Beef Brisket - Cooks Corner

Hey Y’all!!

I hope y’all are enjoying cooking as much as I do. This past week I was cooking up a storm, so these next few weeks I’ve got some real good stuff coming out here, so stay tuned!

This time we’re back on the smoker and going to smoke some delicious beef brisket!

• So go ahead and get the fire going and get that smoker up to temp, about 250. Once I get my hardwood charcoal going, I put on a couple sticks (about as big around as my wrist, give or take) of mesquite wood. You can use other wood but I find this to give the best flavor. 

My wife grew up in the Dallas area, so I spent the first few years that we were married in Texas and fell in love with some good brisket! 

One thing I love about this DCR brisket, besides the fact that it’s grass fed and super high-quality, it’s not that giant whole packer that you get at the grocery store. So if you’ve never smoked a brisket before this is gonna make it quite a bit easier on you.

Here’s a little tip for some of these bigger cuts of meat, they take a little bit longer to thaw so you might wanna pull it out of the freezer a couple of days before you’re gonna cook it. I know that might be a no-brainer for some of you, but it could definitely be a very helpful tip for others. 

Some people really try to go all out with their seasonings for so many different cuts of meat, and the brisket is no exception.

One thing I’ve learned over my years of cooking is, typically ,simple is better.

Back in Texas I learned, early on, the simple yet delicious seasoning combination for brisket call Dalmatian. That’s right just keep it black and white. Traditional dalmatian seasoning, just salt and pepper. Personally, I use sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, but I also add some garlic powder for a little bit extra favor.

Don’t be stingy with your seasoning though, put the brisket on pan you’ll be smoking it on with the fat cap facing up, then I start with a good amount (guesstimate about 2 Tablespoons, maybe slightly less) sea salt all over the top followed by the cracked pepper and then add some garlic powder. This will ensure that get that tasty smoked bark.

When you’re going to put the brisket in the smoker, I put a drip pan in the bottom with a couple inches of water just to keep some moisture in the smoker. Sit the pan with the brisket in the middle of your grate and close it up! Don’t be peaking! Every time you open it to take a peak, you lose heat and smoke. I made a couple of adjustments to the dampers a since my fire kept trying to get hot on me. 

I started mine at 8:00 am. I checked the internet temp after 3 hours. It was at 190, you’re looking for around 195, so I let it go for another hour and 15 minutes. 

When you take it off give it about 10 minutes to rest before cutting it. Then cut across the grain. Serve it up with some baked beans, Mac and cheese, or heck if you’re from Texas you grab a couple pieces of white bread and chow down! Personally I’m not a fan of white bread,  but I did make some sandwiches with the leftovers on sourdough bread.

Hope y’all enjoy!!

Your Cook,

Craigan