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Perfectly smoked Texas BBQ brisket sliced on a wooden cutting board with smoke ring visible

Texas BBQ Brisket

A classic central Texas-style smoked brisket with a simple salt and pepper rub, cooked low and slow over post oak until perfectly tender with a deep mahogany bark and pink smoke ring.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 14 hours
Total Time 14 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 420
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 whole packer brisket, 12 to 15 lbs USDA Choice or Prime
  • 1/2 cup coarse kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup coarse black pepper 16-mesh preferred
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder optional
  • post oak wood chunks or splits for smoking

Method
 

Prep
  1. The day before: Trim the fat cap to 1/4 inch and remove any large hard fat pockets from the point-flat seam. Cut off the thin tapered end of the flat.
  2. Mix the salt, pepper, and garlic powder together. Apply generously to all surfaces of the brisket, pressing it into the meat. Refrigerate uncovered overnight, 8 to 12 hours.
Smoke
  1. Preheat your smoker to 250°F with post oak wood. Place the brisket fat-side up (offset smoker) or fat-side down (pellet grill). Insert a leave-in thermometer in the thickest part of the flat.
  2. Smoke unwrapped until the bark is dark, firm, and set — typically 6 to 8 hours and around 160°F internal temperature. Maintain thin blue smoke throughout.
  3. Wrap tightly in two layers of pink butcher paper. Return to the smoker at 250°F. Cook until the flat probes tender like warm butter, around 200°F to 205°F internal temperature.
Rest and Slice
  1. Remove from the smoker. Keep wrapped and rest in a cooler (faux Cambro) for a minimum of 2 hours, up to 6.
  2. Separate the point from the flat. Slice each against the grain to about 1/4-inch thickness. Serve immediately.

Notes

For burnt ends: cube the point, season with a little extra rub, and return to the smoker for 1 hour uncovered. Best smoked over post oak or white oak. Never use mesquite for a long brisket cook.