How to cook a Brisket I Tuffy Stone

If you have never cooked a brisket before or you have, but were not happy with the results, my Backyard Brisket recipe is bound to have a few extra tips and tricks that will take your brisket game to the next level.

[@1kJae]

I love how In depth you explain the process. It’s like you truly want everyone to learn

[@TuffyStonePitmaster]

I like to try to the best of my abilities and help people to be better cooks.

[@nicholasmedovich6729]

@@TuffyStonePitmasterjust made some full spare ribs. Season smoke 7 hours and sauce for 20 minutes. No prep needed. No wrapping either. Full bark crust.

[@drdrew3]

I’ve been smoking for years and watched hundreds of bbq videos. Imagine my surprise when I found myself rewinding and taking notes halfway into this video. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience. Even this old dog learned a few new tricks

[@rustyfan89]

That toe cut you made was such a good tip, not that the rest weren’t but I know sometimes when you get that nice dark bark it takes me a minut to figure out where to start my cuts

[@TuffyStonePitmaster]

Awesome.

[@NativeAsElizabethWarren]

Sir I don’t understand why you’ve only got 10k subs but your wisdom and expertise is admirable thank you so much for making these videos!

[@bbbyjay1264]

Love it!! I’ve always enjoyed watching your craft!! Tbh that was way more than 8 hours sitting.. still love the next days turn out!! Weber has been my go to pits for over 20 years!! Beautiful brother!

[@mkmac909]

this is the shortest brisket cook ive seen in a while. 4 hours smoked, 2.5 hours in a foil wrap, with under an hour rest. The colour after the smoke looked really good, the tender bend test was really good. Seems to have cooked perfectly but so quickly, i almost dont believe it. Lots of channels and books talk about long over night or day cooks with long wraps and long rests. Doesnt seem to make sense to me. I cooked one in 9.5 hours, it came out well, was a bit dry on the flat. used a kettle smoker and had to top up charcoal several times and rotate the brisket. did 2 longer 12 hour cooks, on a smokey mountain and it seemed to have come out similar to my first, a bit dry in the flat. my uncle has done at least 6-10 briskets on a traeger, doing injections and long cooler rests. many of the recent ones came out perfect.

[@mileswalters9196]

Tuffy! man your a baaaad dude fam that looks delicious!

[@tazccl]

Tuffy, thanks for making this video. This is a true backyard brisket you rapped it with foil and sprayed it with apple juice. No beef tallow and butcher paper and everything else. Thanks again.

[@TuffyStonePitmaster]

Thank you so much for the nice comment!

[@devinthomas4866]

Lovin the site. Always great insight and info. Makin your sauce tomorrow. Thanks for sharing the years of knowledge. Learn something new from every video. Devin Thomas Mutts & Butts BBQ Prosper, Texas

[@WADYNASTY77]

Love watching your videos, you seem to be such a genuine individual

[@doughylkema2920]

Thanks for the tips. I thought I made delicious ribs before but after watching a few of your videos, a few times and then implementing some of the takeaways, I haven't had better. Thank you again.

[@waynethompson4315]

I just found your channel. Fantastic! Thanks for helping all us backyard pit masters.

[@fatboicarl]

I can watch your videos all day. Thank you!!

[@kkerlin28]

I'd love to see you do a competition brisket like you did this one.

[@P_D_Q]

I enjoyed the video and have respected you for many years. I have two 22"s and I do many of the same things. Loading a Creekstone Farms 18# next weekend for my 50th. Putting that butter baste move in my pocket. Never foiled one, I find paper allows for bark retention while holding moisture. Thanks again for the vid!

[@KnightOnBaldMountain]

I’ve made several of these on my smoker. The first one was a disaster but, learning from my mistakes, the ones that followed were excellent. I enjoyed your well-produced video and picked up a couple tips on the trim. Thank you!

[@JonathanBBQ]

The legend himself!!! Much love from Arizona!

