Salt, pepper, clean smoke and about twelve hours. How our pit cooks a brisket, and how to do the same in your backyard.
Brisket is the cut Texas is known for, and it rewards patience more than skill. This is how we cook ours every night for the next day's service.
Trim and season
Trim the fat cap to a quarter of an inch and square off any thin edges that would burn. Season with equal parts coarse salt and coarse black pepper, and nothing else.
Build a clean fire
Post oak burns steady and gives a mild, slightly sweet smoke. Hold the pit at 250F and look for thin blue smoke. Thick white smoke means the fire needs more air.
If the fire is right, the brisket mostly cooks itself.
Wait out the stall
At around 165F inside, the temperature stops climbing for an hour or more. Wrap the brisket in butcher paper at this point and put it back on.
Pull it when it is tender
Start checking at 200F. A probe should slide into the thickest part with almost no resistance. A 12-pound brisket usually takes 10 to 12 hours.
Rest it properly
Rest the wrapped brisket in a dry cooler for at least an hour, two if you can. Slice the flat across the grain, as thick as a pencil, then turn the point and slice that too.
