Pellet Grill Brisket with Crackly Bark

Name: Pellet Grill Brisket with Crackly Bark
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 660 min
Total time: 690 min
Yield: 10 servings
Ingredients: 1 (10 to 12 lb) whole packer brisket; 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce, as a binder; 3 tbsp kosher salt; 3 tbsp coarse black pepper; 2 tbsp finely ground coffee; 1 tbsp ancho chile powder; 1 tbsp onion powder; 2 tsp granulated garlic; 1 cup beef broth; 2 tbsp unsalted butter; 20 lb oak or hickory pellets

An overnight pellet grill brisket seasoned with a coffee and ancho chile rub, finished in a foil boat so the underside stays juicy while the top bark stays black and crackly.

4.5 588 cooks rated this

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 11 hr
Serves: 10
Level: Medium

Free recipe Jump to method

A pellet grill lets you start a brisket at bedtime and wake to a deep smoke ring, which is how plenty of home cooks get through their first one. Pellet smoke runs milder than a stick fire, so a coffee and ancho rub helps build a dark, crunchy crust. Rather than wrapping fully, try a foil boat: a snug tray of foil cradling the bottom while the top stays exposed. The meat still pushes through the stall, but the bark never steams soft. Top off the hopper before bed.

Ingredients

Serves 10

Method

Trim the fat cap to 1/4 inch and shape the brisket so no thin flaps hang off the flat. Brush the worcestershire over every surface.
Done
Combine the salt, pepper, coffee, ancho powder, onion powder and garlic, and pat it on generously. Leave the brisket at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Done
Fill the hopper with pellets and set the grill to 225 F. Place the brisket fat side up and smoke overnight, 7 to 8 hours, until the internal temperature reads 170 F.
Done
Fold a long sheet of heavy foil in half and shape it into a shallow boat that hugs the bottom and sides of the brisket while leaving the bark uncovered.
Done
Set the brisket in the boat, pour in the broth, add the butter, and raise the grill to 275 F.
Done
Cook 3 to 4 hours more, until a probe glides into the flat at about 203 F and the bark crackles when tapped with a fingernail.
Done
Rest in the boat, loosely tented, for at least 1 hour. Slice the flat across the grain about 1/4 inch thick on a large board and spoon the boat juices over the slices.
Done

Hands turning pieces of meat on a grill through drifting smoke — Turning meat slowly through a haze of smoke

Charcoal chimney starter with flames rising over the coals — Charcoal chimney roaring before the cook starts

05 Hanging next to it

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