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Brisket Recipe

Name: Papa Bears Texas Barbeques Brisket Recipe
Cook time: 16 h
Total time: 16 h
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 6 lbs whole beef brisket (flat + point), trimmed; 3 tbs kosher salt; 2 tbs coarse black pepper (freshly cracked); 2 tbs yellow mustard (optional binder); 2 cups wood chunks or chips (oak, post oak, hickory or pecan); 2 cups water (for smoker water pan); 3 sheets aluminum foil; 1 cup beef broth or reserved brisket drippings (for spritz/wrap)

Inspired by Papa Bears Texas Barbeque

Time16h

Serves8

Our smoked beef brisket is slow smoked for up to 16 hours! We keep it simple. Seasoned with only salt and pepper, our premium hand picked briskets bathe in their natural juices to produce pull apart melt in your mouth goodness!

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Ingredients

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Brisket

6 lbs whole beef brisket (flat + point), trimmed3 tbs kosher salt2 tbs coarse black pepper (freshly cracked)2 tbs yellow mustard (optional binder)

Smoking / Finishing

2 cups wood chunks or chips (oak, post oak, hickory or pecan)2 cups water (for smoker water pan)3 sheets aluminum foil1 cup beef broth or reserved brisket drippings (for spritz/wrap)

Method

Brisket

Trim and prepare

Trim excess hard fat from the brisket, leaving about 1/4 inch of fat cap for flavor and protection during the long smoke. Square the edges so the thickness is relatively even for more uniform cooking. Pat the brisket dry with paper towels.

Apply binder (optional)

Lightly rub the entire surface of the brisket with yellow mustard if using; this helps the salt and pepper adhere and does not affect flavor after smoking.

Season

Evenly coat both sides and the edges of the brisket with kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Use about a 3:2 ratio of salt to pepper across the surface. Press the seasoning onto the meat with your hands so it adheres.

Smoking / Finishing

Preheat smoker

Preheat your smoker to a stable 225°F (about 107°C). Add your chosen wood (oak, post oak, hickory or pecan) to the heat source so it begins producing a steady, clean smoke before placing the brisket in.

Set up smoker

Place a water pan in the smoker near the brisket to maintain humidity; add about 2 cups of water. Arrange the racks so the brisket will sit fat-side up (or fat-side down if your smoker's heat source is above).

Smoke (initial stage)

Place the brisket on the smoker grates fat-side up. Insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the flat, avoiding fat pockets. Smoke at 225°F until the internal temperature reaches 165–170°F (about 6–9 hours for a 6 lb brisket, depending on stall and smoker consistency). Every 45–60 minutes, check smoke and replenish wood as needed. Optionally spritz the brisket every 60–90 minutes with beef broth or reserved drippings to maintain surface moisture.

Wrap (Texas crutch) and continue cooking

When the brisket hits the stall (typically 150–170°F and internal temp stops rising) or at about 165–170°F, tightly wrap the brisket in two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil (or butcher paper) with a little beef broth (about 1/4–1/2 cup) added into the packet to create steam. Return the wrapped brisket to the smoker and continue cooking until the internal temperature reads 200–205°F. This can take 4–8 additional hours depending on size.

Rest

When the brisket reaches 200–205°F and the probe slides in with little resistance (probe test), remove it from the smoker. Keep it wrapped and place in a cooler or insulated container to rest for at least 1 hour (ideally 1.5–2 hours). Resting allows redistributed juices and a tender pull-apart texture.

Slice and serve

Unwrap the brisket and drain any accumulated liquid into a container (reserve for serving if desired). Separate the point from the flat by following the natural seam if you prefer. Slice the flat across the grain into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch slices. For the point, pull apart or cube for burnt ends. Serve warm with reserved juices as a finishing drizzle or as au jus.