Looking for a way to make some delicious brisket? There’s nothing more exciting than serving up a perfectly cooked pellet grill brisket for a backyard party with some family and friends! In this article, we share all you need to know about how to cook a brisket on a pellet grill along with a tasty recipe that you’ll be proud to serve during special occasions.
Table of Contents
Why Use a Pellet Grill?
Making a great brisket involves getting a beautiful smoke ring, an excellent bark, and tender and moist meat that comes with a wonderful smoke flavor. However, perfecting your brisket will be impossible without the right tools and ingredients; if you’re making brisket for the first time, be sure to read the tips below. When cooking smoked beef brisket, a pellet smoker will help you get the smoky flavor that we all look for in our favorite meats.
This recipe is a favorite among BBQ lovers and produces juicy meat that will melt in the mouth, so you can confidently feed the whole family with a fantastic meal this summer!
What is a Beef Brisket?
Briskets are cut from the cow’s lower breast, located right over the two shanks, which are taken from each side, resulting in two whole briskets in every cow. Because this area is often used by the animal, it has a lot of connective tissue which makes for a tough cut. As such, it needs to be cooked slow and low to help pull apart all of these tissues but when done correctly, it’s one of the best cuts for a BBQ.
What to Look for in a Brisket
Before you take a brisket home, make sure you know the right kind to take home; you won’t usually find a whole packer brisket at the local grocery store, so you may need to visit a butcher shop. Also known as a full packer brisket, the whole brisket comes with both the flat brisket and the point brisket.
- Point Brisket: This is also referred to as the deckle and comes with more fat all over the meat. Its triangular shape makes it a good choice for shredding.
- Flat Brisket: Refers to the leaner cut that contains a fat layer by the bottom. It’s a rectangular cut and is great for even slicing.
When you pick a brisket, keep in mind that you’ll want to choose something with a uniform thickness that will cook evenly. While there are many different ways to cook, look for a brisket that’s an inch thick or more.
Pellet Grill Brisket Recipe
Equipment
Below are just a few pieces of equipment that you will need to help you achieve the perfect brisket for your friends and family.
- Pellet Grill Smoker: A pellet smoker can function both as a grill and a smoker; it comes with a pellet hopper which dispenses fuel as needed, resulting in a consistent burn. A few things to think about when choosing a smoker include its capacity, heat retention and control, construction quality, and whether or not it can deliver consistent temperatures.
- Wood Pellets: These will come in a wide range of varieties that deliver all kinds of flavor. Hickory is known for its bold flavor that complements different types of meats but no matter what type of wood you pick, make sure to get high-quality pellets from trusted brands.
- Temperature Probe: This is used to insert inside the meat to indicate the internal temperature of the brisket, which makes it easier for you to know when the brisket is cooked.
- Butcher Paper: You can use pink butcher paper or peach butcher paper to help keep your bark intact while your brisket is on a stall.
- Cooler: Make sure to use an insulated and clean cooler to let your brisket rest and complete cooking.
- Cutting Board and Knife: You’ll need a sharp knife and a big cutting board where you can slice your beef brisket. Investing in an option with a groove will help you keep all the wonderful juices.
Ingredients
- A whole packer brisket
- Dry Rub: Salt, brown sugar, ground black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne
- Apple cider vinegar
Preparation
To get the best results, make sure to get rid of some excess fat then place your brisket over a clean and flat surface fat side down. Trim the hard fat at the top of the point; this usually has a triangular shape and will come to a point where it meets the flat. It’s also important to remove the silver skin, which is a thin membrane of tough connective tissue that’s chewy when it gets cooked.
Flip your brisket over so that the fat side faces up, then trim and remove more excess fat to ensure it creates an even layer but leave around ¼ inch of fat. Don’t worry if it’s not too precise, it doesn’t need to be perfect.
Dry Rub
Take your brown sugar, salt, onion powder, ground black pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne then put them inside a small bowl, and mix them well to ensure everything is combined. While the cayenne shouldn’t be too spicy, you can leave it out if you’re not a big fan of spice. An optional step you can take is to lightly rub a binder like mustard over your brisket to help your seasoning stick to the surface.
Apply your dry rub all over your trimmed brisket; make sure to cover all sides and press it onto your meat to ensure everything sticks. Next, cover your brisket using plastic wrap and put it inside the fridge for the next 8 to 24 hours. The addition of salt to your meat will have the same effect that brining a turkey has; it delivers juicy and flavorful meat that you’re sure to enjoy!
