Photography and Styling: Karen Rankin
A smoked brisket sandwich—complete with white bread, Texas BBQ Sauce, and dill pickle chips—is a true Southern delicacy. It takes time but with the right technique and a little practice you can make perfectly tender smoked brisket on your home grill—no fancy smoker needed. There are a few tricks of the trade that you’ll need to pay particular attention to within our recipe, starting with the pan of water we call for placing in the smoker. This helps the meat retain moisture and avoid drying out over the long cooking process. During the final two hours of cooking, the brisket will need to be flipped, which is easy enough—unless the grill temperature begins to drop. In that case, you’ll need to replace the coals. To do so, heat fresh briquettes in a chimney starter. Remove the brisket and top grate from the grill, along with the wood chips and briquettes, and replace with the fresh hot charcoal. Just be sure to do this quickly to avoid a meat temperature drop.
How to Make It
Step 1
Soak 1 cup hickory wood chips in water for 1 hour. Meanwhile, stir together salt and pepper in a small bowl. Pat brisket dry with paper towels; brush all over with hot sauce, and sprinkle with salt mixture. Place on a wire rack; let stand until wood chips finish soaking.
Step 2
Open bottom vent of a charcoal grill completely. Light charcoal chimney starter filled with briquettes. When briquettes are covered with gray ash, pour them onto the bottom grate of the grill, and then push to 1 side of the grill. Scatter soaked wood chips over the hot coals. Place an aluminum tray filled with 2 cups water next to pile of wood chips and coals. Coat top grate with oil; place on grill. Adjust vents as needed to maintain an internal temperature of 230°F to 240°F.
Step 3
Place brisket, fat side facing up (if there is a thicker portion of brisket, face it towards the coals), on grates over the side without the coals. Smoke, covered, until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of meat registers 190°F, 8 to 9 hours, flipping brisket once during final 2 hours cook time and replacing coals if grill temperature begins to drop.
Step 4
Remove brisket from grill; immediately wrap in a layer of parchment paper followed by a tight layer of aluminum foil. Let stand 1 hour.
Step 5
Unwrap brisket; slice across the grain. Divide meat evenly among 8 bread slices; top with Texas BBQ Sauce, onion, pickles, and remaining bread slices.
