Cook a big and tough beef brisket flat to tender perfection with low and slow sous vide cooking, then finish in the smoker for seriously delicious BBQ brisket flavor.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 2 daysdays
Smoke Time 3 hourshours
Total Time 2 daysdays3 hourshours15 minutesminutes
1/4cupDiamond kosher salt (or 1/8 cup Morton brand kosher salt)
1/4cupcoarse ground black pepper (18 mesh)See note
Optional ingredients
1 1/2tspcuring salt(for a smoke ring)
1/2tspliquid smoke(If finishing in the oven)
Instructions
Trim the brisket (if needed). View the instructions for trimming brisket. Slice it in half crosswise so it will fit in vacuum seal bags. If it's a smaller brisket (less than 4 pounds), then you probably won't need to slice it in half to fit.
Make the rub by combining equal parts of kosher salt and pepper. Add curing salt for a smoke ring (optional) if using.
Apply 2/3 of the rub evenly on all sides of the trimmed brisket, reserving the rest to add before finishing the smoker.
Vacuum seal each brisket half. If using liquid smoke, add 1/4 tsp to each bag before sealing.
Choose your texture:Option 1: Firm yet Super Tender: 140 ℉ for 36 to 72 hoursOption 2: Traditional BBQ Brisket: 150° F for 36 hours
Heat the water bath with your immersion circulator to the desired temperature (see above). Add the brisket and cook sous vide to the specified time (making sure it is completely submerged the entire time).
Remove the brisket from the water and chill completely in an ice bath for 1 to 2 hours or refrigerator overnight (still vacuum sealed) to chill.
Remove each brisket half from the bag and let any excess liquid drip off, but don't dry it completely. Season with the remaining rub just before finishing it in the smoker, grill or oven. Place a remote probe thermometer in the brisket to monitor the internal temperature.
To Finish in the Smoker (recommended)
Preheat your smoker as low as it will go (180°F-225° F) with oak, pecan or apple wood for smoke.
Place the brisket in the smoker until bark is formed and the internal temperature reaches 145° F (just below temp you sous vide it at), about 3 hours.
To Finish on the Grill
Place in a pre-heated 225° F grill over indirect heat and warm until the internal temperature reaches 145° F, 2 to 3 hours.
To Finish in the Oven
Place in a pre-heated 275° F oven (or lower if your oven can do it) and heat through until the internal temperature reaches 145° F, about 2 to 3 hours.
Slice and Serve
Rest the brisket for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing against the grain into slices the width of a #2 pencil (about 1/4" thick). Serve and enjoy with your favorite side dishes!
Notes
For serving, figure about 1 pound of raw, untrimmed brisket per person because there will fat trimmed and weight loss during the cook.
Don't be concerned about the weight of the brisket, as long as you can fit each half in a vacuum seal bag.
Rub: Depending on your flavor preference, you can keep it simple Texas style with just salt & pepper, or you can personalize it with granulated garlic, granulated onion, smoked paprika, chili powder, or whatever other flavors you like.
If using fine ground pepper, use about half the amount.
The still vacuum-sealed cooked sous vide brisket can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week, which is great for meal planning.
Cover the water bath to prevent evaporation, and monitor the water level.
Smoker temp: the brisket is already cooked, so we are just creating a bark, adding smoke flavor and warming it through. The lower the temperature of your smoker, the more smoke flavor you will get.
If your pellet smoker has a super smoke or smoke boost mode, you can use that for an hour to get more smoke flavor before turning up the temperature.