Smoking
Set your grill between 225 to 250 degrees then stick your instant read thermometer inside the brisket. Be sure to place your brisket cap side up into the center of your smoker. Depending on how you want your meat to cook, there are two different options you can take to smoke your brisket.
- Option 1: You can leave your brisket undisturbed inside your smoker until it stalls. The good thing about this method is that your meat will be able to come up to temperature quicker since you’re able to keep your smoker shut for the duration of the cook. This can be a great route to take during colder months.
- Option 2: Let your brisket cook for an hour before spraying it with apple cider vinegar; make sure to cover the meat’s surface. Do this every hour until it reaches the stall, which will help to maintain your brisket’s moisture levels while tenderizing it.
No matter which option you choose, you can be sure to achieve fantastic results, so it pretty much boils down to personal preference. Once the internal temperature of the meat gets between 150°F to 165°F, your brisket will begin to stall. To determine how long your brisket will need to cook, follow the general rule of thumb of allocating 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes per pound of meat.
However, this doesn’t include the time it spends inside the cooler, and make sure to use the meat’s temperature to indicate doneness, rather than the time it has spent cooking. Below are a few tips on how to navigate through the stall.
Navigating the Stall
A temporary pause observed during the cooking process of meats is known as the stall, and occurs when the brisket reaches the 150°F to 165°F mark, and will often stay here for a few hours. Your meat may also have a temperature drop that lasts up to 4 hours, which may leave first-time smokers panicking. However, you can either wait for the stall to stop; eventually, the temperature will start going up again.
Doing this can risk getting dry meat while the hot and cold temperatures start to balance each other out, and you may lose a lot of moisture. For many smokers, the best way to get over the stall is to wrap their meat in butcher paper, which is used to lock in moisture, speed up cooking, and keep the bark intact. Using foil will only steam the brisket which will ultimately lose the bark and end up with the same texture as a pot roast.
To set up your brisket for the stall, put down two pieces of butcher paper with a slight overlap in the middle. Place your brisket over the center of your butcher paper then wrap up the meat until it’s completely covered and tuck the ends of the paper underneath. Now, put your wrapped brisket back inside the smoker.
When Your Brisket is Finished
Once your brisket reaches 195°F, make sure to perform two tests to ensure that it’s done. First, unwrap your meat from the butcher paper then gently shake it; when it’s ready, it will move like jelly. Second, take the end of your wooden spoon or your finger and probe your brisket in different places — it should all feel like soft butter. If the meat still feels tough and tight, then it’s not ready yet and should be rewrapped and placed back inside the smoker for longer.
Place it in the Cooler
Once your beef passes your testing, get it out of the smoker and wrap it up again in butcher paper then place it inside your cooler for a minimum of 1 hour to let it rest. Doing this will finish the whole process and giving it a nice long rest will bring the internal temperature to a maximum of 200°F.
Start Carving Your Meat
The way you carve your meat will depend on how you plan to eat your brisket. Start by slicing the flat since this is just a layer of muscle, then rotate your meat and finish slicing at the point. Another way of using your point is to make them into crunchy burnt ends; simply cut this into chunks and toss them in BBQ sauce. Next, put it back into your smoker until it gets a good crust.
Storing Leftovers
Once your brisket cools down and you see that there are some left over, tightly wrap them in plastic wrap or aluminum foil to stop air from getting in. Put your wrapped brisket inside a resealable plastic bag or an airtight container. Store your brisket inside the fridge for a maximum of 4 days or inside your freezer for a maximum of 3 months.
Fortunately, there are plenty of different ways for you to enjoy leftover brisket. For many of us, a leftover brisket sandwich is the perfect snack or you can even pair it with some eggs for breakfast.
Reheating Your Brisket
When it’s time to reheat your brisket, make sure to remove it from your fridge and allow it to sit at room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes. Next, unwrap your brisket and put it inside a baking dish or over a baking sheet then cover it tightly using foil to stop it from getting dry. Now bake your brisket inside a preheated oven at 325ºF — this should stay inside for 15 minutes for each pound or until the meat reaches 165°F.
Take the foil off the brisket and keep baking it for another 15 to 20 minutes or until you see that the brisket has heated all the way through and forms a good crust outside.
Conclusion
This great recipe can be served with homemade coleslaw, baked beans, or potato salad for a great backyard BBQ! Whether you’re cooking brisket for the first time or a veteran pitmaster, you can be sure to produce the best brisket for all kinds of occasions. Just make sure to keep your meat thermometer handy and trust the smoking process to ensure tender and juicy meat.
Sources
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