Smoked brisket, three USDA grades side by side

Trim each brisket and season with salt and pepper only, so differences in the meat show through.

Cut a piece off the flat of each to compare marbling.

Smoke at 190 degrees for the first three or four hours to build bark and take on smoke while the meat is cold; fuel is a 50-50 mix of almond and plum pellets.

After a little over four hours at 190, raise the smoker to 235 and keep cooking.

At about eight hours of cook time, wrap each brisket in butcher paper rather than foil to keep the bark.

Cook until tender, then pull and rest.

Separate point from flat and cut the point down the middle to inspect juiciness; slice and taste point and flat of each.