Questionable Decision, Damn Good Brisket: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Pellet Grill Brisket

​In a summer rife with questionable-to-good decisions, let’s add smoking brisket in the rain to the list. As a note, this was done on my wife’s pellet smoker during what seemed to be an awesome day for working in the garden and catching up with some reading. 

Summer reading 👆🏿

So…how did the friendly pitmaster do it? Is it different from the stick burner eating post oak and leftover mesquite splits? Keep reading to peep out the easiest one I’ve done yet; if you still think I’m cheating the game, come get a bite and we’ll compare notes as soon as you bring me two packer briskets for me to smoke and us to shoot the breeze in the meantime.

INGREDIENTS 

One packer brisket (mine started at 15 lbs)

Q-Sauce’s Longhorn beef brisket rub

W sauce as a binder

Beef tallow during the stall 

STEP ONE. Unless your true intention is to make a whole lot of chopped beef, please trim your brisket. A lot of people will thank you - even the ones who only show up for a plate. For my fifteen pound packer, I might have lost 1 1/2 lbs of trim: Whenever I have enough trimmings stowed away, I reckon I’ll make some more beef tallow. (For those in the know, The Golden Ticket was my limited batch run of smoked beef tallow. Good stuff, but you really do have ninety days to use it). Afterwards, turn on the pellet cooker and set it to 225 degrees with extra smoke if the setting is applicable to your rig.

STEP TWO. Once the pellet grill reaches temperature, bring out the brisket and position it toward how the thing cooks. From my very first smoker being a vertical bullet unit from Lowe’s way back in the day, I placed the flat further away from the flame in favor of the point to take the heat. I’d almost say set it and forget it, but as a buffer on the first real pellet cooker, use those temperature probes that came with the machine and nestle them in the thickest parts of both the flat and point. Then, grab a beer or two - and a good book - and let the meat do its job.

STEP THREE. At four hours, I checked the brisket to see if the bark had set. Since it had, I let it eat until the probe in the point reached 175 degrees before pulling it to wrap in butcher paper.

Don’t judge my wrapping or rapping skills; you’re here to learn, and if you’re lucky enough, eat.

Upon wrapping the brisket, add beef tallow as needed. Since this guy came from Walmart and was marked down, I took the liberty of adding more flavor as protection from the smoke on social media AND my household. You see, my family has become quite discerning in taste when it comes to barbecue. Ask my wife to share her thoughts of Rudy’s BBQ in Webster, TX and be prepared to save your money. 

My meat probe temperatures: MPC was my flat, and the P2 was my point.

STEP FOUR. In the miracle of time aka nine-and-a-half hours later, the brisket is done. As it sits in the oven to rest, allow me to review the process to compare it to the offset version that came out several years ago B Is For Brisket. For that one, click on the link to take you back to my final cook of 2019. I’ve learned a lot since, and the best briskets I have smoked have been fat side up and well-rested for a number of hours.

STEP FIVE. Remove, slice, and enjoy!

My thoughts: The flat was bit dry for my liking, but it still made a good brisket. Since enough of my point slices (Texans know them as the fatty ones) fell apart, I simply chopped them up into what will probably become the perfect leftovers. Keep in mind that this was still moist from start to finish plus the advantage of adding beef tallow likely saved this cook. In a pinch or during the week, I’m sure I can throw on a pellet smoker brisket for it to be ready by the time I come home from work.

As always, thank you for reading this post and making life just a bit easier. Would I prefer one smoked on either Senior or Junior the offset smokers over this one? Maybe, but there is a time, place, and purpose for continuing to make sure that every day is a great day for barbecue, and adding the Pit Boss to the arsenal is another feather in the cap although it is perhaps better for the smaller ones - around twelve pounds or so. Y’all be blessed, be safe, be good to each other, and tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ!