Texas Brisket

This past weekend the whole family made our way out to the lake (along with our entire pantry, it seemed) to celebrate July 4th. We do some of our best cooking out there, and this weekend was no exception!!! We planned on making a brisket (what better way to feed a cajillion people, right?) in the oven, but my mother-in-law found a recipe for grilled brisket, and we decided to give it a go. As usual, I did not even THINK about pictures until we were chopping the tasty thing up, but I did get a few. Both of us were fretting over the brisket all day, which was incredibly ridiculous because I am pretty sure someone without a day of cooking experience could have made this thing. Seriously, y'all.... people actually called this meal "memorable".

So, without further ado....

Paula Deen's Texas Brisket

1 (5 to 6-pound) brisket, trimmed but left with a layer of fat about 1/4- inch thick
6 tablespoons House Seasoning, recipe follows
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 cups hickory wood chips, soaked in water for 30 minutes

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
**Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
Yield: 1 1/2 cups

**We used a 13lb brisket (I guess I was really hungry when I bought that sucker at the grocery store....) so we doubled the amounts of everything above.

1. Soak hickory chips in water for about 30 minutes..

2. Mix all seasonings together in a bowl and set aside.

3. Trim brisket. We completely trimmed one side of the brisket, and then left about 1/4"-1/2" of fat on the other side. This is going to be the top of the brisket, and what provides the moisture as it cooks. I promise, all the calories combust in the high heat of the grill. :-)

4. Rinse brisket under cool water, then pat to dry.

5. Rub 1/2 of spice mixture on the bottom of the brisket. Flip over into a large foil pan and rub the remaining mixture on the top. Try to cover sides as well.

6. Create a foil pouch for wood chips and place chips inside.

7. Place foil pouch under grill grate (we did one pouch on both sides) and place brisket on the grill. Cook on low heat (between 275 and 325F) for atleast 6 hours, or until meat thermometer reads 190 degrees. (or, if you are like us and do not have a meat thermometer, grill until the meat is falling apart when you cut into it!)

8. Replace wood chips as necessary, and baste with juices in the pan if desired.

9. Remove from grill and allow brisket to rest for about 10 minutes. Cut against the grain and serve.

I hereby promise this recipe to be lifechanging. This is my solumn vow to you.