| Almost everyone who has ever cooked a beef | | | | ready, it will go straight to the smoker. This gives the |
| brisket will tell you one thing first, and that is to | | | | brisket the best smoke ring. |
| always cook the brisket with the fat side up. The | | | | 3) Using a smoker like the Weber above, fill the |
| thinking is the fat, as it melts during cooking, drips its | | | | bottom ring with a chimney starter full of unlit |
| flavor onto and soaks into the meat, keeping it moist | | | | charcoal briquettes. Light another 15-20 briquettes in |
| and making it tender. | | | | the chimney starter. Once they start burning into |
| The truth is the fat does not really soak into the | | | | flames and turning ashy, carefully pour them over the |
| meat at all, but runs down the meat and into the fire. | | | | unlit briquettes you placed in the ring. Add wood |
| This process causes the heat to fluctuate greatly | | | | chunks on top, if desired. Open all bottom vents |
| while cooking, creating a very uneven and | | | | completely. |
| unpredictable barbecue cooking experience. | | | | 4) Place the center section on top of the bottom |
| Cooking with the fat side down allows the fat on the | | | | section, and place the water pan on top. Fill the pan |
| bottom to just drip onto the heat source, creating | | | | with water and lay in the cooking grates. Clean the |
| delicious smoke flavor that rises back up and through | | | | top cooking grate with a wire brush. Lay the brisket, |
| to the meat. The connective tissue within the meat | | | | with the fat side down, on the top grate. Put the lid |
| is what keeps it tender and moist. The tissue melts | | | | on the smoker, with the top vent wide open. Place a |
| when the internal temperature of the meat reaches | | | | thermometer in one of the vent holes in order to |
| 160 degrees Fahrenheit. That moisture from the | | | | watch the temperature inside the smoker. Close the |
| connective tissue releases into the meat, making it | | | | bottom vents to about halfway. The temperature in |
| tender. | | | | the smoker will fall to about 250 degrees, at which |
| Using this fat-down method, you really do not have | | | | time you will close the bottom bents 3/4 of the way. |
| to buy the full-sized brisket (10+lbs.). You can cook | | | | 5) Your brisket will take about 1 1/2 hours per pound |
| the smaller, already-trimmed brisket that is common | | | | to cook properly. The internal temperature is the |
| in many supermarkets, and is better suited for | | | | most important indicator of doneness, where it |
| smaller families or groups. | | | | should reach 190 degrees in the thickest section of |
| One method of cooking beef brisket, using a charcoal | | | | the meat. You should not have to add charcoal |
| grill, allows you to barbecue a brisket, or another | | | | through the whole cooking process. Just adjust the |
| large cut of meat, for up to 12 hours, keeping the | | | | bottom vents occasionally to maintain the |
| heat low, slow and even. It is the perfect method | | | | temperature between 225 and 250 degrees |
| for cooking overnight, as it pretty much does all the | | | | fahrenheit. You may need to refill the water pan (use |
| work itself. | | | | warm water) sometime through the second part of |
| Using a Weber Smokey Mountain Grill (smoker), or a | | | | smoking. |
| grill similar to that, to cook this brisket slow and | | | | 6) Once the internal temperature of the thickest part |
| perfect. | | | | of the brisket reaches 190 degrees, remove it from |
| 1) Lay the brisket, with the fat side down, on a clean | | | | the smoker, and lightly wrap in two layers of |
| work surface. Trim off the hard fat, if any. Peel off | | | | aluminum foil. Place the brisket in a cooler (with no |
| the tough membrane that might be on the surface | | | | ice), and let rest for about 3 hours. This allows the |
| of the meat. | | | | brisket to further tenderize while it stays hot in the |
| 2) In a medium bowl, mix up a rub using 2 | | | | cooler. |
| tablespoons of each of these ingredients: | | | | 7) When ready to serve, unwrap the brisket, |
| -ground black pepper | | | | preserving the juices. Pour the juices into a bowl for |
| -granulated sugar | | | | serving, or use these juices to make a barbecue |
| -sweet paprika | | | | sauce of your choice. |
| -good chile powder | | | | 8) Slide a small knife between the two sections, and |
| Also add and mix 2 teaspoons of each of these: | | | | separate the muscles. Trim any excess fat from both |
| -garlic salt | | | | sections and slice the meat of the bottom part |
| -onion salt | | | | against the grain. The top section is best chopped up |
| -celery salt | | | | for sandwiches, or just eating. Serve warm with the |
| -seasoning salt | | | | juices or barbecue sauce on the side. |
| Cover and rub in this mix all over the brisket. Put the | | | | What you end up with is the finest barbecue beef |
| brisket back into the refrigerator. Once the fire is | | | | brisket anywhere. Enjoy. |