Smoked Brisket - Low Start with High Heat Finish
Packer brisket started low and slow, then finished hotter in a foil-covered pan with Worcestershire, apple juice and rub.
Servings 12 servings (estimated)
Ingredients
- 10–12 lbs packer brisket untrimmed
- 2 TBS coarse black pepper
- 2 TBS coarse kosher salt
- 15 oz Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup apple juice
- 4 TBS Jeff's original rub for the pan liquid, plus more for the outside
- Jeff's original barbecue sauce for serving
Instructions
- Leave the fat cap intact, but trim large areas of fat from the meat side. Note the grain direction before seasoning.
- Combine coarse salt and pepper and season the exposed meat side.
- Prepare the smoker for about 240°F. Smoke brisket fat cap down directly on the grate until about 160°F, approximately 3 hours.
- Combine the Worcestershire sauce, apple juice and 4 tablespoons rub in a large foil pan. Place brisket fat cap down in the liquid and coat the top and sides generously with more rub.
- Cover tightly with foil and cook at 325–350°F in the smoker, oven or grill until the flat reaches about 195°F. The article's 10 lb example took about 2 more hours to reach this temperature.
- Test with a toothpick or thin probe. If it is not tender enough, continue cooking and check about every 30 minutes. In the example, reducing heat to about 250°F for 2 additional hours produced the desired tenderness.
- Rest about 30 minutes, then slice across the grain about 1/4 inch thick. Serve with barbecue sauce on the side.
Notes
The example took 7 hours cooking plus a 30-minute rest; timing varies with brisket size and tenderness. An optional longer rest wrapped in foil and towels in an insulated cooler is described in the article. Serving estimate is for a 10–12 lb raw brisket served as a main dish; actual yield depends on trimming, shrinkage and portion size.