Texas Cajun Smoked Beef Brisket
Brisket is a great way to bring the family, friends, and loved ones together, but also sacred ground and an art form if you ask any Texas native. So be careful, but go ahead and give this one a shot. If you’re patient, you will have great success with this simple recipe.
One of the best things about this Texas Cajun brisket recipe is that you don’t need a ton of prep time or ingredients. As long as you start with a great brisket, USDA PRIME with good marbling, at a minimum, you’re going to be at an advantage.
The other thing to look for in a whole packer cut brisket, is consistency in thickness. You don’t want a thin brisket and you don’t want a brisket that looks like a mountain range. You want it to be as even as possible, so it cooks consistently.
Ingredients
• USDA Prime Whole Brisket (good marbling) About 12-13 lbs.
• TDon’s Original, All Purpose Cajun Seasonings (amount depends on application explained below)
• Kosher Salt (to taste or 1/2 teaspoon per pound)
Once you’ve selected a great brisket, and there are plenty of good videos out there on brisket selection, trim about a 1/4 inch of the fat off both back caps. Again, just search “Texas brisket selection” or “Texas smoked brisket trim fat” and you’re going to learn a lot. You should see a consistency in style and approach to brisket selection and the trimming of fat. You can also save the fat for use at a later time, to render down or use as a basting or to coat the pan when cooking other foods.
The next thing is to season the brisket. We like to keep it simple and it’s up to you in terms of the amount you apply and saltiness. We use about a 1/2 teaspoon of salt for every pound, which will be about 6 teaspoons, give or take. We then apply a generous amount of TDon’s all over. We don’t actually rub it in, we just let it fall all over. Lots of it.
The next thing you need is time. Lots of time. Start early as this could take all night. It usually does. For smoking brisket, you’ve got to get your smoker to about 225°, and keep it there for 12–16 hours.
Remember you want the brisket to reach an internal temperature of about 200° F when it’s done, so you’re going to need plenty of wood to keep feeding your smoker, depending on its capacity.
That being said, the variety of wood you use will affect the flavor. Some people use white oak. I’ve heard others use old wine barrels chopped up and added to the wood mix. It’s a marvelous mystery.
So at this point you’ve got your meat seasoned and your smoker ready. Toss that brisket in. Some people put a leave-in thermometer in the big end of the brisket, but others just check the temp periodically.
OPTION - some people spray their brisket with chicken or beef broth periodically. We don’t personally feel the need, but it’s up to you. If you do, we recommend doing this sparingly.
OPTION - once your brisket reaches about 155° internal temp, take it out and double wrap it in strong aluminum foil. Put in about 1/3 cup of beef or chicken broth. You’ve got to wrap that puppy good to make sure the broth doesn’t come out and retains all the juice inside the wrap. This process slightly braises the meat and speeds up the cook time without sacrificing too much of the juiciness. Put the brisket in a roasting pan and back in the smoker. Again, this is an option. You can choose to smoke it all the way without wrapping. Your choice.
Once you’ve got the internal meat temp to 200°, take the brisket out and let it rest. If you’ve smoked it all the way you’re going to want a pan to catch the drippings. Let it rest for about 30–45 minutes or so. At this point you’re ready to slice.
Before you slice, make sure you’ve already prepared everything else that is going with it. Some pickles, bread, coleslaw, or potato salad is a good choice. We like cold beer or whiskey too. The point is, wait until you’re ready to serve before slicing, otherwise the meat will dry out.
When you slice, slice against the grain. Some separate the point and the flat and then cut against the grain, serving it up from there. It’s easy. Dig into it. It’s going to be awesome. And save those burnt ends for macaroni and cheese.
Special thanks to Chef Ara Malekian of Harlem Road Texas BBQ for the pointers. Be sure to check him out at his restaurant in Richmond, Texas. You won’t be disappointed.