brisket Archives - Meadow Creek Barbecue Supply

Watch Matt Pitman, a Texas pitmaster and the CEO of Meat Church, explain how to smoke brisket in four simple steps.

I enjoyed the clear steps that Matt shares in this video for successfully smoking a brisket. If you're looking for some solid guidelines to tackle your first brisket or needing some pointers for perfecting your brisket, this video is a great place to start.

In this video Matt uses a pellet smoker and some of his famous Meat Church BBQ Rubs. He started out with one full packer brisket which is made up of two muscles, the flat and the point. The flat is the wider thinner part of the brisket and the point is the narrower thicker part.

Below is an outline of all the key information in the video.

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Meat Church Seasonings

How to Smoke a Brisket

Step 1: Trim the Brisket

There are a lot of preferences in how to trim a brisket. Here are some basic guidelines to get you started:

Shave off the hard fat on the meat side of the brisket without digging into the meat.
Trim off any gray edges on the brisket.
Fillet off any loose fat on the meat side of the brisket. No need to stress over this.
Trim the fat side of the brisket down to about 1/4" layer of fat, or 1/2" maximum.
Slice off some of the hard fat on the thick edge of the brisket between the flat and the point.

Step 2: Season the Brisket

Central Texas barbecue uses equal parts of coarse cracked pepper and Kosher salt. A lot of people like to add other ingredients, and Matt's seasonings make it easy to achieve a balanced flavor profile:

"I don't use any binders on my protein before I apply the seasoning." —Matt Pittman

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Season the meat side and edges with a medium layer of Holy Cow BBQ Rub (salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika) and pat the seasoning in.
Add a light layer of Holy Gospel BBQ Rub to the meat side and edges and pat it in.
Ideally, let the brisket sit 20-30 minutes, then flip and repeat this process on the fat side.

Pro tip: When applying rub, shake the rub from high above the meat to get a more even layer.

Step 3: Cook the Brisket

Set your smoker to 275° F and smoke the brisket fat side up for around 6 hours until the internal temperature in the center of the flat is 165° F.
Remove the brisket from the smoker and wrap it in heavy aluminum foil or unwaxed butcher paper.
Put the wrapped brisket back in the smoker fat side up at 275° F for about 4 hours until the center of the flat has an internal temperature of 200-225° F.
Remove the wrapped brisket and let it rest in an empty cooler for an hour.

"Heavy duty aluminum foil is more forgiving than butcher paper." —Matt Pittman, CEO of Meat Church

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Step 4: Slice and Serve

Slice the brisket into two pieces 1/3 of the way down from the point (the thicker part of the brisket).
Slice the flat in the same direction as your first cut.
Turn the point a quarter turn and cut it into slices lengthwise to the brisket.
Serve and enjoy!

"Fat is flavor when used in moderation." —Matt Pittman, CEO of Meat Church

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What pellet grill should you use?

There are a few good companies making quality pellet grills. Here at Meadow Creek Barbecue Supply we carry Green Mountain Pellet Grills and Yoder Pellet Grills.

Browse our pellet grills on our website to see videos and more information or visit our showroom to get your hands on them.

Click here to learn more about Green Mountain Pellet Grills

Click here to learn more about Yoder Pellet Smokers

Don't have the rubs for this recipe?

We sell the popular line of Meat Church barbecue rubs in our specialty barbecue store and online. There's no better time to try these rubs then now.

Shop Meat Church BBQ Rubs

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Now go cook a great brisket!

Did you know we carry Wagyu briskets, smokers, accessories, and everything else you need to cook outdoors? Call us at (717) 355-0779 or visit us at 140 W Main Street in New Holland, PA to check out our full line of barbecue equipment and supplies or for help planning a successful barbecue party.

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In this video, Aaron Franklin, a Texas barbecue legend, will show you how to choose a good brisket and then trim and season it for the smoker.

I enjoyed this video and am sharing a few of the highlights for you here:

How to Choose a Good Brisket

Brisket is a tough, potentially unsavory cut of meat. Look for a brisket with a lot of marbling in the point, and a thick flat.

