Wow, I was just at S&F and looked at the brisket. They also have turkeys now getting ready for turkey day. Almost bought something but decided to wait. To answer Caroll, I soak the wood chips at least for a couple of hrs. and wrap them in foil then place on the heat element. Punch a few holes in the foil. Slow heat is usually better and long times are required. Many cuts that are smoked are some of the tougher cuts and need the longer times to get tender. Also with brisket I put it in a pan to cook in it's juices with open top for smoke flavor. If you can control the temp that helps. Some smokers have better heat controls. Much of the art of smoking is experimental and discovery is a big part of it. There is a forum on THS for outdoor cooking and gobs of info on the web. I am by no means an expert, just a back yard experimenter. Jan, any time. Would love to have you for dinner. Here is a link that might be useful: Cooking Outdoors

Sounds wonderful! I'd start with browsing FoodTV's site looking at Bobby Flay's recipes. He's got some great & different approaches to slaws, sauces, etc. You can always tame the heat, if necessary. ;) I would use the smoked chicken with a fun sauce for tacos (maybe rolled?) or tostados & the pork/beef as sliders. A little diversity, ya know? :) What are you using for dry rubs & mops while smoking? That will help determine the final sauce. /tricia

I agree with skipping the browning. I used to, but what a pain! Especially if the brisket is really big, as in, too big to fit in a skillet to brown so that you have to brown it in stages. I finally just quit browning and found that the results were just dandy. Whew! One less step.

I know this is not a smoked brisket but it's the best recipe I have used for brisket. My family and friends just love this recipe. Always asked for and always a favorite. Enjoy. Brisket w/Sun-Dried Tomatoes - meat 1 (5-pound) brisket of beef Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 red bell peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped (I use one red and one yellow or orange) 2 white onions, peeled and coarsely chopped 3 tablespoons olive oil 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced 1/2-inch thick 1/2 cup parsley, chopped 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil) 1/4 cup ketchup 1 cup beef broth 3 tablespoons brown sugar Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle the brisket with salt and pepper to taste and place it, fat side up, in a heavy roasting pan. Sauté the red peppers and onions in the olive oil until lightly browned. Remove from the heat and scatter the mixture over the top of the brisket. Add the carrots, parsley and sun-dried tomatoes. In a small bowl, mix the ketchup, beef broth and brown sugar together. Add enough water to make 2 cups of liquid, and pour around brisket. Make sure the sun-dried tomatoes are covered by the liquid. Cover the pan tightly with a lid or heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake for 2 1/2 hours. Take the brisket out of the pan and cool. Trim off all visible fat from the cooled brisket and slice diagonally, against the grain. Return the meat to the heavy pan with the vegetables and gravy. When ready to serve, reheat for half an hour in a 350-degree oven. Serves 12. Original Source: THE NEW YORK TIMES PASSOVER COOKBOOK Current Source: "Seder fare" Carolyn Jung SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS (on-line edition), 3/25/99