Low, slow, and worth every hour

A whole packer brisket on the Big Green Egg is a weekend project, but it rewards your patience with smoky, tender beef that needs nothing more than a simple salt-and-pepper crust.

The keys are steady low heat, good smoke, and resisting the urge to rush. Plan on roughly an hour to an hour and a quarter per pound.

Ingredients

• 1 whole Whitt's Place beef brisket (12–14 lbs)
• 1/4 cup coarse kosher salt
• 1/4 cup coarse ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder (optional)
• Yellow mustard, for binder
• Oak or hickory wood chunks
• Butcher paper, for wrapping

Instructions

1. Trim the brisket, leaving about 1/4 inch of fat cap. Coat lightly with mustard, then season heavily all over with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
2. Set up the Big Green Egg for indirect cooking at 250°F with the plate setter and a couple of wood chunks. Let the smoke run clean.
3. Place the brisket fat-side up and smoke until the internal temperature reaches about 165°F, 6–8 hours.
4. Wrap tightly in butcher paper and return to the Egg. Continue cooking until it probes tender, around 203°F internal, another 3–5 hours.
5. Rest the wrapped brisket in a cooler for at least 1 hour. Slice against the grain and serve.

Whitt's Tip

Separate the point from the flat after resting — the flat slices clean for sandwiches, and the fattier point makes incredible burnt ends.