Smoked Beef Brisket
A whole packer brisket, dry-rubbed and smoked low over indirect heat until the bark sets and the point pulls apart like pot roast.
- Serves
- 12
- Prep
- 20 min (plus overnight dry brine)
- Cook
- 10 hr
- Written
Method
-
Trim the brisket to an even ¼-inch fat cap, squaring off the thin edges so nothing burns before the thick end catches up.
-
Coat all over with the salt, pepper, and garlic, pressing the rub into the meat, then refrigerate uncovered overnight so the surface dries out.
-
Bring a smoker to 250°F with the wood chunks and let the smoke turn thin and blue before the brisket goes anywhere near it.
-
Set the brisket fat-side up and smoke undisturbed until the bark has darkened to a deep mahogany and no longer feels wet, about 6 hours.
-
Wrap tightly in butcher paper once the color is set, then return it to the smoker until a probe slides into the thickest part of the flat with no resistance, another 4 hours.
-
Rest the wrapped brisket in a cooler or turned-off oven for at least 1 hour before unwrapping — it keeps carrying over and reabsorbing juice.
-
Slice against the grain, pencil-width through the flat and a bit thicker through the point.
Notes
The overnight dry brine is what separates this from a rub you shook on and threw straight on the fire — a full night gives the salt time to work back into the meat instead of sitting on the surface as a crust that flakes off in the smoke. Don’t skip it for a same-day cook.
Point and flat run at different speeds, so if the flat is dry by the time the point is tender, pull them apart and let the point ride longer for burnt ends. Leftovers chopped into tacos or piled onto a bun are the whole reason to smoke twelve pounds instead of two.