How To Smoke The Perfect Oklahoma Brisket

The brisket. It's a fickle thing that almost always turns out good, but it's so easy to complete mess up, it's a wonder how many people work tirelessly to perfect the craft.

Since we talked about ribs yesterday, it's only natural we talk about brisket today... admittedly one weekend later than we probably should have.

It's a bold statement, but in terms of smoked brisket, Okies and a handful of Texans are the only ones that can do it right. Oddly enough, outside of Oklahoma, Texas, and the greater New York City area, brisket isn't even that common of a dish... but nobody has perfected it like Oklahoma has.

Yesterday I introduced you to Arron Franklin. He's the owner and smoker of Franklin BBQ in Austin, Texas, which has been repeatedly voted a #1 BBQ across the country. It's shocking how much emphasis he puts on the simple things. A little salt, a little pepper, and oak smoke. That's it.

Most people (and Texans) choose to smoke with mesquite wood because it burns so much longer, but it's so bitter you have to disguise the taste with lots of sauce. Good brisket is like a good steak, it shouldn't need sauce.

Don't go throwing your own little spin on it either... It shouldn't taste like vinegar. It shouldn't be sticky and messy, covered in sauce from hours of basting and junk. If you even mutter the word "mustard binder" prior to your cook, give up now. That's the amateur attempt you can find in any lame BBQ shack trying to cover up a lack of smoking skill. Salt, pepper, smoke.

If you actually like the taste of mesquite, by all means, have at it. I actually prefer hickory over oak, but I'll eat either.

If you fancy yourself a go at it, here's the long and very short to smoking the perfect Oklahoma-style brisket.