Brisket Tips and Tricks
First, you have to choose a high quality "prime" or "choice", 10 to 12-pound brisket. Avoid the cheap, on-sale briskets at the grocery store. They will taste cheap and on sale no matter what you do to them.
Don't put anything crazy on the brisket. Add Black's Barbecue Dry Rub to the brisket. For briskets only use 2 teaspoons Black's Barbecue Dry Rub per one pound raw meat. Rub the dry rub onto the top, bottom and all 4 sides of the brisket. Apply the rub to the brisket and be sure to rub it into the meat fibers.
Then you got to smoke the brisket over oak wood for 10 to 12 hours at about 300 degrees F on a pit with a firebox. No flames should be under the meat because that is "grilling", and we want to Barbecue!
When you lay your brisket into the pit, you always want to put the fat-side up (on top), so the fat juices can soak into the meat.
Don't turn the brisket or poke it too much because that lets out the brisket's juices. Don't rush the brisket. Allow plenty of time for the brisket to cook and become tender. Remember, low and slow is the name of the game.
The brisket is ready when a temperature probe stuck into all parts of the meat pulls out smooth like a toothpick does when a cake is ready.
Give me a call, write me a letter or come down and see us here at Black's Barbecue. We love talking barbecue.
Keep on Barbecueing!
Kent Black
3rd Generation Pitmaster
Lockhart, Texas
Barbecue Capitol of the World
