Beef brisket is a favorite amongst barbecue and smoker fans, though it can also be prepared in the oven or even a slow cooker as well.

Brisket is a cut of beef that is taken from just below the first five ribs. It is one of the toughest pieces of meat, but it also is known to have a lot of flavor. With patience and a few tips you'll be able to make it tender and delicious.

A good dry rub or marinade is imperative to making tender barbecue brisket. There are many different bbq brisket recipes that you can follow depending on your own individual tastes. A good rub, or seasonings, usually involves at the very least salt and pepper, as the salt is a natural tenderizer. Many will also use dry mustard, brown sugar, cayenne powder and others.

Marinade can be made from a different combination of ingredients. Ideally a marinade needs something either such as vinegar or alcohol in order to be effective in flavoring the meat. Many people use different sauces or wine or beer. There are many different marinade mixes available at your local grocery store you can also try.

Ideally with beef brisket you'll want to allow it to marinate for a minimum of 6 hours either with the dry rub, marinade, or the combination of both. Keeping it refrigerated overnight in the marinade is recommended for optimum flavor.

Making barbecue brisket in a smoker is one of the most popular choices. You will want to set up your smoker or charcoal grill to have indirect heat. Many people use their favorite flavored wood chips for added flavor. Cooking brisket this way typically takes an hour or longer per pound, so you'll want to make sure you allot for plenty of time as well as make sure you have enough charcoal or wood to keep the fire going consistently at a temperature around 200-225 degrees. Many recommend to keep the brisket from drying out to wrap it in foil if not the entire time at least for a few hours while cooking.

It is important not to overcook brisket in a smoker, as this will not only take away from the tenderness if it dries out too much, but can also give it a bitter flavor from too much smoke. Below is a video of barbecue brisket on a smoker.

If you don't have a smoker, you can also make brisket in the oven. Again, you'll want to make sure you season and marinate generously. You'll want to pre-heat your oven to 225 degrees and wrap the brisket in foil in a baking dish. Again, you can plan for it to take about an hour or longer per pound. You will know the brisket is done when it has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Many when baking barbecue brisket will add liquid smoke to the seasonings and marinade to give it that grilled flavor.  Below is a video showing some tips on making it in the oven.

Now that you've learned how to make barbecue beef brisket, you'll be ready to try this yourself and make it for family and friends. Some prefer their brisket somethered in their favorie BBQ sauce, or you can also serve it on the side as a dipping sauce. Enjoy!