Went out yesterday looking for something to cook and hit a highend butcher first. He had a Angus certified 13 pound brisket with the perfect amount of fat....for $85. I hummed and hawed then passed. Went out to an abitoir in the country and they had brisket on for alot cheaper but trimmed of too much fat. Got this almost 9 pounder for $37:
Trimmed of silver skin and the hard chunk of fat from the point then rubbed:
I used this on the brisket and nothing else:
It sat about an hour at room temp while the smoker came to temp and smoke got clean:
On it goes with a mix of white oak and some rum barrel chunks on top of RO Blue lump:
Smoke was clean and temp came to 248f within 5 minutes. I will update later. I picked up some smoked sausages at the abitoir as well so I can snack on some while I go. These sausages are mild - I cook them on a kettle well away from coals and slowly bring them to near done then put em' just off the coals to singe up abit.
Edit: Damn. Realized looking at the picture that I had it fat side up! Fixed now. I have a bag of broad fat slices from the butcher and after a couple/three hours will be putting some of these under the brisket to guard it from the heat and hopefully keep this sucker from drying out. I will be using cut up brown paper bags to put under and wrap the brisket at a certain point...probably after it hits 165f internal or so. I will also probably be putting water in the pan if and when it looks dryish. This will be only my 4th whole brisket cook with a couple partials tossed in.
Edit 2: At the 2 hr 45 minute point I took some beef fat trimmings:
And put them underneath the brisket:
Gonna let it go another hour or so and check it then.
Edit 3:
Went fat side up after about 5 hours or so and let it go another hour or so then did this:
and this:
I do not have access to real untreated butchers paper so I improvise. Taking a grocery store paper bag I cut out the bottom and side strip that contain the glue. The paper breaths providing a better crust and also the paper allows smoke to get through. I normally just wrap the butt or brisket in the paper but this time I want to save the juices.