How to Choose the Perfect Piece of Meat?

The first step of any smoked brisket is choosing the meat. In Canada, beef is graded using the following criteria: marbling, muscle content, animal age, and fat color/texture. Essentially, all beef is divided into categories: A, AA, AAA, and Canada Prime (lowest to highest quality and price). I usually recommend AA or AAA, since Canada Prime is rare/expensive and A is of lower quality. A brisket, the pectoral muscle of a cow, has two parts: the leaner, thinner Flat, and the fattier, thicker Point. You can choose to buy either cuts or a full brisket, depending on your time available and your preference.

What is the Best Way to Season and Prep Brisket for Cooking?

Many techniques exist for the crucial steps of trimming and seasoning. This is the way I do it. The night before cooking, put your brisket in the freezer for 20 minutes to harden the fat for an easier trim. With a sharp knife, remove the silver skin from the lean side and trim fat to about ½ inch. Slice off thin edges to remove browned meat and give the brisket a more aerodynamic shape. For classic flavor, use coarse salt and pepper. I apply mustard as a binder so seasoning sticks, but you can also try other spices or premade blends. My last brisket used Montreal Steak Spice. Finally, leave the brisket in the fridge overnight so the seasoning soaks into the meat.

What’s the Secret to Cooking a Perfect Brisket on a Pellet Grill?

For a perfect pellet grill brisket, use some high-quality wood pellets that are made for beef, like oak. Cook low and slow for a maximum amount of flavour and tenderness. To start, using a meat thermometer, smoke your brisket at 225°F for 6–8 hours until the internal temperature reaches about 165°F, then wrap it in butcher paper and continue cooking to 195–205°F for about 2–4 hours. Finally, let it rest, slice it pencil thin, and serve. Here, I served it in a rye bread sandwich with mustard and cheese.

“A perfect brisket is the result of a perfect combination of meat, seasoning and smoke”