Description
This recipe will take you through the steps to make melt in your mouth brisket, even if you’ve never made brisket before. Follow the steps to rub the meat, smoke it, wrap it, and then finish the brisket on the grill to let the glaze set. Then, experience Brisket Ecstacy!
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 lb Brisket “point” ** I recommend using the highest quality beef you can find. Smoking a brisket is an investment in time and a better cut with good marbling will make a big difference in results. I order my briskets from Snake River Farms.
- 1 part hickory, 2 parts apple
- smoker or a grill set for indirect heat
Rub- part 1
- 2 tbsp beef base
- 2 tbsp garlic salt
- 2 tbsp fresh ground pepper (I used smoked black pepper)
- 2 tbsp chile powder
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
Note, if you feel like you are having a hard time getting the rub to mix or adhere you can add a bit of olive oil to help it spread more evenly.
Wrap Sauce – part 2- The “Texas Crutch”
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar (I used bourbon barrel smoked brown sugar)
- 2 tbsp chopped shallots
- 2 tbsp apple juice OR 2tbsp sweet tea (funny story here)
Glaze:
- 3/4 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Remove fat cap/very fatty areas and score the meat on both sides so it can absorb more rub.
- Rub the beef base into the brisket on all sides. Combine the rub ingredients and generously “rub” into the meat. Cover and refrigerate over night.
- Prepare your smoker to 225 degrees. If using a grill, you will need to prepare for indirect heat by creating a direct/indirect zone.
- I used a combination of apple wood and hickory- 1 part hickory and 2 parts apple. Once your grill is at temp, add the wood.
- Put your brisket on the smoker and let smoke until the internal temp reaches 170 degrees- this is going to take about an hour and a half per pound. For a 5 lb brisket point this takes about 7.5 hours.
- Next, you are going to do the “Texas Crutch”- or wrap it in foil. Roll out a bunch of foil and double it up so that you can fold the brisket into a foil “packet”. Remove the brisket, put it on the foil and pour on the wrap liquid. Seal up the foil packet and put it back on the grill. Let the brisket steam in the packet for another 2 hours OR until it hits 190 degrees as read with a thermapen.
- Cook the brisket in the foil for 2 hours, OR, once the internal temp has hit 190 degrees (203 is the temp that fat full renders in brisket, please read my comments above – I think 190 is the target temp for this recipe). I recommend using the Thermapen to check internal temps as a full-proof method for measuring temperature. If you’re curious what internal temp any protein you’re cooking should reach, check out our BBQ Calculator!
Remove the brisket/foil and put the brisket back on the smoker/grill. Add the glaze and let the meat continue to cook for 20 minutes to absorb the sauce and get a nice glaze.- Once you pull the brisket off, “tent” it in foil for 30 minutes. Slice against the grain in 1/4” slices.
- If the brisket is done before you are ready to eat, you can wrap it in foil or towels and let it rest in a cooler until you are ready to eat.
Experience Brisket Ecstasy! If you try this recipe and technique, please let me know what you think and tag me on instagram @grillgirlrobyn and use hashtag #grillgirlrobyn!
Notes
Notes. Some affiliate links have been used in this post. I only recommend products I personally use! Affiliate links help keep this blog going!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 hours ++
- Category: Beef, BBQ, Texas BBQ
- Method: Smoke, Roast
- Cuisine: American, BBQ
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2-3 servings per Brisket point