directions

Cooking Concept: Low and Slow. Utilize low temperature to develop a deep smoke flavor and break down that connected tissue. Start by brining your flat cut brisket; this will help to ensure that the brisket stays moist, especially on the narrow side of the flat cut. Cooking a brisket can be a 15 hour experience, so be ready.

Cooking Time: 7-11 hours, plus 2-3 hours of brining and 1 additional hour prior to placing on the Egg

Brisket Consideration: There are many choices available in terms of meat quality, from prime to select, as well as Certified Angus Beef (CAB), Wagyu or Akaushi. We prefer CAB, but any Brisket Flat will work. Look for a fat cap that is uniform, with a nice point at the top of the meat. You can trim away any unwanted fat, but stay away from briskets that have very little fat cap, or weigh less than 5 pounds. If the brisket feels very narrow on the flat side, stay away. The goal is to smoke a brisket that will have about a 5 degree difference between the thicker point side and the flat end.

Food Prep:

1. Pull flat cut brisket from packaging and rinse under cold water
2. Using paper towels, pat the brisket to remove any water moisture
3. Using a small knife, remove any unwanted fat that looks like it shouldn’t be there
   1. Trim fat cap to about 1/3 to ¼” if necessary
4. Using a small knife, score hatch lines into the fat cap of the brisket
5. Place brisket in brine-see brining below
6. Apply canola or any other neutral oil to the brisket
7. Apply your favorite rub to both sides of your brisket-see BBQ items below
8. Leave briskets on counter, let brisket sit on a wire rack or baking sheet for an hour, this will help the brisket to sweat all around the meat

BBQ Items:

10-12 Hickory Chunks or any of your favorite wood chunks

2 Aluminum pans plus one ½ height for the drip pan

1. Soak Wood Chunks for about 15 minutes
2. Place 5 chunks in center of aluminum foil, then wrap
3. Poke holes on top of the aluminum foil (about 10-15)
4. Mix equal parts kosher salt and coarse ground pepper and add 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon light brown sugar

BGE Setup:

1. Make sure to clean any ash buildup that has accumulated, as you want as much airflow to maintain longer temperatures
2. Fill BGE with enough charcoal to build a pyramid shape leaving the outer parts of the grate open
3. With vents wide open on bottom and top, light fire with your charcoal starters or heating element
   1. After about 10 minutes, use your ash tool to stir the charcoal around the bottom of your grate (This will help the fire spread quicker)
4. Add more charcoal to the top of the first ring
5. Place smoke poach with wood chunks into the center of your charcoal
6. Place remaining 5 wood chunks around charcoal and nudge them into the charcoal
7. Place plate setter (legs up) for indirect cooking with one leg directly in the back of the egg
8. Place aluminum pan on top of plate setter (this will be used to add moisture to the meat, plus take care of the fat drippings)
9. Place grill on plate setter
10. Let fire start to light the new charcoal as well as your chunks, about 5 minutes
    1. BGE should be smoking at this point
11. Close Lid and leave vents open until temperature reaches 250 degrees
12. Place the Brisket Fat side down with the thickest part of your meet to the back of the egg
13. If using a thermometer, place into the side of the thickest part of your brisket
14. Smoke the brisket at 250 degrees for at least 4 hours
    1. Internal temperature should be somewhere in the 150 degree range depending on how big the brisket is
15. After smoking for 4 hours, flip your brisket over to fat side up.
    1. This Depending on how large your brisket is (cook for an additional 2-3 hours at 250)
16. After 6-7 hours its time to wrap your brisket in butcher paper or aluminum foil
    1. Internal temp should be in the 168-175 range – continue cooking for 1 ½ to 2 hours until your brisket reaches 185-190
    2. Wrapping options below
17. Remove brisket from the grill and place in cooler for at least an hour (longer if you are waiting for guests) you can also place in your traditional oven

Tips:

If your fire starts to lose temperature, you can finish in the oven by simply moving the drip pan and placing under the brisket on one rack, with the brisket directly over the top on the above rack. You can also finish in the oven after you wrap it. Cook it in the oven at 250 degrees until your brisket reaches 185-190 degrees.

Aluminum pans are a great way to brine your brisket in the fridge, just make sure you double them up. For your drip pan, use an aluminum pan that with ½” height so that it will fit underneath the grill and on top of the plate setter.

If using a remote thermometer to monitor your meat temps, don’t panic if you see the meat temperature stay at 158-160 degrees, this is normal. Just continue to cook at 250 degrees and your brisket will start to creep up again.

When you open the lid to wrap, check your fuel, you should have plenty of fuel for the desired time, but do a quick check. If needed, add more charcoal and let the fire start to light again. Place your wrapped brisket back on grill and use your vents to bring your fire back to 250 degrees.

Wrapping:

Wrapping your flat cut brisket is optional, especially if brining, but can be necessary if you are looking to add moisture through the steam that is created when wrapping. We suggest wrapping around 168-175 degrees. If you choose to wrap, place the brisket fat side down and place a little liquid in the aluminum foil. We prefer a ¼ cup beer, ¼ cup water and ¼ of apple cider vinegar, but feel free to use any liquid you like. If using butcher paper, make sure it doesn’t have a wax side; otherwise butcher paper will allow the meat to breath, while still sealing in your brisket goodness.

Remote Monitoring: Optional

Meat thermometer and ambient temperature probes will aid you in getting accurate readings from your meat and BGE. Attach the ambient temperature probe to the grill right next to your brisket.

Brining:

Add 2/3 to 1 cup table salt (non iodized) and ¼ to ½ cup of granulated sugar to 4 quarts of water. For a brisket that is 5-8 pounds, 2/3 salt and a ¼ cup sugar will work. For a larger 8+ pound brisket, increase to 1 cup and ½ cup respectively to 6 quarts of water. Brine for at least 1 ½ hours, up to 3 hours.

Remove from brine and rinse and pat dry to remove any surface moisture. We suggest brining the night before and placing in fridge in an aluminum pan (this can be covered or uncovered).