After you have trimmed your brisket you are ready to slather and add the rub. I don't always slather because I forget. It does help to hold your rub.
Apply a total of 1/2 cup of rub to both sides of the trimmed brisket.
Store the brisket overnight in the refrigerator and remove at least an hour before cooking to come to room temperature.
I have cooked brisket using these 3 methods: Big Green Egg, Using a smoker that you use only wood and have a firebox to feed your wood. I am not an expert, these are how I do it after years of muddling through learning how to do it.
Big Green Egg:When using my Big Green Egg I load it up with the charcoal lumps recommended for the Big Green Egg. I then add wood pieces that I have soaked in water for at least 30 minutes. I use Oak or being in Texas and have a ranch full of mesquite wood I will use mesquite chunks that I have soaked also. Start your fire with an electric fire starter or your preferred method of starting your fire and bring the temperature to 225 degrees. I place the Big Green Egg ConvEGGtor with the legs up and my grill resting on the legs. Between the grill and the Conveggator, I place a 9x11 pan covered in foil. Then I place the brisket on the grill. I close the cover, put the lid on that has the vents, adjust the heat again to 225 - 250. Honestly, it seems I usually end up smoking at about 250 degrees.
Keep a watch for the temperature, making sure you maintain a consistent 225 degrees to 250 degrees. After about 6 hours, check to see if the brisket has turned a deep brown and begins to puddle in the middle. I then wrap in pink butcher paper. I get mine online from Amazon. I place the brisket back on the grill, get it back up to temperature and continue cooking another 6 hours at least or until the internal temperature reaches 200 - 205 degrees. When the Brisket reaches about 165 internal temperature, it may get in a stall. I crank the heat up, get the cooking going again. After a few minutes, I'll let the temperature come back to about 225 to 250 degrees. The time for slow smoking a brisket is between 12-14 hours at this temperature.
Smoker with FireboxWhen I use a smoker with a firebox, I use all wood. I save my fat drenched pink butcher paper from the previous smoke session and freeze it in a plastic bag or plastic wrap, and I use that to start my fire. Start your fire, get some coals going, and add wood as needed to the firebox to maintain your heat as above 225 to 250 degrees. Everything else is the same as above....wrapping and cooking until the internal temperature reaches 200-205 degrees.
Searing on a Charcoal grill and finishing in the ovenFor those of you that do not have a smoker and still want delicious brisket, I did this for years. I would season the same as I would on any smoking session of brisket, place on the charcoal grill and char as much as I could on all sides. You're going to leave it on a while because you want to get a good char. I then would wrap the brisket in foil and place it on a sheet pan and finish in the oven at 225 degrees until the internal temperature reached 200 to 205degrees. Everyone loved the brisket, so it must have been a success. I did that for years.
I use no barbecue sauce while I am cooking the brisket. I serve the brisket with my favorite sauce at the time. I love all of Franklin Barbecue Sauces that you can buy in your local store, and I also love the Salt Lick Barbecue Sauce from the famous Salt Lick in Texas.