Sunday Brisket

Ingredients

• 1 whole packer brisket (12-14 lbs)
• Coarse black pepper (16-mesh)
• Coarse kosher salt
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Post oak or hickory wood splits
• Yellow mustard (binder)
• Apple cider vinegar
• Beef tallow (optional, for wrapping)

Instructions

1. There's a reason we call it Sunday Brisket. Not because it takes a full day — though it does. Because this is the meal you build your week around. The one where cousins show up unannounced, your neighbor wanders over "just to say hi," and your kids remember twenty years from now.
2. **Saturday Night (Prep):** 1. Trim the brisket. Remove the hard fat cap down to about 1/4 inch. Square off the flat so it cooks evenly. Cut away any silver skin — it won't render and nobody wants to chew it.
3. Coat the entire brisket in a thin layer of yellow mustard. This is your binder — it burns off during the cook and leaves nothing but bark.
4. Season generously with a 2:1:0.5:0.5 ratio of black pepper, kosher salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. Don't be shy. This is a big piece of meat and it needs big flavor.
5. Wrap loosely in butcher paper and rest in the fridge overnight. The salt will start its work while you sleep.
6. **Sunday Morning (The Cook):** 5. Pull the brisket out at 4 AM. Let it come to room temp for 1 hour.
7. Fire your smoker to 250°F with post oak or hickory splits. Fat side up. Place it on and close the lid.
8. After 3 hours, start spritzing every 90 minutes with a 50/50 mix of apple cider vinegar and water. This builds bark and keeps the surface moist.
9. When the bark is set and internal temp reaches 165-170°F (usually around hour 7-8), wrap in butcher paper. If you have beef tallow, spread a thin layer on the paper before wrapping — this keeps the flat from drying out.
10. Continue at 250°F until internal temp hits 200-203°F and a probe slides through the thickest part of the flat like warm butter. Temperature is a guide. Feel is gospel.
11. Rest wrapped in a cooler (no ice) with old towels for 1-2 hours minimum. Three hours is better if you have the patience.
12. **Slicing:** 11. Separate the point from the flat. Slice the flat thin (pencil-width) against the grain. Slice the point thick. Serve on butcher paper with white bread, pickles, and sliced onions. No sauce needed — but have it available for guests who don't know better yet.
13. This brisket feeds 10-14 people easy. More if you've got sides. And you should have sides.