Smoked Brisket Basics For Beginners

With its rich flavor and crispy outside, smoked brisket is known, and rightly crowned, as the “King of BBQ.”

“It should have a nice, black ‘bark’ on the outside and a smoke ring on the inside of the brisket. When you slice [the meat] you should be able to place that slice on your finger and it’ll just kind of fold over,” describes Darryl Bell about smoked brisket done right.

Whether you’re an aspiring pit master or a home cook who enjoys serving up this delicious, flavorful cut of meat, we have some expert tips to help break down the basics of how to prepare smoked brisket.

What is Brisket?

“Brisket is a cut of meat from the breast of the cow. It’s a cut of meat where it has to be cooked low and slow, otherwise it’s just tough,” relates Chef Bell. He explains that the meat can be purchased in what is called a “whole packer cut,” which includes the “point” and the “flat.”

“On the brisket, you have the meaty, thicker, fatty section of the brisket, the ‘point,’ and that attaches to the part of the brisket called the ‘flat’—a flat muscle that sits right below the point of the brisket. These are two different muscle groups.” At his restaurant he smokes the brisket whole, serving up both the point and the flat.

Since brisket is naturally tough to begin with, the pitmaster pro says to start off with the best quality meat available. When shopping for brisket, check the plastic encasing the meat is tightly sealed. He further points out that the brisket should be firm to the touch, not feel “mushy.” It should also look bright red and vibrant, not “grayed out.”

Prepping Smoked Brisket

When it comes to prepping the brisket for smoking, this award-winning chef likes to keep it simple. “You’ll need some form of a binder to bind the spices onto the brisket.” He adds, “I use yellow mustard as a binder. It’s not going to add any flavor to it because it’s applied in the thinnest layer.”

He says you can also use olive oil as a spice binder. “Anything that will bind the spices to the brisket [will work], otherwise it [the spices] won’t stick to the brisket,” he shares.

The next step is to season the brisket. “I personally think, with brisket, a really good amount of pepper is great,” says the Kansas City native. “We use just salt and pepper at the restaurant so it’s very simple. I just sprinkle cracked black pepper and Kosher salt. It doesn’t need to be too crazy on it, but you do want to coat that brisket [with the spices].”

Low and Slow is the Way to Go

Once the brisket is properly seasoned, the smoking process begins. While Chef Bell uses a 1000-gallon Moberg smoker at his restaurant, he says you can prepare smoked brisket at home using a smaller smoker. He tells us the key lies with time and temperature.

“Brisket takes between 14-16 hours to cook and smoke, nothing less,” he points out about brisket that weighs about 13-15 pounds. “I know people that could make brisket in six hours, but their temperature has to be up pretty high for it to cook that fast or they’re cooking a brisket that’s on the really small side.”

If preparing smoked brisket in an oven, which holds heat a little better than a smoker because of its small size, Chef Bell notes that the brisket will most likely be ready in 14 hours versus 16 hours.

As for the temperature to cook smoked brisket, whether in a smoker or an oven, Chef Bell shares the magic number to use is 250°degrees. He notes, “What you’re trying to do is get it [the brisket] to the internal temperature of 202° degrees. And once you’ve gotten that [internal temperature], whether it’s in the oven or on the smoker, your smoked brisket is ready.”

While a smoker is needed to properly prepare smoked brisket, for those at home with simply an over, Chef Bells shares this tip for making a flavorful brisket that still fits the bill.  “If you’re cooking it in the oven, for convenience, drop a [sheet] of foil on top of the brisket and have it finish that way just so the heat doesn’t keep crushing it.”

Techniques to Know With Smoked Brisket

At his restaurant, Chef Bell cooks brisket in the smoker uncovered. “Then about halfway through we just go ahead and wrap it up so that it doesn’t dry out,” he reveals about his process. “What works for me is butcher paper. Tin foil works also, but I prefer butcher paper.”

As for adding wood to the smoker, the Kansas City native shares, “It’s the dealer’s choice on the kind of wood to add. Out in California, oak is everywhere. In Kansas City it’s hickory. And in Texas, they use mesquite wood. It’s just kind of regional.”

Once the brisket is done cooking, the culinary pro says to allow the meat to rest for about 45 minutes to an hour. Then slice the brisket in half and start working with the brisket “flat.” “Continue in the same direction slicing the flat, until it’s all sliced,” instructs Chef Bell.

“Take the [brisket] ‘point’ and with the cut end facing you, proceed to start slicing from left to right or right to left, in long vertical slices.” Your sliced brisket is now ready to serve.

RELATED: 8 Chef Tips For Cooking From Scratch

Do the Small Things Right

While the process of preparing smoked brisket can be broken down into simple steps, Chef Bell notes that each step needs to be done correctly in order to yield great results. “Not controlling the heat is probably one of the top issues when it comes to brisket. If the temperature is too high, the brisket will dry out. If it’s too low, it’s just going to take forever to cook.”

Likewise, he shares that making sure the brisket’s internal temperature is at 202° degrees is the difference between meat that’s tough and one that’s perfection.

“It’s a simple procedure in terms of using a binder on the brisket, seasoning it, and smoking it at the correct temp until it reaches the correct internal temperature. That piece is simple. If individuals can do the small things correctly, they’ll end up with a good result,” he coaches. “But, you can’t get to the good end product unless you do each step right.”