[@TuffyStonePitmaster]

Thank you so much!

[@orlandonelson3836]

Tuffy my man. I have been a fan of yours since the first season of BBQ Pit masters. We met one year at the Jack. Glad you are putting more videos out. Keep up the great work.

[@TuffyStonePitmaster]

Thank you so much for the comment! I hope you are well!

[@Aris116]

Man I'm glad I just found your channel! I've been BBQ'ing on a couple Webber kettles for years and last year my wife bought me a Webber Smokey Mountain, I've since gotten really good at ribs and chicken, but have been wanting to try a brisket. Thank you for this!!

[@TuffyStonePitmaster]

Thank you watching. Let me know how it turns out.

[@illiniwood]

You're one of the lucky ones who has a BBQ supportive wife.

[@Jeff.Kaufmann]

Great video! Thanks for the tips

[@tucksmith8300]

That brisket looks delicious Tuffy

[@tmo7734]

After smoking the meat, I’ve never understood why barbecuers don’t use an oven to tenderize the brisket. Heck, the meat is covered with foil so you’re not going to get any additional smoke. Oven’s advantage? You can maintain a perfectly consistent temperature, simplify the process, and minimize the use and management of charcoal. Why make it more difficult than it needs to be, particularly for an 18-hour cook???

[@lonestarsmoked]

Good tip on putting more rub on the flat vs the point. Interesting

[@caseywilson812]

Thanks for the easy to learn brisket cook.

[@burlnorris3687]

Great video, thanks for sharing. Always been a fan, love your Richmond joint. Tuffy Stone for President!

[@TuffyStonePitmaster]

Thanks for the comment!

[@ribappreciation]

Love the melted butter tip!

[@erichilton3383]

Thanks you for sharing your expertise

[@spartak9101]

Following this recipe now … so far so good 😊

[@JayBeaumont]

Great video!

[@TuffyStonePitmaster]

Yes sir! I know a guy!

[@justinkelley9642]

Cooking on a WSM. I love my WSM. Thanks for the insight on how to cook a brisket on a WSM

[@anthonylucia2398]

Definitely going to try this method on my next brisket… And the ribs as well!

[@quegrill]

Love all the Webers! I use the same. 22" WSM and kettle!

[@AdamOsso77]

Haha man you must be from up north with that Texas crutch line.

[@lasonrussell9243]

Looks great 👍.. I love how you break things down.. my first time. I'm going to try your method.

[@randomstoragespace]

Thanks Tuffy!

[@scott729]

Appreciate you sharing Tuffy, thank you

[@TuffyStonePitmaster]

Thank you for the comment!

[@OKIEBBQ]

Dang Tuffy, your good at making these video's. More please!

[@JayBeaumont]

Lots more videos on the way!

[@johnc2144]

Great video Tuffy. Thank you for doing this one. You make it look easy lol

[@TuffyStonePitmaster]

Thank you! It is easy!

[@lesgrant7861]

That's exactly how I cook my briskets and I cut it in half from the flat and point too. I thought I was always weird from doing the flat and point separately but it always made sense to me because the flat and the point hit done temperatures at different times.You know what you're doing bro, hopefully I taste your BBQ 1 day. 🙂

[@monsieurbbq]

good job ! Thanks !!!!!!

[@TuffyStonePitmaster]

Thank you! I am glad you like it.

[@jpummer1972]

Tuffy, Thanks so much for sharing some of your techniques. This will definitely "up"my backyard game. I'm hoping to see chicken next brother. Cheers!

[@TuffyStonePitmaster]

Thank you so much! Chicken is coming very soon!

[@jeremylowe2309]

Tuffy, great recipe! I have an old red Weber with thermometer in the back handle, blue performer and a green master touch. 1st gen…. Give a shout out to Jamie Greer and his pits but most peo0le can’t afford them. This is my go to brisket recipe.

[@smokeydablunts7313]

TUFFY! we need more of this. Much love buddy!

