Best 20 Smoked Brisket Recipes

SLOW COOKER TEXAS SMOKED BEEF BRISKET

Steps:

• Mix paprika, pepper, salt, brown sugar, chili powder, and cumin together in a bowl; rub evenly over the surface of the brisket. Put brisket in a large, resealable plastic bag; refrigerate 30 minutes to overnight.
• Stir barbeque sauce, water, Worcestershire sauce, and liquid smoke together in the bottom of a slow cooker. Lay brisket into the sauce mixture. Arrange onions atop the brisket.
• Cook on Low until brisket is very tender, 6 to 7 hours. Rest brisket 10 minutes before slicing or shredding; serve with sauce from the slow cooker.

SMOKED BBQ BRISKET

Steps:

• Mix together the spices in a small bowl. Rub the entire brisket with the spice mixture, place on a baking sheet, cover and let stand in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 6 hours.
• Prepare the smoker according to manufacturer's directions. Place the brisket in the smoker, fat side down, and smoke for 4 to 5 hours or until extremely tender. Baste with the mop every 30 minutes.
• Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan, season with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

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.

OKLAHOMA JOE'S SMOKED BRISKET FLAT

Steps:

• Combine all the spices in a bowl, mix well. Pat the spice rub onto the meat, making sure to heavily season the entire surface area of the brisket. Cover or wrap the brisket and let it sit at room temperature while getting the smoker or charcoal grill fired up. Do not leave at room temperature for longer than 1 hour.
• The grill is ready when the charcoal has burned to a white ash. If using a grill instead of a smoker, arrange the coals on 1 side of the grill, leaving an area large enough for the brisket to cook indirectly with no coals directly underneath the meat.
• When the grill has reached 200 to 225 degrees F, scatter 1/4 of the wood chips over the coals, close the grate, put the brisket on the grill and close the lid.
• Maintain a 200 to 225 degree F cooking temperature inside the grill, adding coals every 2 hours or as necessary. Add wood chips and spray the brisket with apple juice every time you add new coals. Try not to lift the lid of the grill at any other time.
• When the brisket reaches an internal temperature of 165 to 170 degrees F on an instant read meat thermometer (after about 4 to 5 hours), remove it from the grill and double wrap in aluminum foil to keep the juices from leaking out. Return the brisket to the grill (or smoker) The brisket is finished cooking when it is very tender and reaches an internal temperature of 190 degrees F, about another 1 to 2 hours. Let rest for 45 minutes, then unwrap and slice. Serve with BBQ sauce on the side.

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 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.

SMOKED BEEF BRISKET

Steps:

• Make a dry rub by mixing the salt, pepper, garlic and cayenne in a small bowl.
• Trim the brisket fat and season liberally with the dry rub. Put into a preheated 250 degree smoker and smoke it for 8 to 10 hours. Shift the position of the brisket every 2 hours. Remove when the brisket is tender which is determined by poking it with a toothpick. Transfer to a cutting board and slice. Arrange on a serving platter and serve.

KELLY'S CROCK POT "SMOKED" BEEF ROAST OR BRISKET

Steps:

• Trim beef of any large extra fat. A little is good for flavor.
• Place the roast in the middle of a large piece of aluminum foil.
• Rub beef all over with all of the spices.
• Sprinkle liquid smoke over beef and rap tightly in foil. Make sure it's completely wrapped.
• DO NOT ADD ANY LIQUID TO THE CROCKPOT!
• Place in crock pot and cook on low setting for 8-10 hrs (10 for a larger cut of beef).
• Unwrap beef and serve with the "smoker" juices in the crock pot or with your favorite barbecue sauce.

SMOKED CORNED BEEF BRISKET

Steps:

• Combine coriander, fennel seeds, brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and mustard seed in a small bowl.
• Place brisket in a glass baking dish and rub spice mixture all over. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
• Soak wood chips in water for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat a smoker to 240 degrees F (116 degrees C) according to manufacturer's instructions. Maintain temperature for 15 to 20 minutes.
• 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 for 2 hours.
• Pull brisket from the smoker and wrap tightly in foil. Return to the smoker until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers at least 190 to 200 degrees F (88 to 93 degrees C), about 3 hours.
• Remove brisket from the smoker and let rest for 40 minutes. Slice corned beef against the grain.

