The Spring May Bank Holiday is upon us, National BBQ Week kicks off on Monday 25th May and, frankly, this is the point where many people start staring lovingly at smokers, charcoal and suspiciously large hunks of beef.
Yes, brisket season is officially here.
And what a glorious thing brisket can be.
Done properly, it’s one of the great barbecue cuts — rich, economical, deeply beefy and absolutely perfect for low-and-slow cooking over fire and smoke. Give it enough time and patience and it transforms into something genuinely spectacular. Wobbling slices, rendered fat, bark that makes grown adults emotional… you know the drill.
But brisket can also be contentious.
It divides opinion. It sparks arguments. It creates entire internet subcultures dedicated to debating fat caps, wrapping techniques, trimming styles and whether the “flop test” is scientific fact or simply a cry for help.
And to be fair, brisket can absolutely cause stress.
Particularly amongst the Brisket Bros who put 100% faith in the bend, wobble and flop of a brisket like they’re handling some sacred smoky relic.
But here’s the thing: sometimes you simply have to trust the process.
Low and slow means exactly that. Take your time. Let the collagen break down properly. Don’t panic when the stall hits. Don’t start aggressively poking it every 12 minutes. Brisket rewards patience far more than panic.
At Turner & George, we stock brisket in a few different forms depending on how deep down the barbecue rabbit hole you’ve travelled.
You can opt for the point end, beautifully marbled and packed with juicy flavour.
You can go for the leaner flat end, perfect for neat slices and easier handling.
Or, for the true fire-and-smoke aficionados, there’s the full packer brisket - left untrimmed, unadulterated and gloriously primal. The real enthusiasts already know exactly what they’re doing with that one.
And yes, we know everyone has opinions when it comes to brisket prep.
Fat cap on or off? Trim heavily or leave nature to do its thing? Texas-style simplicity or backyard experimental chaos?
So if you do have particular requests regarding trimming, fat coverage or how you’d like your brisket prepared, please do let us know in the Butcher’s Comments Box when ordering, or simply drop us an email directly. We’ll always do our very best to select the right brisket for your cook.
Now then.
With the long weekend approaching and National BBQ Week around the corner, there’s really only one sensible thing left to do.
Light the fire.
Open a beer.
Trust the brisket.
RICHARD H. TURNERS SMOKED BRISKET FROM PRIME - serves 10
Ingredients
3–4kg (6½–9lb) brisket, packer or point end cut
70g (2½oz) Maldon sea salt flakes
10g (¼oz) freshly ground black pepper
1 litre (1¾ pints) water
100ml (3½fl oz) cider vinegar
50ml (2fl oz) light muscovado sugar
You will also need
a meat thermometer
Method
Preheat a smoker for indirect cooking at 115°C (240°F) according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Season the brisket heavily all over with the salt and pepper, and place fat side up in your smoker. Leave completely alone for 3 hours.
Combine the water, vinegar and sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
After 3 hours, start periodically checking the colour of the brisket every 30 minutes or so. If it starts looking dry or going too dark, start spraying with a spritz of the vinegar mixture (this is called a gastrique in French cooking).
At 6 hours your brisket will hit “the stall”, where it appears to stop cooking when the internal temperature reaches about 70°C (158°F) – this is when the moisture in the beef begins to evaporate, cooling the beef and therefore stalling its cooking progress. This is perfectly normal, so do not worry or do anything different.
Around 9 hours in, the beef should have reached 90°C (195°F). Give it a prod – it should have a wobble. When it reaches 90°C (195°F) the brisket should be removed from the smoker and wrapped in large sheets of greaseproof paper until needed.
The brisket contains 2 separate muscles: the “flat” and the “point”. These muscles run in different directions, at a right angle from each other. They can simply be pulled away gently from each other by working your knife, or your fingers, between them. The fat will be so soft that it requires little effort, but be careful, it will be very hot. Now slice against the grain of both the flat and the point.
Smoked brisket is best served in white bread sandwiches with caramelized onions, Texas-style.
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