Brisket Flat Recipe

Brisket is one of those memorable cuts of beef that is tender, super delicious, and so worth the time it takes to cook. This brisket flat recipe is a smaller cut of beef that is much easier to handle than a whole packer brisket. Give this brisket flat recipe a try and see for yourself just how delicious it is.

this Recipe for Later

Jump to:

• Why This Recipe Is Ideal for Home Cooks
• Ingredients
• How To Make an Outstanding Brisket Recipe
• Tips for Great Results
• Top Tip
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Storage
• 📋 Recipe

A whole packer brisket can weigh 12 to 18 pounds. A large packer brisket can scare the heck out of home cooks. There are two different muscles, the flat and the point, which go in different directions and cook up differently. The point has more fat and is typically cut into chunks for burnt ends.

A brisket flat is easier to find in grocery stores and the smaller size of the flat makes it much easier to handle. These sliced flat pieces are what many people envision when they think of brisket.

Why This Recipe Is Ideal for Home Cooks

If this is the first time you are cooking brisket, a brisket flat is a great choice as it is about 5 pounds and much easier to handle than a packer brisket. Bottom-line, you can enjoy a scrumptious brisket at home without being intimidated by a whole brisket.

Seasonings are simple; just salt, pepper and granulated garlic. You can try my best dry rub for ribs which is has brown sugar along with a few more ingredients for a Kansas City style brisket.

While the cooking time is long for brisket, that time is mostly hands-off and so worth the wait. Temperature and time are key to making great brisket. If you prefer to use the oven, this slow cooked oven brisket has moist and delicious.

Brisket is great as a stand-alone main dish or served as a sandwich. The leftovers are also amazingly tasty. This recipe is just as great for leftovers and as mouthwatering as my Smoked Tri Tip and Smoked Chuck Roast recipes.

Ingredients

• Brisket flat. Select a brisket that approximately 5 pounds or larger. The larger the brisket, the less likely it is to dry out. Brisket is naturally a tough cut of beef because it has a lot of connective tissue and is a lean meat. Select prime or better as these cuts will have slightly more marbling which will also result in tastier brisket. Make sure there is at least some fat, about ¼-inch, on the top. If there is more than that you will want to trim the excess. Remove any silver skin from the bottom of the brisket flat.
• The Best Brisket Rubs are also the simplest. This brisket rub uses kosher salt, black pepper and granulated garlic. Check below for variations.

How To Make an Outstanding Brisket Recipe

1. Pat the brisket dry with paper towels and place in a foil roasting pan. Generously season the entire surface are of the brisket with the spice rub including the sides of the brisket. Gently pat the rub into the brisket as you go. Finish by placing the brisket fat side down in the pan. Let stand at room temperature for 35 to 45 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, preheat your smoker or grill to 250°F and add the wood chips or pellets according to the manufacturer's instructions.
3. Insert an instant read meat thermometer horizontally into the thickest part of the brisket. Smoke the brisket for 1 hour. Using tongs, turn the brisket over so the fat side is up. Continue smoking, about 2 hours or until the instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F.
4. Double wrap the brisket in pink butcher paper or another type of uncoated butcher paper.
5. Continue cooking for 3 to 4 hours or until the internal temperature of the brisket reaches between 195° and 205°F. As a general rule of thumb, the lower temperature is better for sliced beef and the higher temperature will give you a better result for chopping. and shredding.
6. Remove the brisket from the smoker. Make sure the paper is still wrapped tightly around the brisket. Transfer the sealed brisket to an insulated cooler. Let the brisket rest for 1 hour.
7. Unwrap the brisket and using tongs, transfer it to a cutting board. Carve the brisket across the grain into ¼-inch thick slices.
8. Serve the brisket with side dishes such as Instant Pot Potato Salad or Charro Beans. This brisket flat recipe is also fantastic when sliced and served with BBQ sauce, pickles, and sliced red onions. Juices from the bottom of the pan, can be drizzled over the

Hint: Juices from the bottom of the pan, can be drizzled over the sliced brisket or served on the side as a dipping sauce.

Tips for Great Results

• Choose prime or select grade brisket. You may find brisket at the big box grocers, such as Costco, but it won't have much fat or flavor.
• Whether you are using a pellet smoker, pellet grill, charcoal grill, or a Big Green Egg, always follow the manufacturer's instructions for setting up your cooker.
• For the wood chunks, I prefer to use oak, apple or cherry. Hickory or mesquite wood add too much smoky taste and are too overpowering for our tastes. I prefer to let the flavor of the beef shine.
• Use tongs to handle the brisket. Do not use a fork to turn or test the brisket as this will puncture the roast and allow juices to flow out.
• Wrap your brisket tightly in butcher paper when it reaches 165°F, after about 3 hours.
• The Stall. It is normal for brisket to 'stall' cooking and stay at 165 degrees for a time. You can increase the temperature of your smoker to 180° just before the stall and cook at that temperature for an hour or until the brisket starts to readily bend at one end when picked up with tongs. Increasing the temperature to hasten the stall isn't a necessary step.

Substitutions

For moister brisket, place a metal bowl with 1 quart warm water in the smoker. This will help your brisket flat stay moist, especially if it is less than 5 pounds. However, the exterior may not have a firm bark that some brisket aficionados prefer.

Instead of pink or plain butcher paper, you can wrap the brisket flat with heavy-duty aluminum foil. However, foil will cause the brisket to steam slightly which can soften the bark that many brisket fans desire.

To rest your brisket after cooking, you can place it in a 200 degree oven instead of a cooler.

Variations

Spice Rub: Add 1 teaspoon hot paprika or a pinch of cayenne to the dry rub for an uptick of spiciness.

Mustard base: Brush yellow mustard over the brisket flat before adding the dry rub. It will help the dry rub stick to the meat. You can also add a splash of apple cider vinegar to the mustard for a sweet and tangy base.

Injection marinade: In a small saucepan over low heat, add ½ cup low-sodium beef broth or beef stock, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon onion powder or garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper. Heat and stir the mixture until ingredients are dissolved. Let cool slightly. Using a meat injector, inject the marinade all over the brisket flat.

Storage

• Leftover brisket flat can be refrigerated for 3 to 5 days and frozen in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
• Fresh brisket can be refrigerated for 3 to 5 days before cooking and frozen for 4 to 12 months before using. Thaw brisket overnight in the refrigerator before using.
• Do not reuse any dry rub, marinade, mustard or utensils that have touched raw meat.

Storage information is sourced from the USDA. For more information check out Foodsaftey.gov.

Read the recipe entirely before starting and allow more than enough time to cook your brisket flat. The end result will be tender brisket that will make your mouth water.

📋 Recipe