Brisket time!

Smoking 4/5/16

Our BBQ smoking usually coincides with good meat being on sale.  Albertson's had choice briskets on sale a couple of weeks ago but visits to the meat counter at off hours found none in residence.  So we got a rain check at two different stores and have 30 days to cash them at $1.88/lb.  Not a bad deal for choice Angus brisket.  This one is a 14 pounder.

After trimming off about 2 pounds of excess fat, I separated the point from the flat.  The reason we have to cut before smoking is our little bullet smoker won't quite hold a whole brisket.   I left about 1/4 inch of fat on the fatty side.

A little soy sauce, some salt and pepper and into the smoker they went, fat side up.  We put the flat on the lower rack above a water pan and the point went on the top rack.  Supposedly the top rack is a bit hotter.

After adding some soaked oak and pecan wood to the coals, off we go for 5 or 6 hours of heavy smoking.  I also mixed in some pecan hulls every now and then and they made some good smoke.  There was lots of fire tending for the next 6 hours, keeping the smoke flowing.

Halfway through, after a little over 6 hours of smoke, this is the result before wrapping in foil.

There's definitely some nice bark going on there.  Now into the oven, wrapped in foil, for another 6 hours at 225 degrees.

Here's the final product.  The flat came out perfect.  Good moisture and tenderness but a little lighter smoke flavor than I like.  The fat is melt in your mouth.

The point ended up a bit overdone.  It was difficult to slice it was so tender. It was a little smokier, maybe from being on the top rack.  It was also very moist with perfectly rendered fat.

We will eat it all up and will be doing a second one before our rain check coupon runs out!