[@TuffyStonePitmaster]

Thank you! More is coming.

[@gregpepper6053]

Do you keep the diffuser pan in or do you pull it from the smoker when not using? Love the channel and tips!

[@anthonywindfield8439]

Nice.

[@thelog86]

I cook similar to that on wsm. Im surprised he never mentioned fatside (i cook fatside down) on wsm. Someimes i wrap sometimes not and i spritz 1x per hr depends on how it looks. And i trim very little, and i do not use a waterpan nor a diffuser. I like the drippings to hit those hot coals. I believe that gives great flavor

[@wjhemtp]

What kind of knife sharper did you use? Also excellent in explaining how to do the brisket.

[@joseurena7116]

Absolutely fantastic , I’ve had my Weber smoky mountain for two years now but did not have the nerve to cook a brisket, it’s always the scary meat. This has given me enough courage to jump onto it hopefully will look half as good as Tuffy’s, btw art work in these new vids is awesome

[@JayBeaumont]

Very cool, Tuffy makes it look easy.

[@TuffyStonePitmaster]

I think you will find it to be very easy! Let me know how it turns out. Good luck!!

[@duskyman1]

Personally, I think brisket are easy. I found ribs to be the hardest to get right. Meat retracted, ready to pull off bone, but hold together....outside not hard.

[@jmartinez4460]

I’ve used foil and butcher paper. I like the paper way better holds the bark better for me but each his own.

[@TuffyStonePitmaster]

Agreed, each to their own, but both can make great barbecue.

[@jarrod7025]

Hey tuffy, can you give any insight on the finger test as it relates to setting bark? It seems like I can leave my meat in the smoke for longer than the average bbq cook and still really can’t seem to get the exterior of t he meat to the point that the rub and everything on the outer layer gets solidly stuck to the exterior of the meat

[@julienbesse9420]

Man.. so gratefull to have found your channel ! You makes me ( finally ) exited to go back coocking on my smoker 🙌

[@growmeistersmith9762]

What is the song you have playing in your background? Stellar tune! Also, I have noticed that you like higher heat, 275-300 degrees. Why is this a preference for you compared to 200-225 degrees?

[@janelove6291]

yum yum!

[@TuffyStonePitmaster]

Thank you!

[@HizzHyness]

I love Tuffy but I think I prefer Texas style...the bark is much draker...salt + pepper base is the way to go IMO

[@freightdawg6762]

Excellent!! Subscribed Put a link to your sauces and rubs

[@gbailey1958]

Thumbs up!

[@FollowTheJohn]

Sweet Jesus. I need to taste this.

[@calicobox]

I just got your classic rub and will do a brisket this weekend. Mine is only 5.25 lbs. How much time would you recommend for this if I hold my temp around 275 degrees? Hours in the fridge with seasoning for this smaller cut?

[@Taosravenfan]

Would love to know why he uses foil instead of pink butcher paper. I have tuffy’s book. I’ve been smoking brisket for 20 years and I’ve learned a bunch just watching the videos and reading his book cover to cover.

[@sisirider1963]

Just confirming Tuffy, you put that brisket on the grate fat side down? Sorry if I missed that. Thanks!

[@augustolivo2345]

Just wondering why no water in the bottom pan?

[@juandelacruz620]

Do you open the vents when cooking?

[@badmiketeddy]

How long would this brisket rest for? Any general guidelines for 10-14 lb brisket?

[@misohoney4656]

Brisket Rule #1: FEEL over TEMP. ALWAYS!!

[@karlgregory8190]

you would rather cook the brisket on your WSM then one of your kettles?

[@xXhugotorresXx]

Online you read a lot about how you want to avoid white smoke when smoking meat, and you've even done some videos about how to run a clean fire. Yet, in this video, when you open your bullet smoker to put on the brisket and even while the brisket is on there, you see billowing white smoke. I've just gotten into smoking and barbecuing so I'm a bit confused about why it's okay in your bullet smoker but not okay in an offset smoker. Also, doesn't leaving unlit coals in the fire make it so that when they eventually catch they produce thick white smoke? I'm wondering the same thing about the hickory chunks.

