Hickory Smoked Brisket Recipes

WOOD CHICK'S BBQ SMOKED BEEF BRISKET

Steps:

• Preheat charcoal smoker for half an hour. Soak the hickory chips for half an hour in water. Drain.
• Trim fat on brisket to 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle brisket generously with the dry rub. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight.
• Remove the brisket from refrigerator 1 hour prior to cooking and let stand at room temperature. Mop the entire brisket with Mustard Sauce. Place brisket fat side up in a smoker at a preheated temperature of 200 to 225 degrees F. Add 3 handfuls of pre-soaked hickory chips to preheated charcoal (should be at the gray stage). After 3 hours, add another 3 handfuls of chips and mop with Beer Based Mop Sauce.
• After 2 more hours, place brisket on 2 pieces of heavy-duty foil and pour 1/4 cup Beer Based Mop Sauce on top of brisket and seal tightly. Continue to cook in smoker another 2 to 4 hours, or until internal temperature reaches 185 degrees F.
• Remove brisket from foil and let stand 15 minutes. Slice brisket against the grain into 1/4-inch thickness. Top with Brisket BBQ Sauce.
• Mix all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Mix all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
• In a medium to large saucepan, saute the onions in the butter over medium heat until soft. Add remaining ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

TEXAS HILL COUNTRY-STYLE SMOKED BRISKET

Steps:

• Using a sharp knife, trim the brisket: Set the brisket flat side down, so the leaner side is underneath and the rounded, fatty point side is on top. Wherever you find a thick sheath of fat on the top surface, trim it to within 1/4 inch of the meat. Now look at the side of the brisket: There's a large pocket of fat between the point and the flat. Using the point of the knife, cut some of it out, but avoid cutting directly into the meat. Turn the brisket so the flat faces up. There's a lump of fat on one side: Again, trim it to within 1/4 inch of the meat. Be careful not to overtrim. It's better to err on the side of too much fat than too little. While you're at it, trim off any thin, sharp corners of the flat part of the meat, so the brisket is slightly rounded.
• Season the brisket: Place the brisket on a rimmed sheet pan and generously season the top, bottom and sides with salt, pepper and, if you like your brisket spicy, red-pepper flakes.
• Create a platform for cooking the brisket by cutting a flat piece of cardboard the size and shape of the brisket. (There's no need to make it any larger; the brisket will shrink considerably during cooking.) Wrap the cardboard template in 2 layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Using an ice pick, a metal skewer or other sharp implement, poke holes in the foil-covered cardboard at 1-inch intervals. The idea is to create a perforated platform for the brisket. Set the brisket flat on the foil-covered cardboard, lean side down. (This prevents the lean bottom of the brisket flat from drying out and burning, while the holes still let in the smoke.)
• Light your grill, smoker or cooker (such as a Big Green Egg) and heat it to 250 degrees. If using a kettle grill, start with less charcoal than you would for grilling a steak: A third to a half chimney starter will do it. If using a smoker, place a large heat-proof bowl of water in the smoke chamber. (This is optional, but it creates a humid environment that will keep your brisket moist and help the smoke adhere to the meat.) Add wood as specified by the manufacturer to generate smoke. If using a kamado-style cooker, set up a top-down burn: Load the fire box with lump charcoal, interspersing it with wood chunks or chips. Light 3 or 4 coals on top in the center; gradually, they'll burn down, igniting the coals and wood beneath them.)
• Transfer the brisket on the foil-lined cardboard to the smoker. If using an offset smoker, position the thicker end toward the firebox. Cook the brisket until the outside is dark and the internal temperature registers about 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. This normally takes 6 to 8 hours. Refuel your cooker as needed, adding wood to obtain a steady stream of smoke. If the outside of the brisket darkens too much, loosely lay a sheet of foil on top. (Don't bunch it, or the meat will steam rather than smoke, resulting in a pot roast-like consistency.)
• Wrap the brisket: Lay 2 overlapping sheets of pink (unlined) butcher paper or parchment paper on your work surface. Each piece should be about 3 feet long. You want to create a square about 3 feet on each side. Wearing heatproof rubber or silicone gloves (or carefully using tongs), transfer the brisket to the center of this paper square. Fold the bottom section over the brisket. Fold in the sides and roll the brisket over so it's completely swaddled in paper. (It's a little like making a burrito.) Note the orientation: You want the fatty point of the brisket to remain on top. Carefully set the wrapped brisket back on the foil-lined cardboard and return it to the cooker.
• Continue cooking the brisket to an internal temperature of 200 to 205 degrees (it will be deeply browned and very tender), another 2 to 4 hours, bringing your total cooking time to 8 to 12 hours, depending on your cooker and the size of your brisket. (Start monitoring the internal temperature at the 8-hour mark.) Additional tests for doneness include the jiggle test: Grab the brisket with a gloved hand and shake it; the meat will jiggle like Jell-O. You could also try the bend test: Lift both ends and it will bend easily in the middle, or place a gloved hand under the center of the brisket and the ends will droop.
• You can eat the brisket now. But there's one more optional step that will take your brisket from excellent to sublime: Let it rest. Place the wrapped brisket in an insulated cooler to rest for 1 to 2 hours, allowing the meat to relax and the juices to redistribute.
• To serve the brisket, unwrap it over a sheet pan to catch any juices trapped in the paper. Transfer the brisket to a cutting board (ideally, one with a well), lean flat section down. Cut the brisket in half crosswise, separating the flat section from the point section. The corner of the flat furthest from the sliced side may be tough and dry. Make a diagonal cut to remove it. Dice it and serve as burnt ends to thank onlookers for their patience. Look for the grain of the meat. Using a serrated knife or sharp carving knife, slice this section as thickly or as thinly as desired. (Texas tradition calls for slices that are the thickness of a pencil.) If your brisket has somehow come out tough, slice it paper-thin, which will make it seem more tender.
• Now slice the point section: Again, trim off and discard any obvious large lumps of fat. Slice the meat across the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices (or as desired). Arrange the slices on a platter or plates and spoon the reserved meat drippings over them. It's nice to serve the meat by itself so you can appreciate the complex interplay of salt, spice, smoke, meat and fat. Texas tradition calls for sliced factory-style white bread. If you opt for barbecue sauce, serve it on the side.

