When I say Dan’s Food Diary, I mean it’s really my food diary. So this is a story about things I do to adapt to conditions in front of me when cooking. In this case I had to do brisket for 25 (16 pounds of meaty goodness), and my smoker craps out. What to do? That’s why this is Outside In Brisket. I still have my old reliable Webber (outside) kettle grill and an oven. So I fired up the Webber, soaked some wood chips, and put my new plan in action. Since I watch too many BBQ shows, I know that brisket can only take 3 hours of smoke, so with a good wrap in foil and 12 hours at 200 in the oven (inside), and we have tender juicy beefy brisket. Time intensive but great results. The co-star here is A to Z Butcher Shop in Stafford, VA who provided the perfectly trimmed brisket. I hope you like it.

16 pound brisket (from A to Z Butcher Shop in Stafford)
Cooking oil
4 tablespoons kosher salt
4 tablespoons black pepper
2 tablespoons garlic powder
3 cups post oak chips, soaked
3 cups mesquite chips, soaked

Coat brisket with oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Let sit for 1 hour.

In a large bowl mix oak and mesquite chipsand cover with water.

Light coals in Webber grill using indirect method (20 coals on both sides of a disposable metal pan).

Add a handful of wood chips to each pile of coals.

Make sure grill grate is clean.

Add brisket to grate.

Cook for 1 hour and add 10 coals and a handful of wood chips to each side.

Repeat process two times.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Line foil pan with foil and add brisket and wrap tight.

Cook for 8 hours. Add beef stock to pan. Cook for another 3 hours; temperature should be 200.

Let rest for 2 hours.

Slice. Serve.