Smoked Brisket

Place the brisket on a cutting board, fat side down. Trim the silverskin and fat from the top of the brisket. Turn the brisket over, and trim the fat to 1/4-inch thickness. Editor's Tip: Cold brisket is much easier to trim, so keep the meat refrigerated until you're ready to trim it.

Brush mustard over both sides of the beef. Combine the salt, pepper and, if desired, onion powder. Rub the mixture over both sides of the beef. Let stand at room temperature for one hour. Editor's Tip: Some people say cold brisket gains a better smoke ring, but I always let my brisket come to room temperature before hitting the smoker. The smoke ring is purely aesthetic and doesn't affect the brisket's flavor. However, room-temperature brisket cooks more evenly, so it's well worth the trade-off.

Preheat the smoker to 225°. Add wood chips or pellets to the smoker according to the manufacturer’s directions. Place the brisket in the smoker fat side up with the point facing toward the heat source. Smoke until a thermometer inserted in beef reads 165° and a dark bark has formed, about eight hours. Editor's Tip: The point is fattier and bulkier than the flat, so it takes longer to cook. Positioning the brisket so the point faces toward the heat source will help the brisket cook more evenly.

Wrap the brisket securely in unwaxed butcher paper. Continue to smoke until a thermometer inserted in the beef reads 202° and the meat is very tender, four to five more hours. Editor's Tip: Butcher paper is a heat-resistant paper that helps to seal the moisture inside the brisket. It's more breathable than foil, allowing the bark to stay crisp. If you don't have any on hand, you can wrap the brisket in a double thickness of heavy-duty foil, but the brisket's exterior will have a soggier texture.

Let the wrapped beef stand at room temperature for one hour before slicing. Cut diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Editor's Tip: The grain is easy to find on a brisket. Look for the thin lines running parallel to each other on the meat's surface. Position your knife perpendicular to these lines, and cut the brisket into thin slices.