[@1dibonepp]

The lit coals on top of the unlit coals is called the minion method. It’s been around for ever. What it does is allows the charcoal to lite gradually over a period of time. A 20# bag will give around 16 hours in my 22” wsm. The wsm is designed as a smoldering unit and not really a live fire. White smoke from using a wood fire on a offset is different then a charcoal. You still want it to burn clearer but it’s not the same as burning a dirty wood only fire. The reason you put the chunks in unlit is to generate smoke over a period of time. Basically one smolders through and then the other. This provides a small amount of wood smoke for hours. This setup and smoker is designed as a set it and forget it type of unit. You stack your chunks and charcoal and dump your lit coals and that’s the last you deal with that. Only thing you might do is adjust your bottom vents to possibly influence the coals towards a chunk or try and speed up a cook.

[@xXhugotorresXx]

Thank you for the reply @@1dibonepp I didn't realize the smoke from burning coals is different than the smoke from burning wood.

[@johnfletcher7222]

I assume that once wrapped you can put any meat into an oven and get the same result (save money on charcoal and not worry about keeping a fire temp)?

[@TuffyStonePitmaster]

Yes, you could. Your choice.

[@notaliberalfromcali6245]

Yup.. its all btus after you wrap.

[@johncisneros9356]

Whats the purpose of spraying apple juice

[@michaelstewart9366]

Clarified butter? Salted unsalted?

[@TuffyStonePitmaster]

Salted.

[@ely6101]

If you’re cooking this on a Traeger, any changes need to be made to the cook time?

[@TuffyStonePitmaster]

No changes, as long as you are cooking at a temperature of 275-285. However, I do not have much cooking time with your smoker, so please let me know how it turns out!

[@tonysalpac]

fat cap down or up or does it matter?

[@brandinhernandez3370]

What song is this at 5 minutes mark

[@TWC6724]

I just bought a Weber Summit charcoal grill. It looks like you’re cooking fat side down? Should I do that on the summit? I’ve never cooked a brisket before.

[@jonsmallwood1657]

I’ve heard place the fat towards the heat, so for that smoker down, a stick burner you might do fat up. It acts as a barrier to not dry out the meat.

[@calvinnichols3607]

Tuffy, did you smoke that fat side down or up on the WSM?

[@TuffyStonePitmaster]

Fat cap down on my WSM.

[@macdavis757]

Where you been Tuffy!

[@TuffyStonePitmaster]

Working! Cooking!

[@macdavis757]

Cool miss seeing the shows ! Learned a lot from y’all !

[@tafarilewis72]

Hot and fast.

[@tomallen8995]

Is the melted butter salted or unsalted butter?

[@TuffyStonePitmaster]

Salted.

[@tompino5266]

Great video, thanks for sharing ! I love my WSM and have done many a brisket on mine. What I found most interessting is that you did a "dry smoke" in this version, not using the water pan. I have never thought to run a "dry smoke" as you did here. What is the benefit ?

[@UnderLoK]

The only point of the water pan is to shield your food from the heat. If you aren't going to run water in it (I haven't run water in mine for 10 or 15 years) try filling it with either lava rocks or kids play sand (you want play sand because it's clean). Either way you go (I used lava rocks) you just cover it in foil before each cook. The rocks and or sand have a few benefits over the water. First is that they retain the heat so less energy is being wasted making the smoker a little more efficient and as an added benefit it helps to keep the smoker more stable. Just for reference I can fire up my WSM and it will run 12-14 hours without touching a vent.

[@lynndollar1013]

Notice he spritzed every 30 minutes instead of water in the pan to keep the brisket moist, and also note he used the pan as a deflector plate. On my WSM , I would've had trouble running it at 275 with water in the water pan.

