Ingredients:

1 (8-10 lb) brisket
1/2 cup of Tony’s Beef or Lamb Rub
24″ charcoal grill with lid

Son of Spoon Mage™ Notes:

Not everyone needs a great big 16 pound brisket – besides, it won’t fit on your grill. Ask your butcher to cut one in half if all they have are huge briskets.

There are no bones in a brisket, just lots of great meat that grills or smokes up Texas tasty.

This is another piece of flavorful meat that, like a flank steak, needs to be cut correctly to make each bite better. Always cut across the grain.

Note the beautiful pink “smoke ring” on the meat in the picture. This means this brisket was perfectly smoked.

Directions:

Slice off the thickest part of the fat or you will be cutting off a lot of rub when it is time to eat and the rub is delicious. Leave no more than 1/4 inch of fat, but less is fine. The fat will not matter to the grilled meat.

Rub 1/2 cup or more of Tony’s rub to brisket, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let sit in the refrigerator overnight.

Soak wood chips per package directions.

Arrange the briquettes in triangles – two on the bottom and one on the top, then another triangle right next to the first. Continue in the pattern all around the outside edge of a 24″ charcoal grill.

Soak only the first few triangles with lighter fluid.

Lay the wood chips on top of the briquettes.

Arranging the briquettes in this manner creates a fire ring that slowly burns from one end to the other. The arrangement will help the coals last for 6 hours.

The brisket will only be indirectly grilled.

Form a strip of aluminum foil in an L-shape to make a heat shield to protect the meat. Place the shield so that it is between the coals and the meat.

Light one end of the coals only and after the flames go down, place the brisket directly on the center of the grilling rack with the coals surrounding it, but the meat will be protected by the heat shield.

Cover the grill and leave the meat undisturbed until the ring of fire has completely burned through from one end to the other.

Cook time is approximately 6 hours.

Check to see if the meat is done near the end of the 6 hours. When the meat thermometer is easy to insert, the meat will be done, but you may as well check the temperature anyway. For tender meat, the temperature needs to be about 185ºF. If you stop before that the meat will not be tender.

While the meat needs to be tender, do not let it get as soft as pulled meat. Overcooking means you will lose meat through the grates.

It will take about an hour a pound to cook. So, depending upon how thick your brisket is, allow anywhere from 6-8 hours.

Remove from the grill to a rimmed platter, tent tightly with foil, and let the meat sit for 15 minutes.

Finally, slice brisket against the grain and serve with barbecue sauce, bread, jalapenos, green beans, and potato salad.

While the meat is grilling, you may as well make a great barbecue sauce!