Smoked Brisket for Game Day

Step 1

Place brisket fat cap down inside of a large foil pan.

Step 2

Coat the top of the brisket with molasses then sprinkle ¼ cup of Jeff's original rub onto the top and sides of the brisket.

Step 3

Give the rub a couple of minutes to stick then flip the brisket over to fat cap up.

Step 4

Use a sharp knife to score the fat cap down to the meat using a crosshatch pattern with about 1-inch intervals.

Step 5

Coat the scored fat cap of the brisket with molasses then pour ¼ cup of Jeff's original rub and rub it in. The idea is for the molasses and rub to get down into the score marks in the fat cap.

Step 6

The brisket is now ready to cook in the smoker.

Step 7

Set up your smoker for cooking at 240°F (116°C) with indirect heat using a mix of pecan and cherry wood for smoke or whatever smoking wood you have available.

Step 8

Let the brisket smoke cook for about 5 hours or until it reaches 160°F (71°C) in the thickest part of the flat area.

Step 9

At this point you can wrap the brisket with foil or food-grade natural brown (or pink) paper and continue the cooking process in the smoker.

Step 10

The brisket is done when it reaches about 200°F (93°C). You can test the brisket for perfect tenderness by inserting a probe or skewer into the flat area. It should have very little resistance and feel like it's going into room temperature butter.

Step 11

Once done, remove the brisket from the heat.

Step 12

It should be wrapped in foil at this point and allowed to rest for 1.5 to 2 hours in a empty, dry cooler.

Step 13

After resting, remove the brisket from the foil and slice across the grain into pencil-thick pieces.

Step 14

Enjoy!