A brisket in the smoker today

There is a brisket in my smoker right now, slowly cooking to perfection!  My all time favorites to cook in a smoker are a brisket and a pork shoulder with Carolina BBQ sauce served at the table.

Here is the recipe I used today, although I have others that I also like.

Marinade for a brisket

1 pint orange juice
juice from 2 limes
juice from 1 lemon
3/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 cup olive oil

Combine ingredients with a whisk.  Score the brisket so that the juice penetrate s into the meat.  Marinate at least a few hours, or better, overnight.  I have a Tupperware marinating container that I've had for years and I like that because the bottom of each side has ridges so that the juice covers the underside.

About an hour before you are ready to put it in the smoker, take it out of the marinade sauce and lay on a large cutting board.  Use the rub recipe below to cover both sides and then let it sit on the counter for 45 minutes:

3 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons black pepper
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoon cumin

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and rub into meat.

Until last summer, I never cooked a brisket.  I believed all the war stories I heard over the years about it being a junk piece of meat, "most often made into hamburger meat."  That can be true if you don't know how to properly prepare it!  Put it in a smoker for most of the day and you will have the tastiest and most tender piece of meat you could ever imagine.

One of life's greatest simple pleasures is smoking meat.  Sitting by the smoker, taking in the aroma, letting your mind rest from the stress of the everyday world, not to mention the wonderful flavor when your meat is done, it doesn't get any better than this!