Brisket flat is the leaner portion from a whole brisket. It's a good piece of meat to smoke - it's less intimidating. Being evenly thick throughout, it's easier to smoke and get perfect results, even for a novice cook. There are a few things you need to pay attention to though to make your smoked brisket flat taste like a million bucks.
Brisket flat meat selection
As brisket flat is a lean piece of meat, the more marbled it is the better. Marbling gives it tenderness and big flavor. Hence, it makes sense to go with Prime grade if you can find it and/or afford it. It's expensive but you can find deals from time to time. Anything less than Choice grade is not advisable. Choice is the most commonly used grade for smoking brisket.
You can also try Certified Angus brisket flat, this is what you will see on the pictures in this post. Certified Angus is positioned at the top end of Choice grade. It's more expensive than regular Choice but it's well worth it in my opinion.
Aging
Wet aging in the Crayovac bag is a must for getting tender brisket. Normally, two to three weeks of aging are recommended. I typically shoot for 3 weeks and have always had excellent results. Even if the meat is lean, you will still get a nice tenderness. When buying brisket, look for the oldest packing date.
Be careful not to age brisket for longer than 4 weeks. After that time, more enzymatic activity will happen and the meat will become mushy.
Brisket flat dry rub
There are only two ingredients in the Texas-style rub - salt and coarsely ground black pepper. Add anything else and it will impart its flavor and take away from the rich beefy flavor. I've tried other rubs but I always go back to this. Don't try to go heavy on salt and pepper, unless you like your brisket that way. A light coat is plenty enough.
Smoking wood
Post oak is my preferred choice of wood for smoking whole briskets, hickory is my top choice for smoking brisket flat. The simple reason is that there isn't enough time for brisket flat to get in enough smoky flavor from oak. Hickory smoke is more intense so it works better. Adding a few mesquite chips or chunks is not a bad idea either but don't overdo it.
Smoking
Smoking temperature for brisket flat can vary from 225F to 275F, depending on your preference and comfort. Some feel like low and slow is the way to go. Personally, I am with Aaron Franklin on this one: 225F is way too slow and doesn't allow for the brisket to form a good bark. Instead, I use 275F. It allows for the meat to cook faster (who has a whole day for a brisket anyway?) and allows the brisket to form a tasty bark while still rendering properly on the inside. Also, low and slow tends to dry out thin and lean meat.
I start my brisket flat cook at a lower temperature, about 225F-235F for the first 30 minutes, then 250F for another 30 minutes or so, then let the temperature creep up to 275F where the meat will stay the rest of the time. This way the meat is not shocked by the heat and doesn't sweat which is bad for smoke absorption and bark formation.
Smoking at 275F, it takes about 6 hours to smoke a 4-5 lb brisket flat.
Wrapping
It's common to see brisket wrapped in aluminum foil part of the way through the cooking process. This protects the meat and creates a moist, if a bit greasy, interior. In Texas, true traditionalists, arguably, never wrap brisket; this results in a beautiful, crusty bark. You can never achieve that kind of bark by wrapping meat in foil. The downside of not wrapping is slightly drier meat. Not a big deal if you ask me. I love my brisket done the Texas way. I find it less greasy and tastier like that. But it's a matter of personal taste I suppose.
When smoking brisket flat, you want to preserve as much moisture as you can during smoking. So, how do you do that? The solution is to use a non-waxed butcher paper. Butcher paper helps to preserve bark (to a degree) by allowing steam escape but the meat still comes out juicy.
Wrapping in butcher paper or not depends on the beef grade though IMHO. I use this method only with Choice meat. I don't wrap Certified Angus or Prime brisket flats as they still come out very moist and the beautiful, unadulterated bark is so worth it.
Resting, slicing, serving and storing
Meat cooked at temperatures over 145F shrinks. Water gets squeezed out of its fibers. A lot of it will still be inside the meat after the cook is done, trapped between fibers. If you cut the meat right away, the water will gush out, leaving dry meat behind. However, if you let the brisket rest for 30-45 minutes or longer, the meat will relax and re-absorb a lot of the lost water. This is the key to moist brisket meat. So, rest that brisket for about 30-45 minutes at room temperature or hold in a faux cambro for up to 4 hours.
