Perfectly Smoked Brisket Flat
This smoked brisket flat recipe delivers bold flavor, a perfect bark, and tender, juicy slices in just 6-8 hours.
Servings 8
Ingredients
- 1 brisket flat (or whole packer brisket, separated)
- 2 tbsp yellow mustard
- 1 tbsp steak seasoning optional
- ¼ cup black pepper course ground
- ¼ cup Kosher salt
For Spritzing
- 1 cup apple juice apple cider vinegar or even water also work
Instructions
- Start by trimming any loose fat and silver skin off of your brisket. Use your knife to round off the corners and remove any uneven sections of meat.
- Slather the brisket in yellow mustard as a binder, then season with a base layer of steak seasoning.
- In a bowl, combine the coarse pepper and salt and give it a good mix, then use that mixture to add a second layer of seasoning to your brisket.
- Let the brisket sit at room temperature while you preheat your smoker or pellet grill to 250°F.
- Once your smoker is preheated, place the brisket directly on the grates with the fat cap facing down. *See note below.
- Let the brisket smoke for 90 minutes; then spritz it with apple juice every hour until it reaches 175°F internally. The initial smoke should take a total of about 4 hours.
- Lay out a sheet of butcher paper that is four times as long as the brisket is wide, then use your apple juice spritz to moisten the paper.
- Place your brisket on the butcher paper and wrap it tightly, then return it to the smoker for another 2-3 hours until it reaches an internal temperature of 203°F.
- Remove the brisket from the smoker and store it in a dry cooler or Cambro for at least one hour to rest (preferably two hours if you have the time).
- Unwrap the brisket, slice, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
* You want the fat cap facing the heat source so that it acts as a shield to keep your meat moist. On a pellet grill, the heat comes from below, but if you’re using certain styles of offset smoker (e.g., reverse-flow smoker), you need to face the brisket towards the heat source.
Smoking time depends on the size of the brisket. Estimate about 60 minutes per pound + 1-2 hours for resting.
