Trim and Slather

• Begin preparing the brisket by trimming the fat, leaving about 1/4 inch of fat on the meat. Once you have trimmed the fat, slather the meat with a thin layer of mustard or oil. This helps hold the rub directly onto the meat and forms a crunchy bark layer once the brisket has been thoroughly cooked.
  
  

Rub

• Many competitive barbecuers use a special blend of herbs and spices as a rub. This adds a little kick to the crunchy outer coating of the meat. As an alternative to these secret concoctions or commercial mixtures, create your own basic blend of spices. This is accomplished by combining liberal amounts of kosher salt, black pepper and brown sugar. Add cayenne pepper, chili powder, garlic powder and cumin for a bigger kick of flavor.
  
  

Inject or Pump the Meat

• Inject the inner portion of the meat with marinade to help break down tough fibers and add moisture and flavor to the internal portion of the brisket. Traditionalist barbecuers tend to use apple juice with spices or low-sodium beef broth as their "pump," according to Craig Goldwyn of Amazing Ribs. When pumping the brisket, do not use dark liquids that will leave tracks in the meat. Place the needle parallel to the grain.
  
  

Placing the Fat Cap

• When placing your brisket onto the smoker or grill, decide whether you want the fat cap up or down. By placing the fat cap on top when the meat is cooking, the fat is thought to baste the meat, but this increases the cooking time. If you cook the meat with the fat cap down, you create a heat shield for the meat. Many grillers compromise by cooking the meat half the time with the fat cap up and half the time with the fat cap down.
  
  

Cooking Time

• The higher the cooking temperature, the faster the brisket is done. If you want tender juicy meat, exercise patience and cook the brisket low and slow. Allow about 90 minutes of cooking time per pound at the temperature of 225 F. If controlling the temperature of your outdoor cooker is a challenge, you can cook the meat for four hours outside and then move it indoors to your kitchen oven to finish.