If you have ever eaten pastrami or corned beef, you’ve eaten beef brisket.

When cooked correctly, few foods in the world yield a rewarding and succulent result. But making that magic happen takes time, effort, and care.

This post is a one-stop shop on all things brisket. We’ll walk you through everything you need to know about this staple of Texas barbecue and Jewish cuisine. and some of the best ways to cook it.

What is beef brisket?

Brisket is two overlapping muscles from beef or veal’s breast or lower chest. This muscle does all the heavy lifting to hold the cow upright.

It is one of nine beef primal cuts.

Brisket gets very dense from being a working pair of muscles and is one of the least tender parts of beef you can get.

A “packer” or whole brisket comprises a lean, flat cut and the fattier point cut.

What makes brisket special?

Brisket is a tough piece of meat.

That being said, brisket renders soft and satisfying with immense flavor when done low and slow. Cooking low and slow breaks down the collagen in the connective muscle tissues to achieve tenderness.

You can get great results cooking brisket whether you smoke, braise, or slow roast. Since we’re all about barbecue here, we will focus on how to slow-smoke your brisket to give you added depth of flavor from the wood.

What are the different cuts of brisket?

Brisket typically comes in three cuts: full packer, the flat, and the point. Each cut has its own unique features and appeals.

Full Packer

A whole packer cut is both the flat portion and the point portion of the brisket, separated by a thick layer of fat. A whole brisket can weigh anywhere from roughly 8 to 20-plus pounds on average.

A layer of fat runs along the top. This fat is usually trimmed to a quarter of an inch in thickness before cooking. 

The Flat

The flat cut is the lean, main part of the brisket. It can be referred to as the first cut or flat cut when ordering from your butcher.

It’s a highly worked muscle, resulting in its low-fat content. This is generally the cut used for corned beef and pastrami.

The Point

The point is the fatty end of the brisket. It sits atop the flat cut and has much more intramuscular fat than its counterpart.

Given its high fat content, this cut makes for a more tender and juicy part of the brisket. It’s also referred to as the second cut.

We have a brisket point vs. flat article that compares the two in more detail.

Best place to buy brisket

Your local butcher will always be the best place to start, as they can explain everything to you and give you precisely what you’re looking for.

Many larger supermarkets, including Costco, Sam’s Club and H.E.B. all stock a range of briskets.

You can also buy brisket online, which is a great option to get your hands on the highest quality briskets.

How much does brisket cost?

We have a guide that compares the price of brisket across various stores. You can expect to pay $4-$5 per pound for USDA Prime brisket which comes to around $40 or $50 for a smaller brisket.

That can go up to $300+ for a large Wagyu brisket.

How much brisket per person?

You’ll need to know how much you need before buying brisket. We have a comprehensive guide on how much brisket per person and all the factors to consider before landing on a number. But the basic answer is ½ to ⅓ of a pound of cooked brisket per person.

How to smoke brisket

When you get down to it, smoking a brisket is pretty straightforward. Below is a brief overview of the process.

See our guide for smoking your first brisket for a more in-depth look.

1. Prep your smoker to 225 – 250 degrees. Use hardwoods like oak, hickory, or whatever is native and accessible to your region.
2. Trim your brisket – Check out HeyGrillHey’s guide on how to trim brisket.
3. Season or rub the brisket – This can be as simple as kosher salt and coarse ground pepper or as complex as adding a binder like mustard with a more complex rub blend.
4. Smoke your brisket – For this initial stage, place your brisket on the rack fat side up, and do not open the cooker. Keep it closed and steady for 3 to 4 hours to really let the bark form from your seasoning or rub.
5. Spritz your brisket – Once an hour for the next 5 to 7 hours. This is an optional step but is recommended to keep the surface from charring, add moisture, and add a subtle depth of flavor if you use a liquid like apple juice or Worcestershire sauce.
6. Wrap your brisket – Then place it back on the smoker. Check out our guide for wrapping brisket.
7. Keep smoking – you know you’re close to done when the internal temperature of the meat reads 200 – 205 degrees in the thickest part.
8. Rest your brisket – Pull your smoked brisket and let it rest for at least 1 hour to reabsorb the juices. You can let it rest in an insulated cooler for hot holding until you’re ready to serve your guests.
9. Slice and serve – Check our guide to slicing brisket. 

Other brisket recipes

There are plenty of other methods for cooking brisket, not just smoking.

Let’s explore some other tried and true good brisket recipes:

• Red wine braised brisket – Slow braised brisket in red wine and vegetables.
• Texas-style oven brisket – Dry rubbed brisket roasted in the oven over a water bath with liquid smoke. It is a great option for those without smokers.
• Leftover smoked brisket chili – Make the most of leftover brisket with this flavorful chili recipe.
• Grilled brisket burgers – Put your trimmings to good use and make super flavorful brisket burgers.

If you want to take it up a notch and get into the curing game, check out these recipes below:

• Corned beef brisket – Beef brisket that’s been preserved through a brine curing process similar to pickling. Traditionally from Irish and Jewish cuisine.
• Pastrami – Cured similarly to corned beef but cooked on a smoker, adding another layer of flavor to the final product.

Storing your brisket

Raw brisket can be stored in its packaging in your refrigerator for 5 to 8 days.

Brisket can be frozen anywhere from 6 to 12 months if wrapped airtight.

If frozen, let it thaw in the refrigerator ahead of time. This generally takes a few days, so plan accordingly. 

Once cooked, brisket can be wrapped and stored in your refrigerator safely for four days or frozen for up to 2 months when wrapped and packaged in an airtight container. 

Now you know brisket

Now you know the ins and outs and the best place to buy brisket near you; you can feel confident in taking the next steps on your barbecue journey.

Get out there and practice! Play with fire, and let the meat do its thing. The more you cook brisket, the better you get at it, and the more you will learn the nuances of the cut.

If you want to try smoked brisket, check out our hot and fast brisket recipe, and we’ll show you how to get smoky, tender brisket without the 12+ hour wait time.