Best Smoked Brisket South Texas Style Recipes

YEAH, I-LIVED-IN-TEXAS, SMOKED BRISKET

Steps:

• Soak wood chips in a bowl of water, 8 hours to overnight.
• Mix paprika, white sugar, cumin, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper together in a bowl. Rub the spice mixture over the entire brisket; refrigerate for 24 hours.
• Preheat smoker to between 220 degrees F (104 degrees C) and 230 degrees F (110 degrees C). Drain wood chips and place in the smoker.
• Smoke brisket in the preheated smoker until it has an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), about 12 1/2 hours. Wrap brisket tightly in butcher paper or heavy-duty aluminum foil and return to smoker.
• Continue smoking brisket until an internal temperature of 185 degrees F (85 degrees C) is reached, about 1 hour more.

REAL TEXAS BRISKET (SMOKED) (SOUTHWEST)

Steps:

• Trim brisket leaving 1/2" layer of fat on top. Determine the direction of the grain of the meet and cut off a slice across the grain. This way when the meet is done, and covered with a dark brown crust, you'll be able to see which direction you should slice.
• Brush with 1/4 cup of lemon juice (bottle juice is fine).
• In a bowl, combine lemon pepper, oregano, celery salt, garlic salt, and seasoned salt.
• Rub brisket with 1/2 of this mixture, cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.
• Remove brisket and let it come to room temp before cooking. Putting a cold piece of meat in a smoker is a sure fire recipe for disaster--the meet will be very bitter.
• Prepare your smoker according to the manufacturer's direction. Heat the smoker to 225°F at the cooking level.
• Place the brisket in the smoker, fat side up.
• Keep the temperature as close to 200°F as you can for the first 2-3 hours by adjusting the air intake, and adding small pieces of wood every 30 minutes. Do not adjust the out vent, it should always remain full open. You know your cooking properly when there is very little smoke coming out of the smoker, and the hot air coming out of the top vent is clear for the first foot, then it turns to a grayish white smoke. If smoke is billowing out of every opening, the smoke is cold and the air flow is too low--your brisket will taste like tar. You can let the temperature creep up to 225°F , but not much over that.
• In a small bowl, combine the Worcestershire sauce, and remaining lemon juice and rub mixture.
• Mop on the sauce every hour as you turn the meat. Be sure to turn the meat over and also rotate to ensure even cooking. This should be the only time you open the cooking area.
• Smoke 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours per pound, until the internal temperature is 190°F . If you go much past that, your brisket will not slice up, and you'll have pulled beef.
• Remove and wrap in aluminum foil. Let the meat rest for about 1 hour.
• Cut the point (the pyramid shaped portion) off following a natural fat layer between the point and the flat.
• Trim off excess fat.
• Slice the brisket across the grain, using the starter slice you should have done at the beginning as a guide. Slices should be 1/4" thick. If a portion of brisket is falling apart rather than slicing, don't despair. Save the shredded portions and the burnt ends. They will make the best BBQ beef sandwiches later, when chopped and mixed with BBQ sauce.

EMERIL'S TEXAS-STYLE SMOKED BRISKET

Steps:

• Set the brisket on a large sheet of plastic wrap. In a medium bowl combine the dark brown sugar, chili power, paprika, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, cayenne, dry mustard, and cumin thoroughly. Rub the mixture onto the brisket and wrap tightly in the plastic wrap. Place on a baking sheet and let marinate refrigerated at least 6 hours or overnight. Remove the meat from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature.
• Soak mesquite wood chips in a large bowl of water for 1 to 2 hours. Remove, drain and set aside.
• Remove the meat from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature.
• Prepare a smoker with charcoal and the wood chips according to the manufacturer's instructions to 180 to 200 degrees F. Place the water pan in the smoker and add water to the fill line, about 2/3 full. Place the unwrapped brisket on the lower rack off the direct heat, close the lid, and cook, regularly stoking the fire and adding additional chips, until an instant-read thermometer registers an internal temperature of 185 to 195 degrees F., or until the meat is tender, about 4 to 5 hours. Remove the meat from the grill and let rest for 20 minutes before carving the meat against the grain.
• (Alternately, prepare a stove-top smoker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Place the unwrapped brisket on the rack over low heat. Close the lid and smoke for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Remove the meat from the smoker and wrap in a large sheet of heavy aluminum foil. Place on a baking sheet and roast until tender and an instant-read thermometer registers an internal temperature of 185 to 195 degrees F., or until the meat is tender, about 2 to 3 hours. Remove the meat from the oven and let rest for 20 minutes before carving the meat against the grain.)
• Serve with Barbecue Sauce on the side for dipping.
• In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the ketchup, brown sugar, cane syrup, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire, hot sauce, Essence, and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened and the flavors marry, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly before serving.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

TEXAS-STYLE SMOKED BRISKET

Steps:

• Set the brisket on a large sheet of plastic wrap.
• In a medium bowl combine the dark brown sugar, chili power, paprika, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, cayenne, dry mustard, and cumin thoroughly.
• Rub the mixture onto the brisket and wrap tightly in the plastic wrap.
• Place on a baking sheet and let marinate refrigerated at least 6 hours or overnight.
• Remove the meat from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature.
• Soak mesquite wood chips in a large bowl of water for 1 to 2 hours.
• Remove, drain and set aside.
• Prepare a smoker with charcoal and the wood chips according to the manufacturer's instructions to 180 to 200 degrees F.
• Place the water pan in the smoker and add water to the fill line, about 2/3 full.
• Place the unwrapped brisket on the lower rack off the direct heat, close the lid, and cook, regularly stoking the fire and adding additional chips, until an instant-read thermometer registers an internal temperature of 140 to 145 degrees F, about 4 to 5 hours.
• Remove the meat from the grill and let rest for 20 minutes before carving the meat against the grain.
• (Alternately, prepare a stove-top smoker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Place the unwrapped brisket on the rack over low heat. Close the lid and smoke for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Remove the meat from the smoker and wrap in) BBQ Sauce: In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
• Add the onions and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
• Add the ketchup, brown sugar, cane syrup, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire, hot sauce, Essence, and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil.
• Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened and the flavors marry, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and let cool slightly before serving.
• Essence: Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.