An introduction to smoking meat at home

If you’re a meat lover, at one time or another the prospect of smoking meat at home has probably crossed your mind. We all love brisket, right? But if you haven’t yet mastered it, it can be a notoriously hard cut of meat to get right. That’s why we’ve written this guide to perfectly smoked results, the old-fashioned way. Shop our beef cuts today.

What is meat smoking?

Meat smoking is the process of using a smokey chamber to surround the meat and cook it at a low temperature for a long period of time. This keeps the meat juicy and the prolonged exposure to smoke gives it that well-loved smokey flavour that can’t be achieved any other way. We recommend using a charcoal grill or smoker to cook the perfect brisket. Here’s what you need to know as we guide you through the basics of how this can be done using your next order with Online Meats.

How to prepare

Brisket is a notoriously tough cut of meat, which is what makes it ideal for slow cooking to soften it up. If your cut isn’t pre-trimmed you’ll want to trim the fat leaving between 0.5 and 1cm of fat for flavour. Next is the all-important meat rub. We like to keep things simple to allow the smokey meat flavour to shine through.

1. Equal parts sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2. Garlic powder
3. Paprika
4. Mix all the above ingredients to create the rub. Make sure to cover all parts of the brisket when applying.
5. Leave the brisket to warm to room temperature for up to an hour before cooking.

How to cook

It’s essential to maintain a consistent temperature to lock in the smoke. Avoid opening the cooker lid as much as possible and use a wireless thermometer if you have one. Use a water pan in the smoker to retain moisture and if you do notice the brisket drying out, spritz it with an apple juice or apple cider vinegar spray. Cook until it probes tender. Roughly speaking, a 5kg brisket will take 12 hours to cook at 125°C. Once your brisket has formed a nice outer bark and is still soft you might want to wrap it in foil or butcher’s paper. Keep cooking until it reaches the internal temperature of 75°C.

Once cooked, let the brisket rest for up to an hour before slicing it against the grain and trying to retain the outer bark. Cut in 1-2cm thick slices and serve with coleslaw and mashed or baked potatoes.