Smoke Show

When it comes to smoked brisket, no one does it better than Barrel & Ashes in Studio City. Here is the eatery’s “how-to” on selecting, preparing and cooking their famous melt-in-your-mouth meat.

• Choose a large brisket with a good, even fat cap on top. Trim the fat cap to about 1/4-inch.
   
• Keep meat as cold as possible before it’s seasoned and goes into the smoker.
   
• Generously season with salt and freshly ground black pepper all around.
   
• Make sure to cook brisket with the thickest side, or the point, closest to heat source.
   
• Set smoker to 225º, maintaining even temperatures throughout cooking.
   
• Make sure in the first 4 to 6 hours the brisket comes up to temperature as slowly as possible in order to get a better smoke ring.
   
• Cook for about 12 to 14 hours.
   
• Let the brisket rest for 20 to 30 minutes after you pull it out of the smoker.
   
• For slicing, separate the point from the flat and slice both going against the grain