Smoking meat is a serious job and should not be taken lightly. Wasting time, money and effort will not pay off most certainly and not to mention that you will eventually stay hungry. So, before you decide to try and smoke a juicy beef brisket, you should make some preparations first. The most important thing about smoking meat is to understand the smoking process.
You have to have the equipment needed to get the job done. You have to know how to choose the right brisket that is just perfect for the smoking, which smoker to use, the seasoning, the preparation process, the smoking process and finally, how to serve and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
To smoke a brisket, you first need to get a charred, tender and succulent brisket of beef. Fine pieces of smoked beef briskets are a real specialty on barbecues; everyone knows that. With that said, smoking briskets is not that hard, but you still need to put some effort into it. You don’t really need to be a master chef to get some tasty results. From the cooking perspective, it is a simple process that requires some skill and a lot of patience. The rest is easy.
The quality of your results is determined by a number of different factors such as the duration of cooking, temperature, and smoke type. Barbecue experts could argue for hours about what else they could take into their consideration to get a perfect piece of smoked brisket, but for the first time, you do not need to bother with all the details.
In this particular case, you will need a functional propane smoker and a good brisket. A propane smoker has a special slot where you can add wood chips that will create the smoke. It’s easy to set up and use, but make sure you keep your eye on the progress.
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Tips How to Prepare Wood and the Smoker
The best wood for smoking meat is a combination of wood chips that are made specifically for smoking. Soak the chips in water, and you’ll get even more smoke. Keep the temperature up to 250 F, but the ideal temperature is 225 F. The smoke needs to be consistent and constant so it would be good if you could add wood chips every 30 minutes or so. That’s the reason why you have to monitor the smoking progress.
The more time you take with the preparations, the better the result will be. Time is of the essence for everything. From meat preparations to wood and down to the smoking process. The best thing to do is to leave the middle burner off because that is where the meat goes. Use the heaters on the side to get the best results.
The Meat
The best thing you can do to get the full, smoky flavor everyone loves is to leave the meat over the night or even better, for the entire day. Spice it how you like it but make sure that you rub it in real good. You can even set the meat to soak in a marinade of your favorite spices before putting them into the smoker.
The dry rub is the best method because the meat has its own juices, so there is no need to soak it further. So, dry-rub it with spices and let it sit for a day before you start smoking it. The more you show love to your meat with the spicing, the tastier it will be. You can experiment with various spices, or you can just follow the tradition, it is entirely up to you.
The usual spices are dried thyme, mustard, paprika, granulated garlic, black and red pepper powder, brown sugar, salt and ground allspice powder. Of course, you can add something that suits your taste. Create a fine thick layer on the meat to ensure the full flavor. Once you have done with the spicing, place it in a refrigerator and let it sit for 24 hours.
The Smoker Preparation
While the meat gets juicy, you need to get your smoker going. Before you start anything, make sure you have enough propane gas for the job. Once you start it up, make sure you have enough of wood chips. It is crucial that you replace the chips every 30 minutes or so to ensure that the smoking continues without any interruptions.
Once you place the meat on the grill, you will need to take care of the dripping, but you can do it quickly by putting a tray under it. Many believe that only traditional smokers are the right ones, but that is not entirely true. While they may be the best option, you can smoke your meat in any smoker if you just know how and pay attention to details.
The Smoking Process
Once you get the smoke brewing, place the meat and make sure that the lid is closed at all times. You don’t want the precious smoke escape so double check if it’s closed before you start the process. The meat will get all smoked up, but pay special attention to the burners because you do not want any direct heat under the meat. Too much heat could ruin your brisket which would mean that you went through all of the trouble for nothing. That is the only proper way how to smoke a brisket in a propane smoker and get the best of it.
Now, we mentioned that the smoking process requires patience and that is the truth. If you want your meat to reach the desired tenderness, it will take approximately around one hour per one pound of meat to get the desired results. That is the only way how you can surely guarantee extreme deliciousness upon completion.
The Cutting and Serving
Finally, the last thing is the cutting. You do not cut your meat right off the grill, that is a no go. Leave it for at least 20 minutes although the ideal time is around half an hour. The trick is to allow the meat to get the flavors mixed back into the meat and the juices to resettle. For some extra taste, use the dripping as a gravy to boost the flavor and give it a full aroma of the meat and the spices.
