Remove brisket from the refrigerator, and trim.

You want to trim while the brisket is still cold.

With point side down, remove silver skin and excess fat from the flat muscle.

Trim down the large fat section between the flat and the point so it is a smooth transition

Trim away any excessive or loose meat and fat from the point.

Flip the brisket over and trip the top fat cap so it is between a half centimeter to a centimeter in thickness.

Mix your rub together in a bowl. A traditional Texas Style Smoked Brisket uses just salt and pepper. Additional seasonings add flavor, and measurements are included.

After mixing the rub spices together, shake over your brisket and rub it evenly across the entire thing. Let it sit for 15-20 minutes with the rub on it. This step can also be done up to 24 hours in advance.

Use a Hickory Pellet or Texas Beef Blend pellet mixture. Turn your smoker on to smoke (180 degrees) and let it run with top open 5-8 minutes until you can see the smoke.

Close the lid and preheat your smoker to 225 degrees F

Place the brisket on the smoker, put the thickest part (the point), closest to direct heat.

Close the lid and smoke until and internal thermometer reads 165 degrees F (usually takes around 6-8 hours, depending on size of brisket and consistency of heat).

Once internal temperature reaches 165 degrees, remove the brisket from the smoker, it should have a nice bark started. Wrap your brisket in foil or butcher paper, crimp the edges tight so there is a leak proof seal all the way around. You want to keep the juices in,.

Return the wrapped brisket to the smoker, close the lid and continue cooking at 225 degrees F until the internal temperature of the brisket reaches 202 degrees F in the thickest part of the meat (takes anywhere from 4-7 hours +).

Once you reach the 202 F march, remove the brisket. In the last little bit check the temp frequently, as you do not want to cook higher than this.

Remove the brisket, and wrap in towels, and place in a cooler to let rest for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Because the end point and the flat are muscles that go different directions, and you always want to slice against the grain, it is best to separate the two, then slice both the point and the flat against the grain into 1/4 inch thick pieces.

Serve immediately with BBQ sauce, pickles, onions, and white bread!