Dry brisket with a clean cloth. Evenly spread the dry rub over the entire outside of the brisket. Rub in lightly and dust off any excess. Start a fire in your grill using oak, other hard woods, or oak charcoal. Do not use mesquite in any form. Once the fire has reached the stage where you can hold your hand about 1-inch over the grill to a count of 4, place the brisket fat side down above the coals. Leave for 5 to 10 minutes or until caramelization begins. Turn brisket over and repeat process. Remove from fire. The purpose of this procedure is to set the spices into the meat so that they will not wash off during the cooking process.

Place the brisket on an open grill away from the coals and maintain a temperature to where you can hold your hand over it to a count of 12 or place in a closed smoker away from the coals at a temperature of 210 degrees F. Cook for 14 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.

During the cooking process, turn and baste the brisket with Salt Lick BBQ sauce often (at least 4 times). If not using Salt Lick BBQ sauce, make sure your sauce has no tomatoes in it, as they will burn and leave a bitter taste. When turning the brisket, try not to use a barbecue fork. If you do, only insert it at the edges. Poking the center will cause the juices to run out and make the brisket dry.