Smoked Brisket Mac & Cheese

This isn’t your backyard mac; it’s a Hill-Country handshake between Texas BBQ royalty and Italian comfort. I fold hand-cut shells around glistening bu...

8–10
Texan-Italian Cuisine
🟡Intermediate★★★☆☆
Aug 2, 2025
18 views

Ingredients

🌾

1 lb

Conchiglie pasta

large shells, bronze-cut preferred

🌾

1/2 cup

Panko breadcrumbs

tossed in 1 Tbsp melted butter

🌾

1/3 cup

All-purpose flour

🥛

3 cups

Whole milk

warmed to 180°F

🥬

1/4 cup

Coarse black pepper

16-mesh for bark texture

🥛

12 oz

Sharp white cheddar, shredded

cold for smooth melt

🥛

4 Tbsp

Unsalted butter

🥛

1 cup

Heavy cream

warmed to 180°F

🥛

4 oz

Cream cheese

cubed, room temperature

📦

5–6 lb

Prime brisket, whole packer

point and flat intact, trimmed to 1/4-inch fat cap

🥛

4 oz

Sharp cheddar (aged 18 mo), shredded

for final topping

📦

6–8 pieces

Post-oak wood chunks

soaked 30 minutes

🌶️

1/4 cup

Kosher salt

📦

8 oz

Smoked gouda, shredded

cold for smooth melt

🥩

2 Tbsp

Beef tallow

💧

1 tsp

Worcestershire sauce

💧

1/2 tsp

Hot sauce

Texas-style, vinegar-forward

🌶️

1 tsp

Dijon mustard

🌶️

1/2 tsp

Smoked paprika

📦

2 whole

Roasted jalapeños

charred, peeled, minced

Categories:🥩protein🥬vegetable🍎fruit🌾grain🥛dairy🌶️spice🫒oil💧liquid📦other

Instructions

Step 1
Fire your offset smoker at 225°F using post-oak; maintain thin blue smoke throughout. Pat brisket dry, then coat evenly with kosher salt and coarse black pepper, pressing so the seasoning adheres like a crust. Lay fat-side-up on center grate, insert probe in thickest part of point, and close the lid.
Step 2
Smoke undisturbed until the brisket stalls around 165°F internal, 6–7 hours. Wrap tightly in butcher paper, return to smoker, and continue cooking until probe slides in with zero resistance at 203–205°F, another 3–4 hours. Rest in a cooler, wrapped, 1 hour.
Step 3
While the flat cools for slicing, cube the point into 3/4-inch burnt ends. Toss with a spoonful of rendered brisket fat, then return to smoker at 275°F for 45 minutes to develop sticky bark. Reserve 2 cups of cubes for the mac; snack on the rest.
Step 4
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water plus beef tallow to a rolling boil. Drop in conchiglie and cook 1 minute shy of al dente; the pasta will finish in the sauce. Reserve 1 cup starchy pasta water, then drain.
Step 5
In a heavy enameled cast-iron pan (12-inch), melt unsalted butter over medium heat until foaming subsides and it smells nutty. Sprinkle in all-purpose flour, whisking constantly for 2 minutes to form a blond roux that smells like shortbread.
Step 6
Slowly ladle in warmed whole milk and heavy cream, whisking vigorously to eliminate lumps. Cook until the béchamel thickly coats the back of a spoon and you can draw a line that holds—about 4–5 minutes at a gentle simmer.
Step 7
Drop heat to low. Whisk in sharp white cheddar and smoked gouda a handful at a time, letting each melt before adding more. Fold in cream cheese last for silkiness. Season with Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and smoked paprika. Taste; the mornay should be punchy and slightly sharp.
Step 8
Fold in roasted jalapeños and burnt ends, then the par-cooked conchiglie. Add reserved pasta water as needed so the sauce loosens—it will tighten in the smoker. Spread level, top with aged sharp cheddar and panko breadcrumbs.
Step 9
Return skillet to smoker at 275°F for 30 minutes until the top is bronzed and audibly bubbling. Rest 10 minutes; the sauce will settle into glossy lava. Serve directly from the skillet.

✨Chef's Tips

  • ★Smoke science: Keep your fire small and hot for thin blue smoke; thick white smoke deposits creosote and bitter flavors. If the bark feels soft after the wrap, unwrap and smoke 15 minutes to re-crisp.
  • ★Roux ratio: 1 Tbsp fat : 1 Tbsp flour : 1 cup liquid is the classic formula. For an extra-lux texture, cook the roux 30 seconds longer until it smells like toasted hazelnuts—this deepens flavor without darkening color.
  • ★Cheese melt: Shred cold cheese and add off-heat to prevent grainy sauce. If the mornay tightens too much, loosen with a splash of warm milk rather than more pasta water to keep the smoke flavor pure.
  • ★Burnt-end insurance: Smoke an extra pound of point; the caramelized cubes disappear fast. Store leftovers chilled in brisket fat—they reheat beautifully in a dry skillet.
  • ★Cast-iron finish: Preheat the skillet on the stove for 2 minutes before topping with cheddar and panko. This jump-starts crust formation and prevents a soggy bottom in the smoker.
smokedbrisketmac and cheesecomfort foodBBQcast-ironjalapeño