Try folding the two ends of the brisket together. Simply put, the natural sugars in the meat form a crust underneath your spice rub. Start with a cold brisket fat cap facing up and pat the brisket dry with a paper towel. The point is used for chopped brisket or burnt ends. Save brisket drippings for marinades or an "au jus" dipping sauce. And with hundreds of recipes available, inspiration is just a tap away. This part – trimming – is one of the most time-consuming portions of cooking your brisket, especially if you’re not very experienced with it. Once your meat thermometer is reading an internal temp of 190° to 205°, it’s time to remove the brisket from the heat and let it rest. When you’re considering smoking a brisket, you’re going to find that everyone has their very own signature rub that they think is the best. You will know it’s perfect if it will hold up under its own weight but easily fall apart when you gently pull on it. Brisket is a muscular, tough cut of meat, so low and slow is the way to go. However, don’t stress over it too much. For example, a 16-pound brisket cooked at 275 degrees Fahrenheit will take between 10 and 12 hours. Final temperatures - 203 degrees for prime internal temperature. Here's why: The goal for throwing down a badass brisket is creating ultimate flavor and texture. Experience the evolution of fire with Traeger's next generation of wood pellet grills. Use fold/bend test when buying. Keep in mind that the grain of the point will be running in a different direction than the grain of the flat. While there are many ways to flavor a brisket, cooking it properly doesn’t leave quite as much room for experimentation or error. This Traeger-approved marinade features garlic and red wine. When cooking a good amount of brisket, there’s bound to be leftovers, and there are plenty of ways to get creative with them. How to smoke a brisket Texas style with pellet grill is the only way for me. That's why it's called the "bark." To know if your smoked brisket is done, simply insert your probe. Once you’re done, throw those heavenly chunks into the pan, douse them with BBQ sauce, and give them a turbinado sugar kiss. You should smoke at 225 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Some like to mix it with a milder wood like oak to balance the flavors, and others like to sweeten it with apple, cherry, or maple wood. Brisket should be sliced against the grain for the best mouthfeel and tenderness, otherwise even a perfectly cooked brisket will be chewy. Brisket is the holy grail of BBQ, and getting it right is a huge notch in your pitmaster belt. While it’s true that some fat is required to ensure the meat stays moist during the process of smoking, you will need to trim off most of it so it’s not too fatty at the end. Once your brisket is ready to eat, it will have a dark, mahogany-colored crust on the outside. The colder the brisket, is the easier it will be to trim. Trim fat cap (on the bottom) a quarter to a half an inch of fat. The grades of beef are based on the degree of marbling and the maturity of the animal. While it’s true that you’re not likely going to be able to literally fold it in half, a decent brisket will be “floppy” instead of stiff when you are holding it. When you first started barbecuing, you grilled only preformed hamburgers and hotdogs – now you’ve graduated to true barbecue. You need to start by preheating your pellet smoker to 250° Fahrenheit, or Hi-Smoke and then cook it until the internal temp of the meat is 160° Fahrenheit.. Give yourself enough time. The point is more marbled with fat than the flat lean cut, often used for slices. You’ve finally decided that you’re ready to take the plunge and try to smoke a brisket, which is known as one of the most unpredictable cuts of meat in the world. Flip brisket over and trim off all fat and silver skin from the top. Trimming the fat is standard procedure with most every cut of brisket. Remove the large chunk of hard fat found where the flat and point connect. See our pellet guide for more information. When it comes to smoke flavors, hickory is often mentioned for its robust flavor. Once your brisket reaches an internal temperature of about 160° Fahrenheit, it will reach a point known as the stall. In the world of barbecue, experts say that a good brisket can be folded in half. There are some lesser grades out there but these three are the most universally recognized in grocery stores and butcher shops. This will give the juices time to settle in the meat. Do You Smoke a Brisket Fat Side Up or Down? Once you have chosen a rub, you’ll need to coat your brisket on both sides and massage it into your meat so that it will stick. Required fields are marked *. A “full Packer” brisket contains two distinct parts that cook differently: the point and the flat. These days, it couldn’t be easier to smoke a brisket. When prepared correctly on a Traeger grill, a smoked brisket is tender, juicy, and irresistible. When the spices and caramelizing layers come in contact with the smoke, the bark begins to turn a very dark color. Cook times are going to vary as the size of the cut may as well. If injection sounds like too much trouble, you can also marinate the brisket. You do want the meat to be covered, but you don’t want it to be caked on there. The majority of the rub will remain on the surface and infuse with the layers forming there. If you’ve come up with a signature brisket recipe, share it with us and share it with the world #TraegerGrills. This process creates your burnt ends and allows your point the extra cook time it needs. However, if you prefer to cook this way, you’d still achieve great results in terms of the taste of the meat. If you do plan to save the drippings, only use one rub on the bottom (fat side) of the brisket. The simple rub and long braise in its own beefy juices make this brisket easy to pair with any sauce, or taste delicious and flavorful on its own. The flexibility of the meat reveals that there’s a decent balance of fat versus muscle. The same thing happens at low temperatures over time when you smoke brisket or any kind of meat.