House Smoked Brisket 10 Oz Recipe

Trim and prepare

Trim excess hard fat from the brisket, leaving a thin (1/8–1/4 inch) fat cap for moisture. Remove any silver skin and large hard pieces that won't render.

Apply binder and rub

Pat the brisket dry with paper towels. Rub the yellow mustard evenly over all surfaces as a binder. In a small bowl combine kosher salt, cracked black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Sprinkle the rub evenly and press it into the meat so the entire brisket is coated. Let rest at room temperature for 30–45 minutes or refrigerate overnight for deeper flavor.

Prepare smoker

Preheat your smoker to 225°F (107°C). Add 3–4 pieces of your chosen wood (post oak, hickory, or pecan). Stabilize the temperature before putting the brisket on. If using a charcoal smoker, bank coals and add wood chunks; if electric or pellet, load appropriate wood.

Smoke the brisket

Place the brisket fat-side up on the smoker grate. Insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the flat without touching fat or bone. Smoke until the internal temperature reaches ~165°F (74°C). This typically takes about 4–6 hours for a 3 lb pass (time will scale for different sizes). During smoking, spritz the brisket every 60–90 minutes with a 1:1 mixture of apple cider vinegar and water (or use the provided 1 cup apple cider vinegar diluted as needed) to maintain moisture and encourage bark development.

Wrap (Texas crutch) and finish

When the brisket hits ~165°F and has a nice bark, tightly wrap it in heavy-duty aluminum foil or butcher paper with the butter, stock, and optional brown sugar added inside to create steam. Return to the smoker and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 202–205°F (94–96°C) and the brisket is probe-tender (a probe or skewer should slide in with little resistance). This can take another 2–4 hours depending on size.

Rest

Remove the wrapped brisket from the smoker and let it rest, still wrapped, in a cooler or insulated container for at least 1 hour (up to 2 hours). Resting lets juices redistribute and improves slicing.

Slice and glaze

Unwrap the brisket and pour any collected juices into a small pan; skim excess fat. Slice the brisket against the grain into 10 oz portions (for a 10 oz serving, slice to that weight). If desired, warm the reserved juices with the house BBQ sauce (or a little stock) and brush a light glaze on the slices. Alternatively, spoon a bit of reserved jus over the slices.

Plate a 10 oz slice of brisket. Serve with a small ramekin of house BBQ sauce on the side, garnish with pickles or pickled onions and a sprinkle of chopped parsley. Offer extra sauce and pickles at the table.