Texas-Style Smoked Beef Brisket

Method

1. The day before cooking, trim the brisket: remove the thick, hard fat deposit on the underside of the point, trim the fat cap on top down to about 1/4 inch, and round off the thin edges of the flat so they do not burn before the rest is done.
2. Mix the kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder and coat the trimmed brisket generously on all sides, pressing it into the meat; refrigerate uncovered overnight so the surface dries slightly, which helps bark formation.
3. The next day, remove the brisket from the fridge 1 hour before cooking. Preheat your smoker to a steady 225F to 250F for indirect heat, using a water pan to stabilize humidity.
4. Add 3 to 4 chunks of post oak or hickory wood once the smoker is producing thin, clean blue smoke.
5. Place the brisket fat-side up (or fat-side down if your heat source is above the meat - orient the fat toward the heat), insert a leave-in thermometer into the thickest part of the flat, and close the lid.
6. Smoke undisturbed for 6 to 8 hours without opening the lid more than necessary, spritzing lightly with water or beef broth every 90 minutes after the first 3 hours if the bark looks dry.
7. Expect the internal temperature to stall between 150F and 170F for 1 to 3 hours as surface moisture evaporates - do not raise the heat, just wait it out.
8. Once the bark is dark, thick, and set firm (it should not smear when lightly touched), wrap the brisket tightly in butcher paper, pouring a few tablespoons of beef tallow over the meat before sealing to help it push through the stall.
9. Return the wrapped brisket to the smoker and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 203F to 205F in the thickest part of the flat, and a probe slides in with almost no resistance across the entire brisket, like inserting a skewer into softened butter.
10. Remove from the smoker and rest, still wrapped, inside a dry cooler packed with towels for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours - this long rest is not optional, it is what makes the difference between dry and juicy brisket.
11. Unwrap over a sheet pan to catch the juices, then separate the point from the flat by slicing along the natural fat seam between them.
12. Slice the flat against the grain into pencil-width slices, and the point into slightly thicker slices, since the grain direction changes between the two muscles.
13. Serve the sliced brisket with a drizzle of the reserved juices spooned back over the top.