SPICY SMOKED BEEF BRISKET

Steps:

• Bring brisket to room temperature early in the morning, about 1 hour.
• Whisk paprika, salt, sugar, black pepper, chili powder, cumin, garlic, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon for dry rub together in a small bowl. Apply rub liberally to the complete brisket and leave at room temperature while you prepare the smoker.
• Preheat a smoker for indirect heat to 225 to 250 degrees F (107 to 121 degrees F) according to manufacturer's instructions. Add wood chips to the charcoal and place a small cast iron pan of water over the fire.
• Lay brisket, fat-side up, about 8 inches away from the fire and smoke for 1 hour, maintaining the smoker's internal temperature at 200 to 225 degrees F (93 to 107 degrees F). Add 12 to 15 charcoal briquettes, replenish wood chips, and add more water to the pan; smoke for 1 more hour. Wrap brisket in aluminum foil, replenish charcoal, wood chips, and water, and smoke for 1 more hour.
• Meanwhile, mix hot chili sauce, beer, brown sugar, and onion for finishing sauce until well combined. Remove brisket from the smoker and place on a second sheet of aluminum foil. Unwrap brisket, being careful of the hot steam, and pour finishing sauce over the meat. Re-wrap brisket tightly with both pieces of foil and return to the smoker.
• Smoke brisket, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers at least 160 degrees F (71 degrees C), about 1 more hour.
• Remove brisket from the smoker and let it rest in the foil for 45 minutes. To serve, slice it against the grain.

SMOKED BRISKET WITH ORIGINAL BBQ SAUCE

Steps:

• Mix together the cayenne, 2 cups salt and 2 cups pepper. Rub the brisket all over with the spice mix and let rest at room temperature, 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, prepare the smoker for cooking at 215 degrees F. Place the brisket in the smoker and cook, adding wood chunks throughout the cooking and maintaining the temperature at 215 degrees F, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the brisket registers 175 to 190 degrees, about 12 hours. Slice against the grain and serve with the Original BBQ Sauce.
• Place the sugar, ancho powder, celery seeds, chili powder, cumin seeds, garlic powder, bourbon smoked paprika and 1 1/2 ounces salt into a large bowl.
• Pour the cider vinegar, beer, liquid smoke and lemon juice over the spices and whisk well to combine. Pour the ketchup into the bowl and whisk until fully incorporated.

KC'S SMOKED BRISKET

Steps:

• Coat beef brisket with mustard. Cover with brisket rub. Let marinate in the refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight.
• Remove brisket from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature.
• Preheat a smoker to 220 degrees F (104 degrees F) according to manufacturer's instructions.
• Place beef brisket in the smoker and smoke until easily pierced with a knife and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 190 degrees F (88 degrees C), 6 1/4 to 7 1/2 hours.
• Wrap brisket with aluminum foil and let rest for 30 minutes before slicing.

TEXAS STYLE SMOKED BRISKET WITH MOPPIN' SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. Combine all ingredients for the rub and rub all over your brisket wrap in foil and let sit overnight.
• 2. Combine all ingredients of the moppin sauce together and mix well.
• 3. Bring your smoker up to 220. I used hickory chips, but you can use mesquite, white birch, or apple wood.
• 4. Place brisket in smoker fat side up. Smoke 1 hour per pound using the moppin' sauce every half hour. Or until internal temperature reads 190 to 200 degrees.
• 5. I used a vertical water smoker if you don't use one with water wrap it in foil after 4 or 5 hours so that it stays moist.
• 6. Serve with baked potato and veggies and enjoy!