When ready to serve, slice the brisket flat against the grain and serve with white bread, sliced onions, and jalapeños. I like cutting my brisket flat in half before slicing, it makes slicing easier and the slices fit bread slices perfectly.
Wrap the room temperature leftover brisket tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. You can also vacuum seal the leftovers and freeze for up to 3 months.
Things to make with left-over smoked brisket flat
Ingredients
- 5 lb brisket flat
- Kosher salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Remove the wet-aged brisket flat from the packaging, pat dry with paper towels and place on the cutting board and trim off any excess fat. There isn't usually much of it on brisket flats.
- Sprinkle a light coating of kosher salt on one side, then a light coating of the coarse pepper. Pat with your hand to help the seasonings stick. Flip the meat and repeat. Don't forget to season the sides as well. The amount of seasoning is up to you. Add more if you like. If you like your brisket more peppery, add more pepper.
- Leave the meat rest at room temperature to get rid of some of the chill. Meanwhile, prepare the smoker.
- Preheat the smoker to 275F (140C) using hickory, or oak supplemented with mesquite chips for smoke. I recommend starting smoking at 225F (107C) for 30 min, increase the temperature to 250F (121C) and smoke for another 30 minutes, then let temperature creep up to 275F and keep it there. This way the meat won't get shocked by intense heat and won't sweat.
- Place the brisket fat side up and smoke until the internal temperature reaches 195F (90C).If wrapping in butcher paper (see my notes in the post above) smoke until the internal temperature reads 175F (80C) on a meat thermometer. Tear off a large sheet of butcher paper. Wrap the brisket flat as tightly as possible and place back on the rack, seam side down making sure it won't unwrap. Continue to smoke until the internal temperature reaches 195F (90C).
- Rest the brisket for about 30 minutes at room temperature or hold in a faux cambro for up to 4 hours.
- Slice the brisket flat against the grain and serve with white bread, sliced onions, and jalapeños.
Marilyn King says
Sound delicious!!! Gonna try recipe
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Enjoy!
John says
Can I hook this a day early then reheat? Any suggestions?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
John, I've had great results cooking brisket flat the same way as the 'brisket done right'. Works fantastic with predictable results and perfect timing.
Jim G says
Ok, followed your instructions to the letter. Used a Brinkman electric smoker with hickory wood chips. Angus flat. FIRST brisket I ever cooked. Melt in your mouth with a perfect crust.
Thank you!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Glad to hear it, Jim. You have to try my Brisket Done Right recipe. I have a feeling that you will like it.
Rafael A Flores says
Just tried this today and was pretty pleased. The bark was fantastic. It's amazing what simple seasonings can do to enhance flavor. Thanks for the recipe. Looking forward to making this again and to trying some of your other stuff.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Glad to hear that you liked it. If you like brisket, you must try my Smoked Brisket Done Right. Always a hit in my house.
Mark says
My first time with a brisket flat on my pellet grill. I injected it as well but it turned out dry. Cooked it to 195 by starting the grill at 225 then up to 250 after 30 min. Nice smoke ring though. It was a 3.5 lb flat. Was that the problem? Too small maybe. It was from Sam’s Club Certified Angus - Choice. I usually have good luck with Sam’s Club. I didn’t wrap it. Trying to figure what to change next time to get that pull apart juicy slice.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Hard to say. Could be the size, or it could be because of less marbling, or just the meat itself. Even with angus I find some pieces may be more or less tender/juicy. I buy angus from a local farmer and he told me how meat taste qualities depend on cow's age and what is fed to the cows. Try wrapping next time, it may help. Also, try with a more marbled piece. I would also recommend trying a slightly different method as in Smoked Brisket Just Right. I love how tender and juicy that brisket comes out.
John A Bonham says
I had to freeze my flat several months before I can smoke it. Should I still age the flat before smoking?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
John, I believe you can still wet-age meat that was previously frozen and freezng doesn't kill enzymes that tenderize the meat, but I've never done it so I can't really comment on it. Good luck!
Denis says
I am cooking my first flat. Love the great recipe and following it to the letter. The brisket is only a 4.75 pounds. But I have learned not to cook by weight, but by temp.
Thank god for temp probes. I know that this flat will come out perfectly follow your recipe.
