I purchased my brisket as a packer trimmed certified "Choice" Angus brisket. It weighed around 11.50 pounds. I purchased at a local grocery store that has a reputation for good meat selection and quality. It was the largest brisket in the case, but I also looked for one with a nice consistent flat that was not too thin.
I went by the recipe for the marinade and let in set for about 12 hours. Then, I removed from the marinade and used the dry rub in the recipe. I let the brisket set out and come to room temp (1-2 hours). Then into the smoker. The pressure was on since my inlaws would be over for dinner on Saturday night.
Since it was about midnight when I put it in, I set the smoker at 180 to get some sleep and not worry about the temp until 7 or 8 in the morning. When I checked it at 8am, the temp was 132. I bumped the smoker up to 225. I was shooting for 170 which it finally hit at around 4pm. Amazing how the temp went from 132 to 153 in a very short time, but hung around 153 for 2 hours before moving on to 170. It even fluctuated up and down during this time. I thought my smoker might be malfunctioning, but I guess it was that plateau that everyone talks about. At this point I removed the brisket and seperated the flat from the point. I put the finishing sauce on the flat and foiled with HD foil and back into the smoker to reach 185. With the point, I added some additional rub and placed back in the smoker w/o foil. I added 1 oz of Pecan and increased the smoker temp to 250 because I was concerned that I was running short on time. By 6pm the flat reached 187 and I removed it, wrapped in a towel and into the cooler for 30 minutes. I removed the point around 7pm and wrapped it in foil and set aside to chop later after it cooled.
It was exciting to make that first slice into that brisket. But, it was even better to taste the flavor and tenderness. Needless to say my inlaws were totally impressed and now think I am a BBQ King. We added some of Smokin's Beans, Corn on the cob, and some tabouli salad. Wow!! I am ready for leftovers. The only problem, there was very little left.
They (12 total) pretty much wiped us out. I might add that the point portion was an excellent texture for making chopped beef sandwiches, but the extra wood that I added left it a slight bit too smokey for my tastes, but others still loved it. I guess it just depends on your tastes. Next time I might just do the same, but leave out the extra wood. I think it would still have a great taste.