YEAH, I-LIVED-IN-TEXAS, SMOKED BRISKET

Steps:

• Soak wood chips in a bowl of water, 8 hours to overnight.
• Mix paprika, white sugar, cumin, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper together in a bowl. Rub the spice mixture over the entire brisket; refrigerate for 24 hours.
• Preheat smoker to between 220 degrees F (104 degrees C) and 230 degrees F (110 degrees C). Drain wood chips and place in the smoker.
• Smoke brisket in the preheated smoker until it has an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), about 12 1/2 hours. Wrap brisket tightly in butcher paper or heavy-duty aluminum foil and return to smoker.
• Continue smoking brisket until an internal temperature of 185 degrees F (85 degrees C) is reached, about 1 hour more.

BEST BARBECUE HICKORY-SMOKED BRISKET

Steps:

• Place brisket on large piece of foil.
• Sprinkle with onion seasoning and pour liquid smoke over, fold brisket in half if needed to make a compact packet that will fit in the crock pot.
• Seal foil, place brisket in refrigerator overnight.
• In the morning, place brisket in the crock pot on low heat, cook 8 hours.
• Remove brisket, strain broth into glass jar.
• Place brisket and broth in refrigerator and allow to cool completely.
• Skim fat from broth and mix 1 1/2 cups broth with barbecue sauce.
• Return the sliced brisket to crock pot and pour sauce over.
• Turn on low and allow to cook for 4 to 6 hours.