Thanks for all you do.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Denis, thank you fo rthe kind words and good luck with your cook. I'd like to hear how it turns out, maybe even see some pictures. Happy smoking!
Neil Meiskey says
Doing a brisket tomorrow:). Have been successful before but can always learn more!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Good luck! I hope you liked it.
Ryan Dishman says
Thanks for the recipe- I had given up smoking flats only, but your help turned this out to be fantastic!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Happy to hear it. Enjoy!
Joe says
Did a 6 lbs flat today on a pellet smoker with a smoke tube. Followed the recipe came out perfect nice bark brisket was perfectly cooked. I did inject a beef broth in the flat to enhance the flavor. Wrapped in butcher paper, can’t wait to do a whole brisket
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Glad you liked it, Joe. Happy smoking and thanks for the review.
atj says
Do you advise on injecting the brisket prior to smoke with something like beef broth?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
I think it's a good idea and I do depending on time availability or flavor profile I am after. One of my favorite injections is in this briket recipe here.
Michael B. LaChiana says
I have one comment. All the recipes I have read about smoking brisket mention to cook with the fat cap down. In this article, you mention fat side up.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
I've seen many recipes that instruct smoming it fat cap up. The reason being is that it slowly melts durung cooking and protects the meat from drying out. I've also noticed that when it's down, the fat doesn't melt much and comes out chewy. I think it's a personal preference, I like to smoke mine fat side up.
J Case says
It will typically depend on where your fire pot / heat source is. The fat cap provides good insulation from the higher temperatures. On my small smoker with a center fire pot, I put a water pan above the diffuser and put the fat side down flat above it. It gives double insulation from the fire and, as a bonus, makes clean up easier.
Another thing to consider, the smoke cannot penetrate the fat so if it’s up, you might be limiting surface exposure.
Jordan C. says
I followed this for a 4.5lbs flat and it turned out absolutely perfect. I’m now doing a 10lbs whole brisket the same way! Can’t wait!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Awesome! Enjoy!
Marshall says
If it turned out "absolutely perfect", why not give a 5 star review?
Rob says
Victor,
Let me say that I love this website. Your write ups are beautifully detailed and I like that you also include the other things you tried to arrive at the final product. The photography is also outstanding. I just want to mention one thing here. I’m not sure if you sliced all the brisket just for the photo, but I make a decent amount of brisket myself and find its best to only slice what will be eaten, the reason for this is the cut surface of the meat dries and oxidizes pretty quickly. For some people, they don’t mind. For me, I find that it can give the meat a metallic taste which would make sense since it’s probably the iron that’s oxidizing.
Another tip is chopping up your fat trimmings and making smoked beef tallow while you cook the brisket. Tallow rendered at lower temps will give you a more neutral flavor, but that’s not what I’m making. I’m making smokey, beefy, tallow that is delish to cook with so you can just throw it on while the brisket cooks and not feel bad about trimming as much fat off as I want. For reference, I like a 1/4 in fat cap personally, but I also have a preference for meat with some fat, but not too much. I love coppa, but that’s starting to push it for me if I’m going to have more than a few slices. Guanciale is too much for me. Hope this helps or inspires you in some way as you have inspired me many times.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Thank you for the kind words, Rob. Glad to hear that you like my website.
You are correct, I sliced that particular brisket for taking cool looking photos;) Usually we also just slice what we would eat immediately. I also sometimes pre-slice and vacuum seal a number of slices that will be frozen for future consumption, seems to work fine.
Beef tallow. Hm, had to look it up as I've never heard of it or used it. Thank you for the idea.
Guanciale... well, you are not alone there with how you feel about it. I recently met an Italian who shares with me the same love for home-cured meats and he told me that exact same thing - he did not care for guanciale. I make it every now and again, it has its well-deserved uses. We mostly cook with it, to get some flavor as opposed to eating it straight. In all honesty though, I'd probably never go and buy a jowl just to make guanciale. But when we buy a whole or half a heritage pig to make salumi and canned pork, I just can't throw it away and make use of everything.
Deb says
I made tallow from my raw fat trimmings before I smoked it..... never thought of "smoked" tallow!! Yummmm!! I'll give that a try next time!
