Wet-cure the flat for 7 days in a coriander-pepper-sugar brine, then smoke. The best of both worlds.
Trim the fat cap to 1/4 inch. Remove any hard fat deposits. Trim the edges so bark can form evenly. Save all trimmings to render into tallow.
Mix salt and pepper 1:1 by volume. Apply generously to all surfaces of the brisket, pressing into the meat. Don't rub — shake and press. Rest on a rack uncovered in the fridge overnight.
Fire your smoker to 107-110C / 225-230F. Use post oak wood for Central Texas style. Maintain consistent temperature.
Place brisket fat-side up. Insert thermometer probe into the thickest part of the flat.
Smoke until internal temperature hits 74C / 165F — usually 6-8 hours. Spritz with water every hour after the first 3 hours.
Wrap tightly in butcher paper (not foil — foil steams). Return to smoker. Continue cooking.
Start probing for tenderness at 88C / 190F. The probe should slide in with zero resistance, like room-temperature butter, at around 93-96C / 200-205F.
Rest in a cooler (still wrapped) for at least 2 hours. Up to 4 hours is fine. This is not optional.
Slice against the grain. The flat gets 1/4 inch pencil-thin slices. The point is pulled or sliced in chunks. Serve on butcher paper.
No smoker? No problem. Liquid smoke and a very long low oven gets you 80% of the way there. Respectable brisket for apartment dwellers.
Salt, pepper, smoke, time. That's the whole recipe. The rub is 50/50 coarse salt and black pepper. Everything else is cheating.
Jackfruit smoked with the same SPG rub. The texture is uncanny if you get the bark right. Travis would hate this. That's how you know it's good.
Boston butt, 12-hour smoke at 225F, apple wood. Bark is mandatory. Internal temp 203F and a rest in butcher paper makes it pull apart perfectly.