Texas-style brisket is the benchmark of low-and-slow BBQ, and this recipe keeps it exactly that — honest, technique-driven, and built around a full packer brisket cooked the way it was meant to be. Rather than separating the point and flat, Chef Tom cooks them together as nature intended, letting the rich, well-marbled point baste the leaner flat throughout the entire cook. The fat cap is trimmed to a precise quarter inch, the brisket is seasoned all over with R Butts R Smokin' R Beef Rub and allowed to rest until the rub draws moisture to the surface, and then it goes on the smoker at 225–250°F.
The first 8–9 hours are spent building a deep, dark bark — the kind that cracks when you slice it. When the color is right, the brisket gets wrapped in butcher paper rather than foil, preserving that bark while pushing through the stall. From there it cooks until a thermometer slides into the flat with almost no resistance — the true Texas test of doneness. After a proper rest, it's sliced against the grain and served. Simple on paper, exceptional in execution.
What You'll Love About This Recipe
- Full packer brisket cooked whole — point and flat together for maximum juiciness and flavor
- Deep, dark bark built over 8–9 hours of open smoking before the wrap
- Butcher paper wrap preserves bark while pushing through the stall — no soggy crust
- Probe-tender doneness test ensures perfect texture every time, regardless of cook time
- Just two ingredients — brisket and rub — letting the smoke and technique do the talking
- Feeds a crowd with 32 servings from a single 16 lb brisket
