For Perfectly Juicy, Tender Brisket Every Time, Use The Foolproof 4-2-10 Method

You can always count on a well-cooked brisket to make your mouth water and your tummy grumble with anticipation. But in order to deliver on those expectations, it has to be cooked well. It's so important, in fact, that brisket is often a go-to test for chefs trying out a new BBQ place. For someone who is new to the world of brisket, cooking one can be intimidating. Luckily, the foolproof 4-2-10 method is perfect for beginners trying to achieve that tender, juicy, brisket perfection.  

The 4, 2, and 10 simply refer to three important cooking stages and how much time you should devote to each one. Once your brisket is prepped and ready to cook — more on that in a bit — let it smoke, unwrapped, for four hours. This gives the tough connective tissues time to break down so the meat starts to tenderize, absorbs the beautiful flavor from the seasoning and the smoke, and a nice crust starts to form on the outside.

Next, wrap it in foil and continue smoking it for another two hours. This helps speed things up by rendering the fat more effectively, and keeps those beautiful juices from dripping out of the meat while it cooks. The final stage is the resting stage, and it's an important step in the process. Once you remove your brisket from the heat, you'll want to give it a full 10 hours to rest in a warmer oven. Keep it wrapped up to allow the meat to continue cooking, so it can finish tenderizing and the juices can fully and evenly permeate the meat. When it's all done, you'll have a juicy, tender brisket that will earn you your stripes as a pitmaster.   

If this seems like an unusually long amount of time to cook a piece of meat, rest assured that it's perfectly normal for a brisket. It's a cut of meat that simply takes time. The meat, which comes from the chest of the cow, is full of tough connective tissues that need that low and slow cook to break them down and create the tender, melt-in-your mouth bite that makes brisket so amazing.

Brisket is one of the best cuts of beef you can buy at the grocery store, but even though the 4-2-10 method gives you a foolproof way to cook it, there are a few more things you need to know before you even start the smoking process. Planning ahead is important. Not only does the 4-2-10 rule take quite a bit of time, you've also got to prep the meat first, starting with trimming it properly and making sure to remove what is known as the "hard fat." This is the thick fat that won't render down enough while the meat cooks, preventing the seasoning from penetrating the meat. 

Speaking of seasoning, that takes a significant amount of time on its own. Some cooks like to season their brisket as far as 24 hours in advance and let the meat chill until it's time to cook, so the seasonings have time to set. What you season it with, however, is up to you, but the key is to allow for plenty of time for prepping and cooking the meat. In other words, a delicious and well-cooked brisket is not a last-minute meal — but with all of your prep expertly handled, you are ready to take on the cook with the 4-2-10 rule.