for 3 hours.

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5. Spritz with vinegar every 45 minutes from hour three, only to keep the surface from drying.

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6. At around 70C internal the temperature will stop rising. This is the stall. When the bark is dark and firm to the touch, wrap tightly in butcher paper.

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7. Return to the smoker and cook to 95 to 97C internal, probing the thickest part of the flat. It should feel like pushing into soft butter.

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8. Rest still wrapped in a cool oven or an insulated box for at least 2 hours, ideally 4.

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9. Slice the flat against the grain at pencil thickness. The grain turns in the point — rotate it 90 degrees and slice that separately, thicker.

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Chef’s Tips

• Thin blue smoke, not white. White smoke is unburnt fuel and it tastes like an ashtray.
• Wrap when the bark is set, not at a fixed clock time.
• The two-hour rest is part of the cook, not an afterthought. Slicing early loses the juice.

Pairing Suggestions

• White bread, pickles and raw onion
• Pinto beans
• A cold lager

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate sliced up to 4 days, freeze 3 months. Reheat in a covered tray with a little beef stock.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.