Texas Style Beef Brisket
In this guide, we’ll give you insight into what Texas-style brisket is all about! By the end, we’ll teach you how to make a Texas-style smoked brisket using a beginner’s recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 whole Brisket 16-20 lbs
- 1/4 cup Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder equal parts of each
Instructions
- As with any meal and recipe, your kitchen tools should be in proper order to make way for your brisket.Now, most people would say that you would need a good knife or a large chopping board, but for the most part, the primary thing you should have ready is a smoker.Obviously, you can’t smoke the brisket without one.So make sure you have a smoker that is in good working shape.
- Since this is a beginner’s recipe, you’d only ever need four basic ingredients:BrisketSaltBlack PepperGarlic PowderWoodSome would probably recommend other spices like cayenne, paprika, or the like, but if you aren’t confident enough to add more advanced ingredients, start out with those five simple things.
- Light up your wood and close the smoker lid.Make sure that there’s a good fire ready before you actually decide to put your brisket in.Remember: the smoke adds to the flavor, so make sure that the wood is of good quality, clean, and without gasoline or other additives to create fire.
- This is an interesting stage in the process that can sometimes be amusing.Some claim not to rub your salt, pepper, garlic powder into the meat; simply mixing the two and patting the meat with it is the ideal way of spicing up the brisket.Others claim that rubbing the two over and around the meat is the correct method.Whichever the case, make sure that the brisket is fully covered by the salt, pepper, garlic powder mixture.Do not shy away from using too much, as the brisket can be thick enough to withstand it.
- At this point, everything should be ready and in order.When you put in the brisket, make sure that the temperature is around 225 degrees. Now, the rule of thumb for smoked brisket seems to be an hour of smoking for every pound.You'll want to keep it in the smoker untouched and unbothered for about 3 hours. You'll be tempted, but don't look and don't touch. As a note, we recommend putting it in with the fat cap facing up. The fat cap of the brisket is the fat side of the brisket. Whether your butcher trimmed your brisket or you got it at the grocery store, this should be easily noticeable.
- Note >> You can skip this step. Letting your brisket smoke low and slow for the entirety is a great way to get great-tasting beef. If you're in a time crunch, however, go ahead and wrap it.Around 160 degrees, you'll experience "the brisket stall."This is where the internal temperature of the brisket will stall out around 160 degrees. At this point, we strongly advise wrapping your brisket in butcher paper or aluminum foil. You can gauge the bark level at this point. If you want it darker, keep it unwrapped longer. If it looks good, wrap it up.After wrapping, put it back on the smoker and raise the temperature to 275 degrees.
- Once it's back on the smoker, you'll just want to let it ride the rest of the way home. Keep it on the smoker until the temperature reaches around 200-205 degrees. When you put the temp probe in, it should feel like a knife going through soft butter. I always recommend checking temp at in the point, or the thickest part of the brisket.
- This is not optional if you want a mouth-watering, juicy, tender brisket!After smoking your Texas style brisket at home all day long, you'll want to give it a taste, but you'll have to resist.Let it rest at room temperature for about at least 30 minutes, but preferably around one-hour. If you're not serving it within an hour, wrap the whole thing in a towel. This will preserve some heat while still letting all the juices settle.
- Now that you've allowed your brisket to rest properly, it's time to slice it. Cut the brisket in half separating the point from the flatSlice flat against the grainSlice point in half the other waySlice the point against the grainServe it up and be proud!