Smoking a brisket is more than just cooking meat—it’s a slow, aromatic dance of fire, smoke, and patience. Over the weekend, I smoked a beautiful 3.5 kg Black Angus beef brisket on my trusty Weber Master-Touch GBS E-5750, and let me tell you, it was worth every minute.
Here’s how it all went down:
Getting Started
The first step was setting up the fire, and for that, I used my trusty charcoal chimney starter. I filled it about halfway with briquettes and let it work its magic. In no time, the coals were glowing red-hot and ready to fuel the smoker. This method not only ensures a clean burn but also gets the fire going much faster and more evenly.
With the coals glowing red-hot, I set them up on one side of the kettle, creating an indirect heat zone perfect for slow smoking.
For temperature tracking, I relied on the Meater probe, a handy tool that let me keep tabs on both the brisket’s internal temperature and the ambient heat inside the kettle.
The Perfect Dry Rub
I kept the seasoning simple but effective: salt, pepper, garlic powder, and ground red pepper. After dry-rubbing the brisket generously on both sides, I placed it on the grill, opposite the coals, and adjusted the vents. The bottom vent was set to a smoker-friendly half-closed position, while the top vent stayed fully open for proper airflow.
The Smoking Process
The first stretch of smoking was all about maintaining steady heat. When the temperature inside the kettle dipped below 90°C (about 2.5 hours in), I added 6-7 more charcoal briquettes. This cycle repeated a few times throughout the cook.
Meanwhile, I whipped up a quick marinade for later. It was a rich blend of beef tallow, pork tallow, soy sauce, water, salt, and pepper, simmered together until thick and flavorful.
Wrapping and Finishing
At the 4-hour mark (4:19), the brisket’s internal temperature hit 68.5°C, with the kettle cruising at 110°C. This was the perfect time to brush the brisket with my marinade and wrap it snugly in butcher’s paper. Wrapping locks in moisture and helps the brisket power through the infamous “stall.”
I added more charcoal, and over the next few hours, the plan was to keep the kettle’s temperature steady. By hour 7, the brisket was tantalizingly close, I added a few more briquettes and closed it down for the remaining hour and something.
At 8 hours 19 minutes of smoking time, when it reached an internal temperature of 92°C, it was time to pull it off the smoker.
The Resting Phase
Resting the brisket is crucial. I tucked it into a passive plastic camping fridge to let it cool slowly while retaining its juices. After 3 hours of resting, the brisket was ready to slice.
The Result
The brisket was tender, smoky, and full of flavor. The bark was perfectly crusty, the fat had rendered beautifully, and the meat had that signature juicy pull. It was a true labor of love, and the payoff was incredible.
If you’ve been considering smoking a brisket, I highly recommend giving it a shot. The Weber Master-Touch makes the process manageable, and with a bit of patience, you’ll have a masterpiece on your hands. Using the Kettle although fun and manageable implies a bit more work than having an automatic pellet smoker. You need to be around all the time to be sure of keeping the temperature steady by adding briquettes or opening a bit more airflow.
Have you smoked a brisket before? Share your tips and tricks below—I’d love to hear them!