If you purchased a beef brisket that has not been corned (brined), go to Step 3 below.
If you purchased a corned beef brisket from the store you should let it soak in cold water for 6 hours to flush the excess salt out of the meat before smoking. Change the water every 2 hours. This step is essential, then proceed to Step 5.
In a Dutch oven or large stock pot combine brine ingredients and stir. Bring to a boil, lower to simmer and cook 5 minutes (until salt and sugar have dissolved). Turn off heat and cool.
In a large container or large sealable plastic bag place the beef brisket. Pour cooled brining liquid over and cover or seal (remove excess air in bag). Store in a refrigerator for for 24 hours. Flip the bag after 12 hours.
Combine the rub ingredients, set aside. Trim any excess fat off of the brisket, leave a ¼" of fat on the fat cap side of the brisket. Spritz the brisket with apple juice, and apply the rub all over.
Wrap the dry rubbed brisket in plastic wrap, place on a tray to catch any drips and refrigerate over night.
Bring the brisket to room temperature before smoking (1 hour is fine).
Insert your meat thermometer. Smoke the brisket (Super Smoke if on a Traeger) at 225°F until internal temperature reaches 165°F (about 4.5 hours for 3 lb, adjust time for larger cuts), then turn temp to 275°F and smoke until the internal temperature of the brisket reaches 200°F (about 4.25 hours for 3 lb, adjust time for larger cuts). Spritz the brisket every 90 minutes with apple juice during this process.
Remove from smoker and wrap in (unwaxed) butcher paper to secure. Place in a small cooler to rest for 1-2 hours before slicing thin ACROSS the grain.
Notes
Kosher salt is what I use and what I used to use from when working in the food industry, namely for its coarse, uniform, easy-to-pinch granules. It’s most often used in restaurant kitchens and catering. Kosher salt has much lighter, flakier crystals than table salt, but if you allow the salt to dissolve in the food, there really isn’t any difference compared to regular table salt. However, kosher salt is less likely to contain additives like anti-caking agents and iodine.
Per Epicurious: It’s industrially produced by boiling off brine that’s pumped in and back out of a salt deposit. It is not kosher-certified; the name refers to how the salt crystals draw out moisture in the meat koshering process.
A key ingredient in the “corning” process is using pink curing salt. I’m not talking Himalayan pink salt either! Pink curing salt is made using sodium nitrite that prevents food from going bad and spoiling while it’s being stored for a time. It’s also known as Prague powder #1, which is a combination of 6.25% sodium nitrite and 93.75% salt (sodium chloride) and usually some anti caking agents as well as pink dye. It’s also known as Pink curing salt is made using sodium nitrite that prevents food from going bad and spoiling while it’s being stored for a time. It’s also known as DQ Curing Salt #1, and is available online or at your local specialty market or butcher shop. Curing salt is dyed that pink color so it’s not mistaken for everyday white table salt. If you don’t have it, you can still make corned beef, but it is necessary for that vibrant pink color we associate with corned beef. If you don’t have or don’t want to use curing salt containing sodium nitrite, you can brine meats without it.
“Without curing salt that contains sodium nitrite, the color of the cured meat will be gray rather than pink and the flavor is less sweet with a more pronounced “pickle” flavor.” Source: Home Preserving Bible site.
If you prefer, there is a product made by Morton called Tender Quick. Tender Quick is a fast-cure mix so you can cure meats, poultry or game. It gives meats a tasty, cured flavor and that characteristic pink color. Simply omit the kosher salt and pink curing salt from my Brine recipe above and use 250g or 1 cup of Tender Quick in lieu of those two. Mix with remaining brine ingredients and follow the recipe. Morton Tender Quick mix contains salt, the main preserving agent; sugar, both sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite, curing agents that also contribute to development of color and flavor; and propylene glycol to keep the mixture uniform.