Central Texas Barbecue Brisket

Central Texas barbecue made its name on brisket with little more than salt, pepper, and post-oak smoke. A whole packer gets a coarse Dalmatian rub and low, slow heat until the bark sets and the meat turns tender.

Serves 12 · 45 min prep · 720 min cook

Estimate for one serving

• 480 cal
• 42g protein
• 2g carbs
• 33g fat
• 0.6g fiber

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Ingredients

• 12-14 lb whole packer brisket (point and flat attached)
• 1/2 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup coarse ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1/4 cup yellow mustard
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup beef tallow or unsalted butter
• 6-8 cups post oak wood chunks or chips (smoker or oven smoke box)

Instructions

1. 1Set the cold brisket fat-cap up on a large board. Trim the hard exterior fat to about 1/4 inch, square ragged edges, and remove the thick deckle seam between point and flat so the surface is even for bark—do not over-trim the soft fat that bastes the meat.
2. 2Stir the kosher salt, coarse black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder together for a classic Dalmatian-style rub. Pat the brisket dry, then brush a thin coat of yellow mustard over every surface as a binder.
3. 3Season heavily on all sides with the rub, pressing so it adheres in an even crust. Set the brisket on a wire rack over a sheet pan, uncovered, and refrigerate 8 to 12 hours so the salt penetrates and the surface dries.
4. 4When ready to cook, stir the apple cider vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Bring the brisket out while you heat a smoker to 250°F with post oak, or heat a home oven to 275°F and set a small foil packet of soaked wood chips on a lower rack if you want light smoke.
5. 5Place the brisket fat-cap up on the smoker grate (or on a wire rack set in a rimmed sheet pan in the oven). Cook undisturbed until a dark bark forms and the internal temperature in the thickest part of the flat reaches about 165°F, usually 5 to 7 hours; spritz lightly with the vinegar mixture only if the surface looks dry after the first 3 hours.
6. 6When the bark is set and the stall holds near 165°F, lay out a double length of pink butcher paper. Rub the beef tallow over the top of the brisket, wrap it snugly fat-cap up, and return it to the cooker seam-side down.
7. 7Continue cooking at 250°F (smoker) or 275°F (oven) until a probe slides into the flat and point with almost no resistance, like soft butter—typically 200–205°F internal, another 3 to 5 hours depending on the packer.
8. 8Transfer the wrapped brisket to a dry cooler or an unheated oven. Rest, still wrapped, at least 2 hours and up to 4 so the juices redistribute and the bark firms without steaming soft.
9. 9Unwrap over a board to catch juices. Separate the point from the flat along the natural fat seam if you like burnt ends later; slice the flat thinly against the grain, then turn the point and slice it thicker the same way.
10. 10Spoon a little of the resting juices over the slices. Serve plain on butcher paper or plates—sauce is optional and often refused at a Central Texas table.