Smoked Brisket on the Big Green Egg

It’s been a while since I’ve fired up the Big Green Egg, and not to mention, my blog.  I have no excuses.  Just pure laziness.  Oh, actually, I do have one excuse.  I’ve been cheating on my blog with my newly upgraded and sexy ukulele.   She’s a beautiful, solid koa wood concert ukulele, made in Hawai’i.  She is definitely bright and sassy!  We’ve been playing The Muppet’s Rainbow Connection together.  I wonder what we’ll play next?

I finally got the creative itch to cook something on the Big Green Egg.  My original goal was to smoke a brisket on July 4th, but I just never got around to buying the brisket.  This time I wasn’t going to let laziness or my ukulele get in the way.  I bought an insane amount of meat yesterday in preparation for grilling and smoking today.  Today was a good day.

Smoked Brisket

For dry rub:
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon cayenne
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon cumin

7-8 pound brisket, fat cap trimmed to 1/4 inch
Wood chips, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes

Remove the brisket from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature, about one hour. Pat the brisket dry with a paper towel. Rub the dry rub over the brisket until well coated. Set aside.

Heat the Big Green Egg (or smoker of your choice) until it reaches a stable temperature of 225 degrees F. Add the wood chips when the coals are hot. Place a disposable drip pan underneath the brisket. Cook the brisket, fat side up, until the internal temperature is 150 degrees F (about 1 hour and 15 minutes per pound). Baste the brisket with a few sprays of apple juice after 3 hours on the smoker to keep it moist.

Remove from the smoker, and wrap tightly with foil. Cook at the same temperature until internal temperature is 185 degrees F (about 3 to 4 hours).

Once the brisket is done, put the brisket in an insulated ice chest lined with aluminum foil. Close it for at least one hour for the juices to redistribute. The meat will hold its heat for hours in the chest, and the brisket will become even more tender. I do not suggest leaving the brisket in the cooler for more than 3 hours to prevent bacteria growth.

When ready to eat, slice against the grain and serve.