From time to time, some nice innovations happen in the world of brisket smoking. Here is an answer for the question of, "How to smoke a really good brisket, without a high level of skill or a perfect grill or smoker? Is there a technique which can work for an average person with average equipment?" Yes, indeed, there is a method which works - over and over again and does not fail.
The repeatable method for great brisket was described and demonstrated on video on Pitmaster X. It is called the "Four Two Ten" method and requires that you have a timer, a smoker, good control of the smoker temperature, and a thermometer to check the meat temperature. You also need time to work the method and some patience, as it takes a lot of hours to accomplish. The end result is fabulous, near perfect beef brisket. Tender, moist, with a nice bark, and plenty of flavor.
Smoking brisket with the Four Two Ten method is so reliable that restaurant pitmasters train their crews to use it. If you smoke brisket at home or for a small shop, you shoud have the Four Two Ten method in your book of recipes.
Initial Brisket Preparation
Start the day before you smoke the brisket by chilling the meat in the refrigerator, to make the meat and fat firm. Don't freeze it; just chill it to slightly above freezing. When it has become firm, remove it from the fridge and trim off the excess fat as usual for a brisket.
Apply a binder, if desired: Olive oil, salt, and pepper; mustard with chilli peppers, garlic powder, and onion powder, whatever. I tend to prefer a simple and vigorous rub of salt and pepper, pure and simple. Give the beef some time overnight to draw in those spices.
Get the smoker going shortly before you put in the brisket. Do it early in the morning of the day you cook, or late the previous night if you want to smoke the brisket overnight and have it ready for lunch time.
Four Hours Initial Smoke
Set up the smoker to hold a temperature of 250° F or 120° C.
Set the brisket in the smoker, with a pan under it to collect fat drippings. The brisket will gradually get a nice bark. Fat will slowly start to render, but the brisket will have a lot of liquid in small pools on its surface. Time this stage of the smoking for four hours.
Two Hours at High Heat
After four hours has elapsed, increase the temperature to 285° F or 140° C, for a period of two hours.
The brisket is going to render fat at a faster rate, and much of the liquid on its surface will evaporate in the high heat. Plenty of taloe should collect in the pan while the brisket gets a harder bark.
At the end of the two hour smoking interval, get some butcher's paper ready to wrap the brisket. Retrieve the pan with taloe drippings from the brisket and spread it generously on the paper. Saturate it. Pour the extra fat into a different container to save for other cooking.
Remove the brisket from the smoker and wrap it in the taloe soaked paper.
Use of the smoker is finished. Heat up the oven to 140° F or 65° C.
Ten Hours in the Oven
Put about a half cup or 150 ml of water into the pan. Place a cooking rack over the pan and set the wrapped brisket onto the rack. Wrap this whole setup tightly in aluminum foil, to hold in the moisture.
Place the brisket setup into the oven and let it cook for ten hours at 140° F or 65° C.
After 10 hours, remove the brisket, unwrap it, and prepare to eat a juicy, flavorful, and very nicely cooked brisket.
Conclusion
The brisket smoking method we call "Four Two Ten" is a mix of low and slow smoking and a shorter period of higher heat to gently cook out the fats and harden the bark. It is reliable and nearly foolproof. I think it is a great way to prepare a tasty brisket. I hope this helps you prepare a great meal worry-free. For a tasty example of this way of smoking a brisket, see Peri Peri Brisket by the 4 2 10 Method.
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