TEXAS-STYLE SMOKED BRISKET

Steps:

• Set the brisket on a large sheet of plastic wrap.
• In a medium bowl combine the dark brown sugar, chili power, paprika, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, cayenne, dry mustard, and cumin thoroughly.
• Rub the mixture onto the brisket and wrap tightly in the plastic wrap.
• Place on a baking sheet and let marinate refrigerated at least 6 hours or overnight.
• Remove the meat from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature.
• Soak mesquite wood chips in a large bowl of water for 1 to 2 hours.
• Remove, drain and set aside.
• Prepare a smoker with charcoal and the wood chips according to the manufacturer's instructions to 180 to 200 degrees F.
• Place the water pan in the smoker and add water to the fill line, about 2/3 full.
• Place the unwrapped brisket on the lower rack off the direct heat, close the lid, and cook, regularly stoking the fire and adding additional chips, until an instant-read thermometer registers an internal temperature of 140 to 145 degrees F, about 4 to 5 hours.
• Remove the meat from the grill and let rest for 20 minutes before carving the meat against the grain.
• (Alternately, prepare a stove-top smoker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Place the unwrapped brisket on the rack over low heat. Close the lid and smoke for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Remove the meat from the smoker and wrap in) BBQ Sauce: In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
• Add the onions and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
• Add the ketchup, brown sugar, cane syrup, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire, hot sauce, Essence, and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil.
• Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened and the flavors marry, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and let cool slightly before serving.
• Essence: Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

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-STYLE SMOKED BRISKET

Steps:

• 1 Order the brisket You'll have to special-order your brisket ahead of time (the brisket already sold at the meat counter is typically not whole). You should be able to do this at almost any butcher shop or at a grocery store meat counter. Ask for a brisket that is as evenly thick as possible, with the surrounding fat trimmed to 1/4" thick (this protects the meat from drying out while cooking).
• 2 Season the meat An hour before preparing the grill, place brisket on a rimmed baking sheet. Mix salt and pepper in a small bowl and season the meat all over (it should look like sand stuck to wet skin but without being cakey). Let meat sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
• 3 Prepare your grill Meanwhile, soak 6 cups wood chips in a bowl of water for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Leave in water throughout the cooking process. Keep remaining 2 cups chips dry. Light only 1 grill burner to medium (if using a 3-burner grill, light burner on either end). Make sure drip tray is empty, as a lot of fat will render. Place smoker box over the lit burner, add 1/2 cup soaked wood chips to box, and close grill. Adjust heat as needed to keep temperature at 225-250°F. We recommend using a stand-alone thermometer, even if your grill has one, to ensure an accurate reading. Stick it through the gap between the lid and base of the grill (or set it on the grill's upper shelf, though this is not ideal, as it requires opening the lid more frequently). The wood chips should begin to smolder and release a steady stream of smoke. How long this takes depends on how wet your chips are and the heat of your grill. To get more smoke without increasing grill heat, add a few dry chips to the soaked ones.
• 4 Maintain the heat Place brisket, fatty side up, on grill grate as far away from lit burner as possible. Cover grill and smoke meat, resisting the urge to open grill often, as this will cause the temperature to fluctuate. Adjust heat as needed to keep temperature steady at 225-250°F. Check wood chips every 45 minutes or so, and add soaked chips by 1/2-cupfuls as needed to keep smoke level constant.
• 5 Know when it's done Keep smoking the brisket, rotating every 3 hours and flipping as needed if top or bottom is coloring faster than the other, until meat is very tender but not falling apart and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of meat registers 195-205°F, 10-12 hours total.*
• *Need a cheat? If you just don't want to spend your whole day at the grill, here's a fail-safe, Aaron Franklin- endorsed alternate method that will deliver similarly glorious results: Smoke brisket on grill until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of meat registers 150-170°F, 5-6 hours. Wrap brisket in foil, place on a baking sheet, and cook in a 250°F oven until meat reaches the same 195-205°F internal temperature, 4-6 hours longer. What's important is getting that smoky flavor into the meat, and 5-6 hours on the grill should do it. After that point, you're simply getting the meat cooked through.
• DO AHEAD: Brisket is best shortly off the grill, but you can still get good results smoking it up to 3 days ahead. Let cool for an hour before wrapping in foil and chilling. To serve, reheat meat, still wrapped, in a 325°F oven until warmed through.
• 6 Dig in Transfer brisket to a carving board and let rest at least 30 minutes. Slice brisket against the grain 1/4" thick.
• Serve it with: Coleslaw, potato salad, and pinto beans.

