Brisket. Shown is a flat cut. This time I got the thick end, a half brisket.


My smoker/grill. The leaves and detritus around it are leftovers from the last big storm. I never try to remove it until it is bone dry.

The brisket is in the grill and the smoke box is smoldering with hickory and mesquite wood chunks. You don't want it to flame, just smolder. The round part on the far end is the fire box. The meat is on a grill in the closer and larger part of the grill. You can see the chimney but the smoke is white and near invisible.


I opened the fire box so you could see the smoking wood and ashes. It doesn't take a lot. I add more wood about once an hour, blow on it to get it burning, then close the lid and make it go to smoke only. The fresh air enters on the bottom left and the smoke leaves the firebox on the right, where it enters the grill chamber, goes over the meat and then out the chimney.


Here is the brisket on the grill after about 3 hours of smoking. It sits above a water pan which catches the fat drips. I never turn it or move it. This was the only time I opened the grill lid during the entire process... just to take a photo.

NEXT: I will remove the meat after the 5th hour. Taking it into the kitchen, I will wrap it in plastic and tuck it into the fridge for overnight (after it cools.) Tomorrow I will wipe off much of the black residue, place it in a freezer for about 40 minutes so that it gets stiff but not frozen, and then I will slice it on my stainless meat slicer. I will put it all in a roasting pan, add BBQ sauce, and slow roast it in the oven for about an hour and a half at 225F, turning it a couple times in the sauce.

You serve it over Texas toast.