Smoked beef brisket

Preparation – 10 minutes

Start by removing the membrane, you can also ask your butcher. Trim the excess or very thick layers of fat from the brisket.

Now cover the entire brisket on both sides with 3:1 salt and pepper. Rub it in well with your hands. So for every 3 parts salt, you add 1 part ground pepper.

Place the wood chips in a bowl of water for at least 30 minutes.

Smoking the brisket – at least 8 hours

Prepare your smoker for use. Add a large container or oven dish filled with water to the bottom of your smoker. Make sure this container is large enough so the brisket comes right above it. This way the brisket will be extra juicy.

Start lighting the coals in the offset smoker. Once the coals are hot, add some new coals.

Now add a handful of wood chips to the coals, making sure no flames are visible.

Place the brisket on the grid on the cold side of the smoker, but above the container with water. Close the smoker and check the thermometer, it's best not to let the temperature rise above 100 - 110 degrees celsius (210 - 230 degrees fahrenheit).

You can control the temperature of the smoker with the help of the oxygen supply. Add 1 or 2 charcoals now and then if you think it's necessary. Also, add a handful of (wet) wood chips in the meantime.

Repeat the above steps for about 3 hours. Do not or hardly open the cold side of the smoker! after 3 hours, spray the brisket with some water, then close the smoker again and continue with the same steps.

After about 8 hours you will get an amazing red edge in the meat for the 2 kilo brisket. Use a meat thermometer to check whether the internal temperature of the meat is correct.

The internal temperature must have reached at least a temperature of 75 degrees celsius (165 degrees fahrenheit).

Do you have a larger brisket? then add about one and a half hours per kilo of meat, or until the core temperature is reached. For example, it took at least 13 hours before our brisket of 5 kilos was cooked.

The smoking time also has to do with the thickness of the meat. The thicker the meat, the longer it will take to smoke.

Serving the brisket

Remove the brisket from the smoker and wrap it in aluminium foil with a small splash of water in it. Preheat the oven to a temperature of 140 degrees celsius and heat the brisket for 10 minutes.

Remove the brisket from the oven, cut it into nice strips and serve immediately. It is best to eat brisket the same day, you can also freeze the brisket, but the meat will be much tougher.

Serve the brisket the American way by adding fried potato wedges and classic coleslaw. Enjoy!