Classic Smoked Backyard Brisket Recipe
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 12–14 hours
Rest time: 1–3 hours
Serves: 10–14
Cooking temperature: 110°C
Internal temperature: Approx. 93–95°C
A true BBQ classic. Slowly smoked until tender, juicy and packed with flavour, this brisket develops a beautiful dark bark from our Backyard Signature Rub and a deep smoky flavour from the long, slow cook.
Ingredients
1 whole beef brisket, approximately 5–6kg
100–150g Backyard Signature Rub
2 tbsp American yellow mustard
Generous amount of Beef Tallow
For the spritz:
150ml water
Method
1. Prepare the brisket
Trim away any hard or excessive fat from the brisket, leaving an even layer of approximately 5–6mm over the top. Remove any particularly thin pieces of meat around the edges as these can dry out during the long cook.
2. Season
Lightly coat the brisket with yellow mustard to help the seasoning stick. Generously cover the entire brisket with Backyard Signature Rub, making sure the top, bottom and sides are evenly coated. Leave to stand for around 20–30 minutes while you prepare the BBQ.
3. Prepare the smoker
Set your BBQ or smoker for indirect cooking at approximately 110°C. Once the temperature is stable, add your smoking wood. Hickory works particularly well with brisket for a traditional, rich BBQ flavour Although I'm also a sucker for our Bourbon chips too.
4. Start smoking
Place the brisket onto the BBQ over indirect heat, positioning the thicker end towards the hotter part of the BBQ. Insert a temperature probe into the thickest part of the flat, close the lid and leave to smoke.
5. Spritz the brisket
After around 3 hours, check the brisket. Once a good bark has started to form, lightly spritz the surface with equal parts with water. Continue to spritz every 45–60 minutes if the surface starts to look dry.
6. Wrap
When the brisket reaches approximately 70–75°C internally and has developed a dark, rich bark, it is ready to wrap. Place the brisket onto butcher's paper or heavy-duty foil. At this point I will add Beef Tallow Preferably already warmed up to a liquid state, Add a generous amount as this really is liquid gold, around the brisket before wrapping tightly.
7. Continue cooking
Return the wrapped brisket to the BBQ and continue cooking at 110–120°C. Once the internal temperature reaches around 90°C, begin checking the meat for tenderness.
8. Check for tenderness
The brisket will normally be ready at around 93–95°C internally. However, temperature is only a guide. Insert a temperature probe into several areas of the brisket. When it slides into the meat with very little resistance, the brisket is ready.
9. Rest
Remove the brisket from the BBQ but leave it wrapped. Rest for at least 1 hour, although 2–3 hours will give even better results. Keep it wrapped and warm during the resting period.
10. Slice and serve
Unwrap the brisket and slice across the grain. Aim for slices roughly the thickness of a pencil. When you reach the thicker point of the brisket, turn it as necessary so you continue cutting against the grain.
Serve with your favourite BBQ sides, such as homemade slaw, smokey beans, mac and cheese or soft rolls.
Backyard Tip
Don't rush your brisket. Every piece of meat cooks differently, so use the cooking time as a guide rather than a deadline. Cook until tender, give it a good rest and let the brisket tell you when it's ready.