I’ll be honest — my first brisket was a disaster. Dry as cardboard. But I’m stubborn, and after about a dozen attempts and way too many YouTube videos, I finally figured it out. Now brisket day is a whole event at our house. I wake up at 5 AM, put on some music, and spend the day tending the smoker. It’s become my favorite kind of meditation.
Ingredients
- 10-12 lb whole packer brisket
- ¼ cup coarse black pepper
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- Wood chunks (oak or hickory)
Instructions
- Trim: Trim fat cap to ¼ inch. Remove any hard fat.
- Season: Mix pepper, salt, garlic. Coat brisket generously. Rest 1 hour (or overnight in fridge).
- Smoke setup: Preheat smoker to 225-250°F. Add wood chunks.
- Smoke: Place brisket fat-side up. Smoke until internal temp hits 165°F (about 6-8 hours).
- Wrap: Wrap tightly in butcher paper. Return to smoker.
- Finish: Continue until 195-205°F internal (probe tender). About 4-6 more hours.
- Rest: Rest in cooler (still wrapped) for 1-2 hours minimum.
- Slice: Slice against the grain — thin for flat, thick for point.
The Stall
Around 150-170°F, the temperature will stall for hours. This is completely normal! The wrap helps push through it faster.
