Water Smoker Recipes – Beef Brisket

After you’ve smoked pork shoulders and ribs, you will want to add beef brisket to your box of water smoker recipes. Any good brisket recipe will start with the selection of a good piece of meat.

For best results, choose a brisket that is untrimmed. Look for a brisket with a layer of fat that is 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Also look for marbling throughout the meat fibers. The more marbling, the tenderer the meat will be.

Once you get home from the butcher, unpack the brisket and let it drain in the sink for a few minutes. Trim the fat so that it is about a 1/2 inch thick. Score the fat by cutting 1 inch squares, down to the surface of the meat. Now you want to add your flavoring. You can add flavor with a marinade, spicy rub, or both.

Marinating a brisket is easy. You can either mix up your own recipe or purchase one pre-made. Place the brisket in a non-reactive container and pour on the marinade. If you like, you can use an injector to pump some of the marinade into the brisket. Let the brisket marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

If you prefer a dry rub, you’ll want to make sure you coat the brisket and work the rub into the meat and scores. After it has been well coated, wrap the brisket in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The longer it rests, the deeper the flavor will penetrate into the meat.

The next step is the same for all of your smoker recipes; prepare your water smoker. Select the type of charcoal and wood you’ll want to use. Fill up your fire pan with hot coals. Make sure to keep water in the pan and the temperature consistent.

Just like your other smoker recipes, the key to a good brisket is low and slow cooking. A good rule of thumb is to cook the brisket for one hour per pound at 225 degrees. When the brisket reaches an internal temperature of 190 degrees, remove it from the smoker and wrap in aluminum foil. The brisket should be allowed to rest for 30 minutes to an hour to let the juices redistribute throughout the meat.

The more you experiment the more smoker recipes you can add to your repertoire. Just enjoy your time outdoors and the process of smoking your own meat. Best of Luck and Happy Smoking!

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