Ultimate Smoked Confit Brisket: The Most Flavorful, Juicy Brisket You’ll Ever Taste

This smoked confit brisket is slow-cooked in its own rendered fat for unparalleled tenderness, rich beefy flavor, and a melt-in-your-mouth texture that rivals even the best Texas barbecue joints.

Introduction

If you’re a brisket aficionado looking to take your barbecue game to the next level, this smoked confit brisket is an absolute must-try. By combining classic Texas-style smoking with the French confit technique, you achieve a brisket that’s bursting with smoky, beefy goodness and unparalleled tenderness. While this method requires extra time and effort, the results are well worth it: a perfectly rendered fat cap, an incredible bark, and a texture that melts in your mouth without drying out. Let’s dive in and make the most flavorful brisket you’ve ever tasted!

Step 1: Trimming the Brisket

Start with a high-quality brisket—this recipe uses a 12-pound Wagyu brisket. Trim the fat cap down to about 1/4 inch for optimal rendering and bark formation. Use a long, sharp slicing knife to remove excess fat while ensuring an even layer remains. Don’t stress over minor meat exposure; just be mindful to soak up any excess moisture to preserve bark formation. Next, slice off the silver skin and hard fat from the bottom, then round off the thinnest part of the flat to prevent it from drying out. Save these trimmings for ground beef or tallow.

Step 2: Seasoning the Brisket

To help the rub adhere, lightly spritz the brisket with water. Then, generously coat it with kosher salt followed by a heavy dose of coarse black pepper. Add a final sprinkle of Lawry’s seasoned salt for a balanced, savory kick. Flip the brisket and repeat the process on the other side. Let the brisket rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes to allow the seasoning to penetrate before smoking.

Step 3: Smoking the Brisket

Preheat your smoker to 250°F using charcoal as a heat base and small wood chunks for additional smoky flavor. Place the brisket in the smoker point-side toward the heat source. Insert a wireless temperature probe to monitor both the internal and ambient temperatures. Maintain steady heat by adding new splits or coals as needed. Expect this initial smoking phase to take 4 to 6 hours, or until the brisket reaches 165°F internal temperature.

Step 4: Preparing the Confit Bath

For the confit process, you’ll need a large pot of beef tallow and a sous-vide machine to regulate temperature. Set up a water bath at 155°F using a large tub, with the pot of tallow resting on two bricks inside to allow even heating. The sous-vide machine will maintain a steady 155°F, ensuring the tallow remains at an optimal temperature for slow cooking.

Step 5: Confit Cooking

Carefully transfer the brisket into the melted beef tallow, ensuring it’s fully submerged. Cover and let it slow-cook for 18 hours. The gentle, low-temperature cooking breaks down connective tissues without drying out the meat, resulting in an ultra-tender brisket with a buttery texture.

Step 6: Slicing and Serving

After 18 hours, remove the brisket from the tallow bath. Let it rest for 10–15 minutes, then slice against the grain. The brisket will have a prime rib-like texture, an incredibly rich flavor, and a perfect bark. Serve immediately and savor every bite of this next-level barbecue masterpiece!