Smoked Angus Brisket

Ingredients

• 1 whole packer brisket (12–18 lbs), point and flat intact
• Kosher salt
• Coarse black pepper (16-mesh if you can find it)
• Oak or post oak wood — hickory or pecan also work
• Butcher paper (pink, unwaxed)

Method

1. Trim the brisket. Trim the fat cap to about 1/4 inch. Remove any hard fat on the underside that won't render. Square up the flat so it's even in thickness for consistent cooking.
2. Season. Mix equal parts kosher salt and coarse black pepper — about 1/2 cup of each for a whole packer. Season all surfaces generously. This is the bark. You can season the night before and refrigerate uncovered, or right before cooking.
3. Fire up the smoker. Get your smoker to a steady 225–250°F. Add oak wood and allow it to establish a clean, thin blue smoke — not billowing white smoke, which turns bitter.
4. Smoke fat side down. Place brisket fat side down. Smoke at 225°F until the internal temperature hits 160–170°F. The temperature will stall around 150–160°F for several hours. This is normal. Be patient.
5. Wrap. When the bark is set and dark — around 165°F — wrap tightly in two layers of pink butcher paper. This allows the bark to breathe while pushing through the stall faster.
6. Finish to probe tender. Return to the smoker and continue cooking until the thickest part of the flat probes like warm butter — no resistance. This usually happens around 200–205°F internal, but go by feel, not temperature alone.
7. Rest. Rest the wrapped brisket in a cooler for at least 2 hours, up to 4 hours. The rest dramatically improves texture and juiciness.
8. Slice and serve. Slice against the grain. The grain runs in opposite directions in the point and flat — pay attention. Slice the flat into pencil-thick slices. Chunk or slice the point. Serve immediately.