How To Smoke A Brisket In 5 Simple Steps: The Best Tips And Tricks

There are a few levels of quality when it comes to meat. You will want to focus on the higher grade brisket options like prime, choice, and select. Prime and choice meats smoke best. They are often the most the most tender and juicy once cooked. However, select meats are the perfect option if you’re learning how to smoke a brisket. They are a bit cheaper but still great quality. Keep in mind if you cook any good meat at a low temperature for an extended period of time you should not have problems making it tender.

A huge factor to consider when picking the right brisket is finding the right amount of meat. In general, briskets contain fat and collagen. So when you initially pick it up from the store, that is going to contribute to the starting weight. You need to remember that it is going to shrink a lot during the cooking process. So you will end up with about 60 percent of the weight you started with. That’s a dramatic difference when you’re feeding a bunch of people.

Marbling is essential when picking a brisket. That will help keep your meat juicy and tender. You will also want to have a nice layer of fat on top. The layer of fat can get a trimming, and you might want to consider doing that if there is a lot. Keep in mind that fat is a good thing. It helps keep the meat moist and contributes to the flavor. You can always trim it off after cooking if you aren’t a fan of actually eating the fat. In general, it’s good to have a decent fat-cap, a layer of fat on top, that is about ⅛ to ¼ of an inch thick.

Flex isn’t always the easiest thing to look for. Most stores like to pack the meat on styrofoam trays. If you can find a brisket that doesn’t come with a styrofoam tray, try testing the flex of the meat. While this might sound a little bit odd if you’re new to the whole experience, it is an excellent way to check how tender the meat will be.

The older the animal was, the more collagen builds up, and the stiffer the meat may be. Stiff, collagen-filled meat may contribute to a tougher or more gristly finished product. So in the end, a soft, tender piece of meat will lead to a delicious, soft, and tender smoked brisket.

When you’re learning how to smoke a brisket, you will want to clean the meat. Rinse it under lukewarm water and then pat it dry with paper towels. It’s extremely simple and will help a dry rub stick to the damp meat.

Before you throw the brisket in the smoker, make sure it is room temperature. That will help it cook evenly. Never use frozen meat because it will cook longer on the outside than the inside. So by the time it is the right temperature in the middle, the outside may be dry or overcooked.

As I stated before you don’t have to do a whole bunch of trimming, but it is a question on most people's minds when they prepare meat in general. It feels like you should trim the fat off because many people don’t like to eat the fat. It’s gelatinous and isn’t always appealing.

Now, if you have a lot of fat on your brisket, there are handy informational videos that can help direct you. A good reference is to keep about a ¼ of an inch of fat. It’s a good point to remember when learning how to smoke a brisket. You can always trim it away when you’re done cooking your brisket. Keeping some fat on the meat will help keep it moist.

If you want a surefire way to add flavor and moisture to a brisket, flavor injection is a wonderful method of doing so. It enables you to get the flavor deeper than a normal marinade. There are no strict rules for injecting flavor, but there are some useful tips for anyone who is new to the process.

Using a dry rub is the most common method of adding flavor to a brisket. There are so many different flavor profiles you could choose from. The beauty of a dry rub is the fact that you can keep it basic, sweet or spicy. Keep in mind that you can apply a rub and let it sit for a few hours, like a marinade. That will allow the flavor to soak into the meat.

You only want to do that if there is little to no salt included in the rub. If you let salt sit on the meat for too long, it will begin to cure and may suck the moisture out of the meat. That will give you a drier finished product. That’s a good tip for beginners who are learning how to smoke a brisket because it’s an easy mistake to make. If your rub contains salt, I would recommend either applying the rub directly before you put it in the smoker. No longer than an hour before.

Marinating your brisket is a great option for anyone learning to smoke a brisket. It’s simple, and you could add a dry rub as well when it is finished marinading. An acidic marinade will help break down the meat. That will tenderize it, and give it more flavor.

That is also a reason you should avoid leaving it in the marinade for a long period of time. If you are using a marinade that contains vinegar, lemon juice, or other acidic substances, it will break down the meat too much overnight. Then you will run the possibility of making the meat mushy because it broke down too much. So it is highly recommended to marinade the meat for only a few hours if you are using anything acidic.

Picking the right wood to compliment your chosen flavors can be confusing when you first learn how to smoke a brisket -- but it isn’t hard at all. There are some guides on selecting the right wood. Remember, this could be another area where you could experiment with flavor.

Oak, applewood, and cherry are safe choices that go great with a sweet rub and barbeque sauce. You might even want to be bold and try mesquite or hickory, both of which would pair nicely with the right barbeque sauce. Don’t be afraid to mix, match, and test out different options.

The goal when learning how to smoke a brisket is to keep it low and slow. Preheat your smoker to between 225 to 250 degrees. That is the temperature you are going to want to keep the smoker at throughout the entire process. You will need to avoid checking the meat too often. You will obviously have to check it every now and again because you may need to add more coals or replenish the burnt up wood chips.

Learning how to smoke a brisket depends on the size. Some people like to sear the outside over medium coals before beginning the smoking process. If you want to do this all you need to do is cook it over medium heat for about 20 minutes per side and then put it in the smoker. You will want to allow about one hour per pound of meat. Briskets typically run at about 5 to 8 pounds in size.

You will also want to remember to flip your meat. It might not be a something everyone teaches you when you’re learning how to smoke a brisket. Other types of meat may not need to flip. If this is your first time learning how to smoke a brisket it is crucial. Otherwise, it may begin to dry out on the bottom.

You should flip a smaller brisket about every hour. A larger brisket can wait about two hours. When flipping your meat, avoid piercing it, which will let the juices flow out. Instead, you should have tongs or insulated gloves on hand. You should also do it as quickly as possible, so you don’t let too much heat out of the smoker.

You will know the brisket is ready when it has reached an internal temperature of 205 degrees.

Most people don’t worry about wrapping their brisket in foil. If you have a small grill and still want to smoke the meat, it might be a good idea. It’s an especially good idea if you don’t have room for a drip pan. It will be easier to keep the meat from drying out. Wrapping the meat will also inhibit the smoke from penetrating the meat, and it probably won’t have the same satisfying flavor or bark that most people are looking for when they smoke a brisket.