SMOKED CIDER BRISKET

Steps:

• Soak the hickory chips in water for 1 hour before grilling.
• For the brine: Combine the apple cider and water in a large, oval Dutch oven. Add the salt and sugar and stir until it dissolves. Add the black peppercorns and bay leaves. Add the brisket and let soak in the brine solution for up to 3 hours in the refrigerator.
• For the rub: Combine the salt, paprika, pepper, sugar, and onion powder together in a bowl.
• For the sauce: Add all the ingredients to a saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes so the butter can melt and the flavors can marry.
• For the brisket: Set up your smoker with charcoal and hickory chips using indirect heat. Heat the grill to 275 degrees F.
• Remove the brisket from the fridge. Drain from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Place on a rimmed sheet tray. Rub the brisket with the spice mixture.
• Place the seasoned brisket fat cap side up on the grill and smoke for 2 hours with the grill lid covered. (Starting with the fat cap side up allows the fat to melt into the brisket, adding moisture and flavor.) Flip and smoke 2 more hours. Check and refill charcoal levels and hickory chips throughout the smoking process, keeping the temperature at a constant 275 degrees F.
• Remove the brisket from the grill and wrap in a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place back on the grill for 1 1/2 more hours.
• Remove the brisket from the grill, unwrap the foil, brush the brisket with sauce (or serve on the side), tent with foil, and let rest for 30 minutes before slicing across the grain. Drizzle more sauce when serving.

FORK TENDER HICKORY-SMOKED BRISKET

Steps:

• Wash brisket and pat dry with paper towels. DO NOT TRIM THE FAT - It will baste your meat as it cooks.
• Mix together the MARINADE ingredients in an air tight container or zip lock bag, add the brisket and let marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
• In a small bowl combine the DRY RUB seasonings. (Liquid smoke is used later in the recipe.) One (1) hour before cooking generously rub both sides of the brisket with this seasoning mixture; let stand at room temperature for an hour or so.
• Place the beef brisket, fat side up, on a large piece of heavy duty aluminum foil. (Make sure it is a large enough piece of foil to securely wrap the brisket.).
• Sprinkle brisket with the liquid smoke; wrap well and set into your crock-pot. (Slow-cook fat side up.) Cover and cook on LOW 8 to 12 hours (HIGH: 4 to 6 hours). SLOW AND LOW IS BETTER, THE MEAT WILL SHRED NICELY WHEN COOKED FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
• When done cooking, let the brisket stand - wrapped in the foil - for 20 minutes before carving or shredding.
• Serve one of two ways: (1) thinly slice the brisket across the grain OR.
• (2) shred the brisket with a large, 2-pronged fork.
• Drizzle beef brisket with the meat juices; delicious over mashed potatoes, egg noodles or polenta.
• If desired, serve with your favorite barbecue sauce. Horseradish also goes well with this slow-cooked brisket.

SMOKED BRISKET

Steps:

• Brush olive oil over brisket. Combine rub ingredients; rub over both sides of beef. Place brisket on a rimmed baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine mop sauce ingredients. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Refrigerate until ready to grill., Soak hickory and mesquite chips or pellets; add to smoker according to manufacturer's directions. Heat to 225°. Uncover brisket. Place brisket in smoker fat side up; smoke 2 hours. Brush generously with mop sauce; turn meat. Smoke 2 more hours; brush generously with mop sauce again. Wrap brisket securely in heavy-duty aluminum foil; smoke until a thermometer inserted in beef reads 190°, 4-5 more hours., Let beef stand 20-30 minutes before slicing; cut diagonally across the grain into thin slices.

SMOKED BRISKET

Steps:

• Soak wood chips in water for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat a smoker to 225 to 250 degrees F (107 to 121 degrees C) according to manufacturer's instructions. Maintain temperature for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine rosemary, paprika, pepper, garlic flakes, and salt. Rub mixture over brisket.
• Drain wood chips and place on coals. Place a water pan on the smoker and add water to the depth of the fill line. Place brisket on the lower cooking grate and cover with the smoker lid.
• Smoke brisket, maintaining the smoker's internal temperature at 225 to 250 degrees F (107 to 121 degrees F) until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), about 3 hours.
• Remove brisket from the smoker and place on a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Wrap tightly and return to the smoker. Smoke until an instant-read thermometer registers between 195 and 205 degrees F (91 and 96 degrees C), about 2 hours.