Meat Preparation:

Flat: Simply rub with spices. Whole brisket: Trim fat off the top to 1/4 inch, trim out the fat vein that runs between the flat and the nose by forming a V with your knife as deep as you can cut.

Mix spices and rub seasonings on all of the exposed surfaces of the meat. Prepare the smoker or cooker for the indirect heat method. Place the brisket on the grid, fat side up. Cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees (use a probe thermometer), take out of smoker, shake on additional spice rub and wrap brisket in aluminum foil. Return the brisket to the smoker for additional cooking. Jim refers to this as the tenderizing stage. After several hours check for tenderness with the probe thermometer. If you feel no resistance, the probe sliding through the brisket effortlessly, the brisket is done.

Un-wrap the brisket; allow some time for the brisket to firm and to allow the meats juices to settle. Then slice across the grain.