In our wild world of BBQ, pork spare ribs reign supreme. Beef brisket, though, comes in a very respectable second. It too deserves much acclaim.

Making a tender, succulent brisket takes practice and skill. Cook it too little or too long or at too high a temperature, and you get a brick. Do it right—oh man, that’s divine dining. Don’t forget burnt ends, i.e., the meat cut from the point half of a smoked brisket. People from Kansas City know barbeque best, and they rightly tout burnt ends as nuggets of barbeque gold.

Science underlies how low-and-slow heat coverts collagen protein into gelatin and makes magnificent otherwise tough, undesirable cuts of meat. But smoking is art, not science. As artists, all of us with smokers have personalized recipes for brisket.

Humbly, we share our Kansas City-style brisket recipe for your consideration, comment and criticism. Credit goes to G@H all-star contributor Ben.

1. Begin with a gorgeous hunk of beef brisket. Here’s a seven pounder.

2. If you have time, brine the brisket for 24 hours. We dissolve 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/4 cup of kosher salt and enough water to submerse the brisket. We add the brisket and the brine to a Rubbermaid 2.5-Gallon food-storage container, which we refrigerate. Afterwards, remove the brisket from the brine and pat it dry.

3. Liberally apply the rub and keep the brisket in the refrigerator for at least four hours. Return it to room temperature 30 minutes before cooking.

Our rub has these ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of paprika
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 teaspoon powdered onion
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder

4. Smoke the brisket at 220°F until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Every hour inject the meat with apple juice or (flat) Dr. Pepper. This Rösle Marinade Injector comes in awfully handy.

5. Coat the brisket with a modest layer of barbeque sauce. We use Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que Sauce. Continue cooking at 220°F—without significant smoke—until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 180°F. Continue injecting the meat with apple juice or Dr. Pepper on hourly intervals.

6. Wrap the brisket in aluminum foil, return it to the smoker, and finish the meat to 190°F.

People fiercely debate what to do with brisket after it exits the smoker. A guy we know insists the brisket be placed in a cooler for four hours. We keep it wrapped in foil and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. Either way, it’ll taste marvelous.

Seven pounds of beef is too much for any gentleman. Invite your friends over. Have a party. Your culinary feats will become the stuff of legend.

We use a Bradley Digital Smoker. If you also have a sous vide apparatus and additional time, we suggest using G@H’s very special recipe for smoked brisket sous vide.