Smoking a brisket can be an intimidating task, but with this Instructable and my 3-stage smoking technique, you'll be serving up fork-tender, mouth-watering brisket like a pro.

Step 1: Gather Ingredients

You'll need to gather everything at least a day ahead of time to allow the meat to marinate overnight.

- Large Disposable Pan with Plastic Lid.
- Trimmed Brisket (the size doesn't matter, I used 2 small ones)
- 1 Bottle Claude's Brisket Marinade
- 1 Bottle Cheap Italian Dressing
- Two Gallon Sized Ziploc Bags
- Aluminum Foil
- 4 Fist-Sized Hickory Wood Chunks
- Creole-Style Rub (or any dry rub of your choice)
- Your Favorite BBQ Sauce

Step 2: Marinade and Creole Rub

Place each brisket in a ziploc bag, then pour half of the Claude's Marinade and half of the Italian Dressing in each bag. Place the bags in a large bowl (so they don't leak everywhere) and put them in the refrigerator overnight.

Combine ingredients for the rub. If you're doing a large brisket, you should double this recipe.
T. = Tablespoon, t. = Teaspoon

2 T. Brown Sugar
1 T. Paprika
1 t. Seasoned Salt (I used Lawry's)
1 t. Garlic Salt
1 t. Onion Salt
1 t. Chili Powder
1 t. Black Pepper
1/2 t. White Pepper
1/2 t. Cumin
1/2 t. Dried Crushed Bay Leaves

Mix well and cover for later.

Step 3: Prepare the Brisket

The total prep, smoking, and resting time for this brisket is 8 hours, so plan accordingly. Here is the schedule I followed.

8:00am - Remove brisket from bags and discard marinade. Pat dry with paper towels and let sit at room temp in the disposable pan lid. Prepare smoker or grill for low indirect heat (about 250 degrees F)

8:15am - Liberally apply rub to all surfaces of the brisket and press it in with your hands. Using the disposable lid makes for an easy cleanup.

Step 4: 3-Stage Smoking

STAGE 1 - 2.5 Hours

8:45am - Place brisket fat side up in the preheated grill or smoker. Place one wood chunk on coals. Add coals as necessary to maintain temp.
9:30am - Add wood chunk
10:15am - Add another wood chunk
11:00am - Add last wood chunk

STAGE 2 - 2 Hours

11:15am - Pour half a cup of hot water into the disposable pan. Transfer the meat fat side down to the pan and close the lid so you don't lose any heat. Cover the pan tightly with foil and return it to the grill. Close the lid and maintain a temperature of 250-275 degrees F for the rest of the cooking time.

STAGE 3 - 2.5 Hours

1:15pm - Remove pan and close lid. Flip the meat over so that the fat side is up. Re-cover tightly with foil and return to the grill. Close the lid and continue to cook.
3:15pm - Remove pan from grill (do not remove the foil). Let the brisket rest for 30 minutes.

Step 5: The Best Part... Eating It

3:45pm - Transfer the Brisket to a cutting board (reserve juice from pan). Identify the grain direction of the meat and thinly slice it against the grain.

Mix one part juice to one part BBQ Sauce and mix well. Pour over meat or serve on the side as a dipping sauce. This meat makes a great chopped beef sandwich as well.

Enjoy the Deliciousness!