This is just a simple list of tips that I’ve compiled for friends & family that have asked how to pull off a great Texas Style Brisket on the Big Green Egg. Take from this list what you like and make it your own – and leave a tip below if you have one to share!
To make Texas Style Brisket you need the following:
- A Whole Packer Brisket – Untrimmed – Choice or Prime (start with Choice)
- Post Oak Wood for Smoking
- Hardwood Lump
- Salt & Pepper (60/40 Pepper to Salt Mix) – Kosher Salt
- A drip tray (disposable or reusable – your choice)
- Pink Butcher Paper
- A remote temperature probe – I would recommend the “Smoke” thermometer from Thermoworks as it has 2 probes, one for the meat and one for the grid temp
- Beer (for as long as it takes to cook)
- Half sheet pan (to protect your counters)
- Brisket Knife for slicing – I use the Victorinox 12 Inch Fibrox Pro Slicing Knife with Granton Blade
Brisket Notes:
- On a large egg, the largest brisket I’ve been able to fit was a 22lber – untrimmed. It had to be “draped” over an inverted rib rack to clear the edges of the egg.
- I would recommend sticking with a 16-18lb brisket in order to make sure you have as much coverage with the plate setter as possible
- “Choice” grade brisket would be recommended for the first few attempts – then you can upgrade into “Prime”
- Up to 24 hours before your cook, trim the “hard” fat from the brisket – leaving about a ¼” cap all the way around – then season with the salt & pepper and let set for 12-24 hours until cook time
- Estimate 1-1.5 hours per lb (after trimming) for cook time – if your dome temp is 225-250F
- Target finished temp of the brisket 195-200F
- The brisket will “Stall” around 160-180 – meaning the temperature will stop climbing for some time. I’ve had briskets stall for up to 4 hours! Do not freak out – let it ride
- Once the brisket comes out of the “stall” (temp starts increasing at a faster rate) – wrap in the pink butcher paper and put back on the egg – letting it continue to cook through to 195-200F (or until it probes like butter – I have has some briskets that were perfect at 195 – others that have gone to 203)
- Probe placement in the brisket – I only probe the flat of the brisket – the point will cook just fine (and actually faster then the flat due to the fat content, so don’t worry about that side of the brisket)
Egg Setup/Starting Notes:
- Clean out your egg and stock with fresh lump the day before the cook, that way it’s ready to go when you are starting it at O dark thirty.
- Plan to start your egg 1 hours ahead of starting your cook – that way you’ve allowed plenty of time for the egg to stabilize and get a good smoke run.
- Fill egg with lump to the top of the firebox – light in the center of the lump, close the egg and let egg climb to 250F
- Once egg is at 250F, place your oak chunks on the lump in a circular pattern, with 1 piece in the center on the fire.
- Place your plate setter in the egg, legs up
- Add the drip tray with water on top of the plate setter – I use disposable aluminum trays that are about 3 inches deep – and I fill those all the way up (so plenty of water)
- Add your grid on top of the plate setter and close the egg.
- Let the egg get happy and stabilize between 225F-250F
The Brisket Cook:
- Put the brisket on the egg with the Fat side down. The fat cap will actually protect the brisket from the heat in the egg, preventing a “crispy” crunchy bottom.
- Probe placement in the brisket – I only probe the flat of the brisket – the point will cook just fine (and actually faster than the flat due to the fat content, so don’t worry about that side of the brisket)
- Shut the egg and let it ride – use the temp probes to watch the temperature without opening the egg.
- On some brisket cooks, I’ve started the egg at midnight, put the brisket on and then went back to bed – the egg will do it’s thing just fine.
- You may need to open it and fill the drip tray occasionally. If the drip tray drys out, it will start to burn and leave you with a bad taste on the bark
- Target finished temp of the brisket 195-200F
- The brisket will “Stall” around 160-18F – meaning the temperature will stop climbing for some time. I’ve had briskets stall for up to 4 hours!
- Once the brisket comes out of the “stall” – wrap in the pink butcher paper and put back on the egg – letting it continue to cook through to 195-200F (or until it probes like butter – I have had some briskets that were perfect at 195F)
After the Cook:
- Once you’ve hit the magical zone for the brisket, pull it off the egg and place on a sheet pan and let rest at room temperature (still wrapped in the paper) until the temp reaches 165F.
- This could take some time as the brisket will actually continue to cook and will go up to about 210-215F before the temp starts declining
- At this point, either place in an ice chest to hold warm or start to slice and serve
- If placing in an ice chest to hold, put a drip tray underneath the brisket because it will drip all over your ice chest.
That’s it! Seems like a lot at first – but as with anything, the devil is in the details and after a few brisket cooks, this will all be second nature