American · Main · Hard
Texas Beef Brisket
Salt and pepper brisket smoked low and slow over oak until it jiggles like jelly. Texas barbecue in its purest form.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Texas Beef Brisket, in 5 ideas
- Texas style is just salt and pepper. The beef and the smoke do the talking.
- Coarse 16 mesh pepper creates the signature bark texture.
- Post oak is the traditional Texas wood, but any oak works.
- Do not slice until serving time. Sliced brisket dries out fast.
- The flat and point have grains running different directions. Separate them before slicing.
What you need
Ingredients
- 1 whole packer brisket, 12 to 14 lbs
- 1/3 cup coarse kosher salt
- 1/3 cup coarse black pepper (16 mesh)
- 2 tbsp yellow mustard as binder
- Butcher paper for wrapping
- Post oak wood chunks for smoking
How to make it
Directions
- Trim the brisket, leaving 1/4 inch fat on the cap. Remove the hard deckle fat between point and flat.
- Season all over with the salt and pepper. Be generous, a lot falls off during the cook.
- Smoke at 275F over post oak until the bark is set and the internal temp hits 165F, about 8 hours.
- Wrap in butcher paper and continue until probe tender at 200 to 205F, about 4 more hours.
- Rest in a cooler for 2 hours minimum.
- Slice the flat against the grain into pencil thick slices. Cube the point for burnt ends or slice it too.
A long rest in a cooler (wrapped in towels) holds brisket hot for hours and actually improves the texture. This is how barbecue joints time their service.