[@lynndollar1013]

@@UnderLoK I disagree. I think water in the smoker helps keep the surface of the meat moist, and a moist surface is to going to attract more smoke than a dry surface. Smoke clings to moisture.

[@bigreb62]

Did you cook fat side up or down

[@TuffyStonePitmaster]

On this cooker, I cook briskets with the fat side down.

[@derheeheehee6941]

That seems like a short cooking time for a 19 lb packer

[@chadwallace3598]

Apple juice on beef?

[@TuffyStonePitmaster]

Very common. Very good.

[@atapia15]

Butcher paper tuffy then cover over it with foil for the rest period 👍🏻

[@tommykramer8206]

Won't that be more like a roast with all the steaming?

[@cjhayes7666]

Any videos with you smoking on the jambo

[@TuffyStonePitmaster]

Great idea. I will make some. Thank you!

[@Chris-bx4vk]

Man idk.. foil always makes my brisket taste like a roast.. I'm not a fan. Both foil boat or butcher paper yield better results

[@TuffyStonePitmaster]

As long as you like it, that is what matters. I have made outstanding briskets, using both methods. There are many places that are held in high regard for their brisket, that use both methods.

[@matthewkirk4093]

I’d listen to an award winning chef!

[@Chris-bx4vk]

@@matthewkirk4093 Fauci won awards too... Let that sink in

[@AllenCarterNews]

@@Chris-bx4vk wow... lol... this is the comment you go to.

[@Chris-bx4vk]

@@AllenCarterNews A) it's a fact B) free speech allows for jokes

[@dondiesel1100]

Any thing brisket

[@dccoletrain]

I miss my WSM. Stupid apartment life

[@TuffyStonePitmaster]

I hope you are able to cook outside again, soon!

[@dccoletrain]

@@TuffyStonePitmaster my cookers are all at my brother’s. He’s got at 108” Lang so he doesn’t need mine too…. I’m going to have to go there soon. I miss the weekly cook. Becoming an expert on cast iron 😂

[@mickeywhite7878]

So, Tuffy, the age old question: fat side up or fat side down?

[@JMario-kt9xk]

Did I see you use two different briskets? I guess the first trim was not that good!

[@hulkhuggett]

I wonder if he's ever used a Weber?

[@bradleycrenshaw6778]

well sure, you just watched a video of him cooking on one. DUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[@hulkhuggett]

@@bradleycrenshaw6778 Yeah but, I think he's only got one of every color they've ever made.

[@johnwatz4955]

Why not fat side up?

[@fackeyutub-emael6545]

So, in other words, inject it. Keep it in a cooler for resting. Smoke for 4 hrs and 2.5 foil wrapped. And rub how you like.

[@Mr._12]

You never said how long you let it rest.

[@mikef9966]

fat side up or down

[@TuffyStonePitmaster]

Really depends on how the flows on your cooker. On my WSM, I like to cook with the fat cap down.

[@AmericanCrane]

You’re no doubt a legend but shocked you did the TX crutch. Feels like a rookie move. Plus your bark would have been better looking. I challenge you to a brisket off… your move Sir

[@zacharystepp6240]

that flat looked dry af

[@duncanaronstein7462]

That brisket looks a little.... tuffy.... sorry

[@mattmccall3585]

a 19 pound brisket in only 6 1/2 hours? get real...

[@jasonpettis4691]

On a 275+ degree WSM, combined with the way that he trimmed it, and the fact that he wrapped it after only 4 hours, that cook time is more than realistic.

[@wwjj64]

ever heard of hamburgers? its not waste. This is diff in someone who knows to cook versus someone who cooks for judges. Thumbs down.

[@TuffyStonePitmaster]

Yes, you are correct. Trim from brisket is great for burgers. I like to add ground chuck to it, as well. We also like to save fat to add to venison for sausage. I have cooked for many judges , but I have cooked mostly in catering and restaurants. I was remiss in not sharing ways to utilize the trim. My bad.