Charlie Williams says
I’m trying the Texas style flat brisket. I’m looking forward to dinners
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Good luck. Enjoy!
Jim Konert says
When you mentioned of cryovac aging, was this happening in the fridge, or in some other type of container?
Jim K
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
In a fridge. You must keep it below 40F at all times.
Matt says
Since the flat is the thinner piece of a whole packer brisket, I’ve heard it’s better to smoke fat side down so the meat doesn’t dry out. Does it really matter- fat side up or down?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Matt, the theory is that the fat layer will protect the meat from the heat source so the fat should be on the side of the heat source. My own experience is a little different but, mind you, I now smoke mostly on my BGE so the results may be different on other smokers. On BGE, I have a plate setter shielding the meat from heat and a layer of foil to collect fat drippings. When I smoke brisket fat down, I don't see much fat melting down there while the lean top ends up a bit dry. With the fat side up, there is more fat melting, no drying out and better crust formation. I personally like to smoke my brisket fat side up as I want most of the fat to melt away during cooking. The brisket is always perfectly moist with a very nice bark for me.
Ammy says
We tried your brisket recipe and it was great!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Thank you for your feedback, Ammy. Glad that you liked it.
Heather J says
This was fantastic! We’ve never done a brisket before and it was phenomenal. Thank you for the detailed instructions! Definitely some of the best brisket we’ve ever had!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Happy to hear that, Heather. Coincidentally, I will be posting another really interesting brisket recipe in the next week or so, I highly recommend trying it.
Robert Kerr says
would you do the same on a 12-15 lb Brisket?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Yes, exactly the same only the smoking time will increase. With a larger piece like that, you may want to wrap it in butcher paper at 160F-170F to speed things up... but it's a matter of personal preference. I love my bark pristine.
Johnny says
Sounds great, very thorough instructions. I'm smoking my first flat today. I'll let you know.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Good luck! Take some pictures, I'd love to see them.
Jarod Couch says
Your statement of Texans never wrap Brisket is very inaccurate. I’ve seen some of the most famous names in Texas BBQ wrap. Otherwise, great article!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Hi Jarod, I think you are right, I over-generalized. I learned to make brisket while living in DWF area that's how I was taught to make it though I admit that there could be many Texans who do.
Jay says
I bought a 4.5 lb brisket flat at Costco, and it has a "sell-by" date of 3/28. Should I wait 3 weeks after that for aging?
I've done ribs on my Weber grill before (a royal pain to keep the grill temp at around 350), but recently bought my first smoker, and this brisket flat my first smoke on it.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Jay, the count down is from the packing date not 'sell by' date. If no packing date, assume a few days. Costo packs and sells pretty quickly.
Jay says
You're right. I wasn't near my refrigerator when I asked this last night, but I checked the package and do see a packing date as well - didn't notice that before. It was packed the same day I bought it (3/21), so I need to wait almost 3 weeks to use it still! LOL. Looks like I might try something simpler first, maybe some chicken.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Chicken is great too. One of my latest favorite recipes is the smoked chicken with apple cider vinegar sauce. Delicious!
Patrick Spencer from Milwaukee says
Going to do 6 1/2 lb. Hereford Beef Center (flat) cut in the Masterbuilt tomorrow using this recipe. I appreciate the top notch info while not getting too crazy with the family stories no one really wants to hear ;). Will rate after the smoke.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
😉 Good luck, Patrick. Hope it turns out really well.
S. Osborn says
Just what I was looking for, thank you! How much longer would a 10 lb. flat take?
Frank says
When you recommend 275 does it matter the device you are cooking on? Pellet vs kamado?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Hi Frank, no, what you cook it on does not really matter.
Joel says
Great advice, smoking a 7.5 lb black angus brisket flat from Wild Forks Food. So far so good. Happy Thanksgiving!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy!
Charles O Butts says
Loved that article. I am curious why spritzing was not mentioned. Thanks so much
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
There are two types of people, those who spritz and those who don't. I belong to the 'no spritzing' camp I guess. Nothing wrong with spritzing though.
Mike says
I'm going to follow this entire page for my 10 lb brisket flat. Thanks for writing this up!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
You are welcome, Mike. Good luck and share some pictures;)