What is the total cooking time for the brisket?

The total cooking time is about 14 hours, which includes 6 to 10 hours of smoking, plus resting time.

What type of brisket should I use?

Use a whole packers cut brisket weighing between 10-15 lbs for the best results.

What should I do if I'm using a pellet smoker?

If using a pellet smoker, always place the brisket fat side down and keep the temperature below or at 225°F to prevent burning.

How long should I let the brisket sit after rubbing it with salt and pepper?

Let the brisket sit for at least 30 minutes after rubbing it with the salt and pepper mixture.

Easy Smoked Brisket Recipe

Name: Easy Smoked Brisket Recipe
Total time: 14 h
Yield: 8-10
Ingredients: 1 whole packers cut brisket (10-15 lbs); 1 cup kosher salt; 1 cup coarse black pepper; 1 slow cooker fat trimmings (for rendering into tallow)

SSteve Gow (Smoke Trails BBQ)YouTube14 hoursserves 8-10

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Original video by Steve Gow (Smoke Trails BBQ) on YouTube12:24

About this recipe

Smoking a brisket for the first time can feel daunting, but this easy smoked brisket recipe by Steve Gow from Smoke Trails BBQ breaks it down step-by-step. With a focus on simplicity and technique, you'll be able to impress your friends and family with a delicious, pitmaster-level brisket right from your backyard.

The key to this recipe is in the preparation and the rub, which consists of just kosher salt and coarse black pepper. This straightforward approach allows the rich flavors of the brisket to shine through, making it perfect for beginners.

Ingredient notes

Use a whole packers cut brisket weighing between 10-15 lbs for best results.
The rub is a simple mixture of 50% kosher salt and 50% coarse black pepper.

Tips from Steve Gow (Smoke Trails BBQ)’s video

Trim the fat cap to about a quarter inch thick to ensure it renders properly and keeps the brisket juicy.
Render the fat trimmings in a slow cooker for a whole day to create tallow, which can be used later for wrapping the brisket.
Maintain the smoker temperature between 250°F and 300°F, and spritz the brisket every few hours to keep it moist during the smoking process.

Good to know

What is the total cooking time for the brisket?: The total cooking time is about 14 hours, which includes 6 to 10 hours of smoking, plus resting time.
What type of brisket should I use?: Use a whole packers cut brisket weighing between 10-15 lbs for the best results.
What should I do if I'm using a pellet smoker?: If using a pellet smoker, always place the brisket fat side down and keep the temperature below or at 225°F to prevent burning.
How long should I let the brisket sit after rubbing it with salt and pepper?: Let the brisket sit for at least 30 minutes after rubbing it with the salt and pepper mixture.

No life story here — the video and the recipe are the whole point. All credit to Steve Gow (Smoke Trails BBQ): watch the original on YouTube.

The recipe

Serves 8-10Time 14 hours

Ingredients

1 whole packers cut brisket (10-15 lbs)
1 cup kosher salt
1 cup coarse black pepper
1 slow cooker fat trimmings — for rendering into tallow

Steps

1
Trim the fat cap of the brisket to about a quarter inch thick, removing hard fat and silver skin as needed.
2
Render the fat trimmings in a slow cooker for the whole day, stirring occasionally until it becomes liquid fat (tallow).
3
Rub the brisket with a mixture of 50% kosher salt and 50% coarse black pepper, applying it to all sides and letting it sit for at least 30 minutes.
4
Preheat your smoker to a temperature between 225°F and 300°F, ensuring to follow specific guidelines for pellet and electric smokers.
5
Place the brisket on the smoker, maintaining a temperature between 250°F and 300°F, and spritz the edges every few hours to keep them moist.
6
Smoke the brisket for 6 to 10 hours until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F to 180°F, and observe the moisture and bark development.