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.

SLOW-SMOKED BRISKET

Steps:

• Remove brisket from any packaging and dry with paper towels. Place fat side up (with the thicker point cut on top) and use a sharp knife to trim the fat on the top to an even sheath about 1/2-inch thick.
• Coarsely grind peppercorns in a grinder or coffee mill. Sift through a strainer to remove fine pepper dust, leaving only pieces. You should have about 1/2 cup pepper. Combine with an equal amount of salt and rub over the brisket. The coating should be complete and packed on well: depending on size, you may need to make and use more pepper-salt mixture. Cook immediately, or set on a rack in a sheet pan, cover loosely, and refrigerate for at least 8 or up to 36 hours. This will develop a crustier "bark" on the finished brisket.
• Remove and clean the grates of a charcoal grill (if using a kettle grill, it should be at least 22 inches across) or smoker, preferably one with a temperature gauge. Half-fill a chimney starter with charcoal, light it and let burn down until gray with ashes. Dump the charcoal on one side of grill and close lid. When temperature settles at 225 to 250 degrees, place half the wood chips over the coals. Return grate to grill and lay brisket on it, fat side up. Cover.
• Cook at about 225 degrees, maintaining the temperature with additional charcoal and wood chips, for 4 to 6 hours, or until the internal temperature of the meat's thickest part reaches 170 to 180 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. At this point, you can continue cooking it on the grill, or in a 225-degree oven. In either case, remove brisket from grill and wrap in unwaxed parchment or butcher paper. Then wrap well in foil. Return to grill or place in oven. (Although the internal temperature will remain steady at about 180 degrees during this final cooking, it will take anywhere from 2 to 4 hours more for the meat, fat and collagen to soften completely. Start testing after 1 1/2 hours, prodding brisket with your finger to see how it responds: the meat should become soft and balloon-like, almost jiggly.)
• When meat is done, set aside for at least 30 minutes to let juices settle. (In a cooler, well wrapped, the meat will stay hot for at least 4 hours.) Remove foil and paper. Separate the point from the flat cut; trim off any remaining fat and membrane, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
• Serve the old-fashioned way with slices of white bread, or with pinto beans, potato salad and coleslaw. For sandwiches, pile slices in soft white or potato rolls, preferably brushed with butter and toasted, and top with raw white onions and pickled cucumber and jalapeño slices.

SMOKED BRISKET

Steps:

• Mix/blend all rub ingredients in small food processor or spice grinder. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the rub.
• Trim brisket of any discolored fat, hard fat, or fat between flat and flap. Leave most of the fat cap on one side.
• Apply 1-1/2 cups of the rub liberally to both sides of brisket. Wrap with plastic wrap or cover on sheet pan. Place in refrigerator at least 8 hours or overnight.
• Combine all steam pan ingredients. Whisk to combine. Reserve 2 cups of sauce. Combine this with reserved rub. Whisk. Use this as the mop sauce.
• Add hardwood chips to smoker box. Fill steam pan with Preheat smoker to about 200 deg farenheit. Place brisket in smoker, fat side up, when smoke is good and thick. Mop every 30 to 45 minutes or as needed.
• Maintain smoker box and steam pan. If you need more liquid that recipe makes, use apple juice and beer.
• When brisket reaches internal temp of about 145-150 degrees (about 4-5 hours), wrap in double thickness of tin foil. (At this point, smoke and flavored steam are not needed, but don't let steam pan go dry). Put brisket back in smoker or in an oven. Maintain cooking temp between 200 and 225 degrees until internal temp reaches 190-195 degrees.
• Allow brisket to rest in foil pouch on cutting board for 15-20 minutes. The meat will stay warm. Be careful when unwrapping brisket as there will be a large amount of liquid in the foil pouch. This can be discarded or poured over sliced meat.

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.