Smoked Brisket for Christmas Eve

* THIS POST CONTAINS BOTH AFFILIATE AND PRODUCT LINKS,
​ALONG WITH LINKS TO THIRD PARTY WEBSITES AND VIDEOS MENTIONED IN THE POST.*

We tried something new this Christmas. We've never been a Christmas dinner family. We've always seen Christmas day as an opportunity to be together as a family. The thought of someone having to go and prepare a fancy dinner, taking them away from the fun, just didn't seem fair.  So instead of Christmas dinner, we would pick a few of our favorite appetizers and set them out for everyone to sample as the day wore on. This left plenty of space to try different traditions and meal ideas.

For example there were years where Jay would meet up with the family on Christmas eve at a local restaurant. Jay would be working at the church to get ready for the Christmas Eve services; lunch made for a nice break in the middle of what would be a very long day. Then there were years where we enjoyed Chinese Food for dinner. It all just depended on the day, services times, where we lived, and Jay's role on Christmas Eve. Last Christmas, we did try a Christmas dinner on Christmas day, but it just wasn't the same as our appetizer buffet.

---

---

This year we wanted to try something different. As our kids grow, so do their palettes and food interests. We heard friends of ours talking about a brisket that they smoked and ate on Christmas. It sound delicious. The problem was, we don't own a smoker. Nor have we ever smoked meat before. In fact, we didn't know anything about smoking meat. But hey, why not give it a try.

First things first, we needed the meat. For that, we picked up a 12 lb. brisket from the meat department of our local grocer. We weren't totally sure what we were looking for, but it was a nice piece of meat for a nice price. Because of our lack of experience, we knew we didn't want to spend a ton of money on something we might ruin. We got the meat.

Second, we needed to procure a smoker. We were in no position to drop a couple hundred dollars for a new smoker, nor were we ready to make such a commitment at this point. Then I had an idea. I wondered if there might be a way to convert my gas grill into a temporary smoker. So off to YouTube I went. Sure enough, I found a number of videos that show how to convert a gas grill into a smoker with just a few simple modifications. 

Of all the videos I watch, there were two that stood out as informative and instructional. I want to share these videos here, because they were so helpful.

The first is by Jaxx Drinkwater Southern Cooking & BBQ. Jaxx does a great job walking you through the ​steps of both converting the grill and setting up your brisket.

The second video comes from Shane at Payne County Rust. I found this video incredibly helpful. Like Jaxx, Shane walks you step by step through the process. However, I found Shane's video to be easy to follow as a "beginner."

As I watched the videos, I made notes on what materials I needed. A smoker box, drip pans, wood, dry rub, mister, and flavor injector. With a list of items and ingredients, it was time to go shopping. I'll leave links to similar items I bought below. You can pick up these items through our partnership with Amazon.

---

---

For the most part, I followed the steps laid out in Shane's video. I defatted the brisket, added some injectable flavoring, and applied the dry rub. For the flavoring I found a recipe on MasterClass.com, titled, Brisket Injection Recipe: How to Inject Brisket With Marinade. It was a simple recipe, easy to make, and delicious in the brisket. The rub was from Kinders. We chose the Woodfired Garlic Rub, which was great on the brisket.

I left the brisket sit over night in the refrigerator. Then on Friday, we fired up the grill, lit the wood chips we bought and started the process of smoking our first brisket.  We followed Shane's instructions, turning, misting, and added wood chips every couple of hours. 

When the brisket reached the designated temperature, I wrapped it in foil and let it rest in the oven at 250˚ for about 3 hours. At the 3 hour mark, we shut down the heat, and allowed the brisket to rest and cool over night in the oven.  

The next day, we warmed the brisket and sliced it for dinner. For a first time brisket, it turned out pretty good, and might end up being a new Christmas Eve tradition. Take 3 minutes and watch the video of our first smoked brisket.

watch more from Life in the Higham House

---

smoker gear

Rulunar Smoker Box

Cuisinart CAP-1010
​Aluminum Drip Trays

Kinder's Organic
Woodfired Garlic Rub

Mainstays Flavor Meat &
​Poultry Flavor Injector

Bar5F Plastic
​Spray Bottle

​PROMEDIX P Nitrile Gloves
4mil-100 Count

[ affiliate links ]

---

Char-Broil® Performance Series™

[ affiliate links ]

We were super happy with our first brisket. It was a learning experience, but everything went well. Knowing that I can convert my CharBroil from a gas grill to a smoker is great. It will give me plenty of time to play around and experiment with a few other recipes before we decide to invest in a dedicated smoker. Besides, I have a lot more to learn before we get to that place.

​So what do I need to know? Rubs, marinades, woods, tips, I'd love to hear them. Leave your helps in the comments below. In the meantime, I'll be looking for some new recipes. 

Thanks for reading and thanks for watching the video. Be sure to subscribe to our vlog channel, Life in the Higham House. We have more episodes coming in the new year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

​- jay & amy 

---