Smoked Brisket

Ingredients

• • 1 whole packer brisket, fat cap trimmed clean (no exposed meat/holes in the fat)
• • Yellow mustard, as a binder
• • Coarse black pepper (generous, for good bark and smoke adhesion)
• • Kosher salt
• • Any other favorite rub seasonings (garlic powder, paprika, etc.), optional
• • Apple cider vinegar, for spritzing (optional)
• • Peach butcher paper, for wrapping

Steps

1. 1.Trim the brisket so the fat cap is smooth and solid, with no holes where the meat underneath is exposed.
2. 2.Let the trimmed brisket sit uncovered in the fridge until a slightly tacky pellicle forms on the surface -- this helps the rub and smoke adhere.
3. 3.Coat the brisket all over with a thin layer of mustard as a binder, then apply a generous rub of coarse pepper, salt, and any other seasonings, making sure there's plenty of pepper for good bark and smoke adhesion.
4. 4.Set up your smoker for low and slow cooking at 225-275°F and place the brisket fat side down to protect the meat from direct heat. On a smoker with the room for it (I run a Pit Boss CS1600), two pellet tubes running at once gets you closer to a stick-burner flavor -- each tube runs about 3-4 hours, so plan to swap them once or twice before the wrap.
5. 5.Smoke until the brisket hits the stall, around 160°F internal temperature, spritzing occasionally with apple cider vinegar if you like. A drip pan with some ice underneath can help catch drippings and keep things moist, though it's not required.
6. 6.Wrap tightly in peach butcher paper and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches about 200°F. Nothing special needed once it's wrapped.
7. 7.Pull the brisket and place it in a faux cambro -- a cooler lined with towels -- to rest for anywhere from 15 minutes up to a couple of hours.
8. 8.Unwrap, slice against the grain, and serve. Total cook time runs roughly 24 hours depending on size -- adjust as needed to land it when you want to eat.