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How to smoke brisket

A perfectly cooked brisket on a table with some gravy and char grilled corn cobs

Overview

When it comes to smoked meats, American beef brisket is the holy grail of the low and slow movement. Tender, full of flavour and super easy to make, beef brisket is cut from the beef flank and a cut above. This is one of those crowd-pleaser dishes that takes a while to prepare but is made to be savoured, both in the cooking and eating.

Tools and materials

Tools

Ingredients

  • 3-4kg beef brisket
  • Your favourite spice mix

Steps

  1. 1

    Time

    9–11 hours, depending on size

  2. 2

    Prepare the brisket

    Prepare your brisket by trimming off the fat and sinew. Then rub both sides of the brisket thoroughly with your spice mix to enhance the flavour profile at the end of the cook.

  3. 3

    Smoked brisket temperature

    Get your smoker up to 115°C and rack your brisket for 3 hours. It should then be ‘boated’ inside your smoker for a further 6–8 hours. A ‘boat’ is an open foil construction used to hold liquid and allow food to rest in its own juices.

    A slab of brisket sitting in a barbecue
  4. 4

    Use some water

    Spritz throughout your cook with water, checking hourly. You want your brisket to be juicy.

    A brisket being sprayed down to keep it juicy
  5. 5

    Check the temperature

    Use a probe to check your brisket is ready. When it reaches 82°C to 90°C, it’s good to go.

    A probe being used to check the temperature of a cooking brisket
  6. 6

    Slice and serve

    Slice up your brisket to reveal the beautiful colours and serve.
    A finished brisket being sliced up

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Health & Safety

Please make sure you use all equipment appropriately and safely when following the advice in these D.I.Y. videos. You need to be familiar with how to use equipment safely and follow the instructions that came with the equipment. If you are unsure, you may feel it is safest to consult an expert, such as the manufacturer or an expert Bunnings Team Member.

Grave health hazards are linked to asbestos, which may be in homes built up to 1990. Health hazards may result from exposure to lead-based paints in older materials and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer.