I thought, well... there must be something to this cut of meat, after-all, I heard some great tales about it. So I tried cooking one on my own in my SM025...
First attempt with a prime packer failed to impress me. Flat was dry, point was pretty darn good.
Second attempt, in an effort to keep the flat more juicy, I created pot roast.
Third time.... So that's why you guys love it! Best barbecue I have ever had.
Here is what I did based on everything I learned here and the other parts of the internet:
1. 13.5 Pound Prime Packer
2. Trimmed off a lot of fat, but could have taken more off the flat.
3. Coating of “Sugar in the Raw” then Cookshack brisket rub. Not a ton of each, just a nice layer. Sat with the sugar and rub for about an hour before into the SMO25 smoker.
4. In at midnight into a preheated smoker at 225*.
5. On the rack nearest the heating element, and on one side of the rack, I put a half sized glass casserole dish filled with beef broth (about 3.5 cups), Modelo beer (full bottle), and worsteshire sauce (4 or 5 shakes).
6. Fat side down (top shelf), flat over the container of liquid below. Point receives unobstructed heat from element below.
7. Used about 2.25 ounces of Red Oak.
8. At 9:00 am, at about 170*, took out and added more sugar and rub and apple cider vinegar. Removed the container of liquid.
9. Loosely wrapped in parchment paper and poked a few holes in it, back in smoker fat side up.
10. At 3:00 temp was about 183*, nervous about finishing in time, so took out again, removed from parchment, and added more cider vinegar and wrapped in foil and kicked-up smoker to 250*.
11. Brisket hit 194* at 5:00 pm and I checked it for "doneness" - bamboo skewer easily went in with very slight resistance - so took it off (17 hour cook).
12. FTC until about 7:45 pm.
Flat was unbelievably juicy and tender. First pencil thick cuts off the flat could be held up at one end and then easily pulled apart. And towards the middle of the flat, juices would spill out when you squeezed it a little while cutting it. Point was succulent and rich. Guest were like, “Wait, what is this again!?!?” “This is brisket!?!?” It was THAT good.
Note: at 9:00am I took out the liquid container and removed the fat with a separator. It would have served as a delicious au jus. But you know, we really didn't need it for this brisket so no one used it.
