How to Cook Beef Brisket on a Grill

Cook beef brisket on a grill for a tender, delicious barbecue feast. For the most tender results, buy the right cut of beef and slow cook your brisket on a grill set up for indirect grilling. Consider using a rub or marinade to spice up your brisket or just serve it plain.

Things You'll Need

• Charcoal grill
• Charcoal
• 6 cups mesquite wood chips
• Beef brisket (5 to 6 lb.)
• 1 tbsp. coarse salt
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• Plastic bag
• Aluminum foil pan

Instructions

Prepare the Brisket

1. Purchase your beef brisket from a butcher and ask for a "packer's cut," which will have fat running through the middle and on top to keep the brisket moist while cooking.

2. Trim the top fat down if it's thicker than 1/3 inch. You want an even layer of fat for the best cooking.

3. Run the brisket under cold water and rinse thoroughly. Pat dry with paper towels.

4. Combine salt, chili powder, sugar, pepper and cumin in a bowl. Thoroughly coat beef brisket in the rub.

5. Place the brisket into a plastic bag and allow it to cure in the refrigerator for four to eight hours.

Grill the Brisket

1. Soak mesquite wood chips in cold water for one hour prior to cooking, then drain.

2. Prepare your grill for indirect cooking. Light charcoal in a separate metal container. Pile lit charcoal at either end of your grill (leaving the center clear). Pile soaked and drained mesquite chips on top of the lit coals (¾ cup on each side) to create smoke.

3. Lay the brisket in the aluminum pan, fat side up. Set the pan in the center of the grill. Do not place the brisket directly over the coals/wood chips.

4. Smoke the brisket for roughly six to eight hours, until you can shred it with just your fingers. Add fresh coal and another ¾ cup wood chips to each side roughly every hour to keep the smoke going.

5. Let rest 15 minutes before serving.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider using a smoker instead of a grill set for indirect cooking. Drum smokers are relatively easy to make with a little initial expenditure for supplies.

• Experiment with soaking your brisket in a marinade rather than using a rub prior to cooking.

References

• Beef Brisket--How to Choose, Prepare and Cook
• Beef Up Your BBQ With Texas-Style Brisket
• Direct versus Indirect Grilling

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Building the Ugly Drum Smoker
• Brisket Marinade Recipes