How to Trim a Brisket

Use a narrow, curved boning knife for trimming the brisket. (We carry these in our store.)
If you trim too much fat off, the brisket will be dry. If you don't trim enough, it will be too fatty. A 1/4" fat cap is usually about right, but it depends on your smoker and how hot you cook it.
A brisket is a lot easier and safer to trim when it's cold.
Trim down the fat cap, remove the deckle and the small membrane next to the deckle. Square up the thinnest part of the flat to shape it nicely. Cut off some of the thick vein of fat between the point and the flat muscles.
Remove the silver skin if you are only doing one or two briskets; don't spend too much time with this.

How to Season a Brisket

A lot of people use complex rubs for brisket, but Aaron uses equal parts of kosher salt and black ground pepper. The grains of salt sink to the bottom, so you might need to keep mixing it as you're dispensing it.
"If you had a shaker, it'd be pretty neat." —Aaron Franklin
Sprinkle an even layer over the entire surface of the brisket on both sides. Aaron says you don't want to overpower the flavor of the meat; be conservative with the rub.
Let it warm up for about an hour before you put it on the smoker. Aaron thinks it helps the brisket cook more evenly.

"The biggest mistake people make is putting too much rub on this stuff... you want the flavor of the meat to shine through." —Aaron Franklin

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Hungry for more of Aaron Franklin? Check out this 20+ minute video of him cooking brisket on an offset smoker: https://video.klru.tv/video/bbq-franklin-episode-1-brisket/

Now go cook a great brisket!

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Meat Church Seasonings

Meat Church The Gospel All Purpose BBQ Rub

Meat Church Honey Hog BBQ Rub

Meat Church Holy Cow BBQ Rub

Meat Church The Holy Gospel BBQ Rub

Meat Church Honey Hog Hot BBQ Rub

Meat Church Honey Bacon BBQ Rub

Meat Church Texas Sugar Rub

How to Smoke a Brisket

Step 1: Trim the Brisket

Step 2: Season the Brisket

Step 3: Cook the Brisket

Step 4: Slice and Serve

What pellet grill should you use?

Drip-EZ Grease Tray Liners – 3 Pack

Covers and Blankets

Rotisserie Kit for Daniel Boone/Ledge Prime Plus Grills

Green Mountain Grills Fold-Down Front Shelf

Upper Rack

Grill Mat

Stainless Steel Pan

Wood-Fired Pizza Attachment

Green Mountain Grills Trek Prime Plus Cart

Ledge Prime Plus Green Mountain Grill

Drip-EZ Bucket Liners

Daniel Boone Choice With Wifi

Rotisserie Kit for Jim Bowie/Peak Prime Plus Grill

GrillGrates

Peak Prime Plus Green Mountain Grill

YS640S Pellet Grill

Yoder Smokers Beef Rub

Yoder Smokers Chicken Rub

Yoder Smokers YS640S 3-Piece Stainless Steel Cooking Grate Set

Yoder Smokers Thermal Jackets

Yoder Smokers All-Weather Grill Covers

Yoder Smokers 3-Tier Smoking Racks

Yoder Smokers Grease Shields

Yoder Smokers Stainless Steel Sleeve for Front Shelf

Yoder Smokers Grill Mats

Yoder Smokers Magnetic Wraps

Yoder Smokers Pork Rub

Yoder Smokers AP Rub

Yoder Smokers YS640S Expanded Metal Lower Cooking Grate

Half-Depth Upper Cooking Rack for Yoder Smokers YS640

Trek Prime Plus Green Mountain Grill

Yoder Built-ins For Outdoor Kitchens

Yoder Smokers Touch-Up Paint

Davy Crockett Tote Bag – Black

YS1500S Pellet Grill

YS640S Competition Pellet Grill

YS480S Pellet Grill

Don't have the rubs for this recipe?

​How to Choose a Good Brisket

​How to Trim a Brisket

How to Season a Brisket

How to Choose a Good Brisket

How to Trim a Brisket