Classic Brisket Recipes

JEWISH GRANDMA'S BEST BEEF BRISKET

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large deep skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Season the brisket generously with black pepper. Place in the pan and cook until the surface is a rich brown color, not burnt, but dark. Lift the roast and scatter the onions in the pan. Place the uncooked side of the roast down onto the onions. Repeat the browning process.
• Add the garlic to the pan, and fill with enough water to almost cover the roast. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cover with a lid or tight-fitting aluminum foil. Simmer for 4 hours, turning the roast over once halfway through. The roast should be fork tender.
• Remove the brisket to a serving platter. Bring the broth in the pan to a simmer, scraping the bottom to loosen any browned bits. Cook until reduced to a thin gravy. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

AUTHENTIC TEXAS-STYLE SMOKED BBQ BRISKET

Steps:

• Trim. Trim off most of the fat cap but leave about 1/4" (6.3 mm). Until you get the hang of trimming fat, you might cut off some of the meat in the process. No harm, no foul. Some cooks attempt to remove some of the fat layer between the flat and the point by slicing them apart from both sides, but not slicing all the way through so they remain attached. Go for it, if you like. Either way, when you're done trimming fat, clean the meaty side of any silverskin, a shiny, thin, tough membrane. Set aside some fat for making burnt ends, described below. I always freeze some of the fat and grind it for my burgers if I think the meat needs more fat. I also render some fat over low heat in a pan, and freeze that too. I use beef fat to paint my steaks just before searing.
• Separate. You can remove the point at this stage, especially if you want to turn it into those luscious chunks of beef candy called burnt ends. Purists cry heresy, but separating the point and flat gives you a flat that is pretty uniform in thickness so it will cook more evenly. Plus, you can apply flavorful rub to all sides of the flat, and you will get an all-around smoke ring. You can cook the point and flat side by side.
• Inject (optional). I almost always inject briskets with beef broth. This meat takes so long to cook that the extra moisture helps keep it from dehydrating, and the salt helps the meat hold onto moisture and enhances flavor. Use broth only. No need to add spices, juices or other flavorings. All we want here is moisture. We don't want the fluid to mask the flavor of the meat. If you have a hypodermic syringe for injecting meat, now's the time to use it. Pump in about 1 ounce (28 g) of beef broth per pound of raw meat by inserting the needle parallel to the grain in several locations about 1" (2.5 cm) apart and backing it out as you press the plunger. Do it in the sink, and be careful so you don't get squirted in the eye.
• Season. If you have not injected salt, salt the meat about 12 to 24 hours in advance so it can work its way in, 2 to 4 hours minimum. If you have injected a salt solution, do not salt the meat.Notice the direction of the grain of the flat and remember this so you can carve the cooked brisket perpendicular to the grain. The grain will be hard to find under the bark when it is done, so some people mark it with a slice in the surface or cut off a slice to show them the way to cut later. After salting, sprinkle the Big Bad Beef Rub liberally on all areas of the meat and rub it in. Keep the meat chilled until just before you cook it. Chilled meat attracts more smoke. I strongly recommend you use a remote digital thermometer and insert the probe with the tip centered in the thickest part of the meat furthest from the heat.
• Fire up. Pre-heat your smoker, or if you are using a grill, set it up for indirect cooking. Click here to see how to set up a gas grill, here to set up a charcoal grill, or here to set up a bullet smoker like the Weber Smokey Mountain. Get the cooker temp stabilized at about 235°F (113°C). We want to cook at about 225°F (107°C), but the temp will drop a bit once you open the lid and load in the cold meat.
• Cook. Put the meat on the cooker. On a smoker with a water pan, put the meat right above the water. Place the oven temp probe on the grate next to the meat. Add about 2 cups (4 ounces (113 g)) of wood right after the meat goes on. When the smoke stops, add 4 ounces more during the first 2 hours, which usually means adding some every 30 minutes or so. Keep an eye on the water in the pan. Don't let it dry out. After 3 hours, turn the meat over if the color is different from top to bottom. Otherwise, leave the meat alone. No need to mop, baste, or spritz. It just lowers the temp of the meat and softens the bark.
• Wrap (optional). The meat's internal temperature will move steadily upward to somewhere around 150 to 170°F (55 to 77°C), and then it will enter the stall. Once in the stall, the temp will seem to take forever to rise. The stall can last 5 hours and the temp may not rise more than 5°F! When the meat hits the stall and temp stops rising, take it off and wrap it tightly in a double layer of heavy-duty foil. We have learned that the more airspace around the meat, the more juice leaks out of the meat. Crimp it tight and put the wrapped meat back on the smoker or move it to an indoor oven at 225°F (107°C). This step, called the Texas Crutch, slightly braises and steams the meat, but most importantly, it prevents the surface evaporation that cools down the meat and causes the stall. If you wrap the meat at 150°F (65°C), it will power right through the stall and cut your cooking time significantly.
• Burnt ends (optional). Burnt ends are amazingly flavorful bite-size crispy meat cubes. Originally they were simply edges and ends that were overcooked and trimmed off and munched by the kitchen staff. If there were any leftover, they were given away for free. Then, in 1970, in his marvelous book American Fried, Calvin Trillin wrote the following about Arthur Bryant's restaurant in Kansas City "The main course at Bryant's, as far as I'm concerned, is something that is given away for free -- the burned edges of the brisket. The counterman just pushes them over to the side as he slices the beef, and anyone who wants them helps himself. I dream of those burned edges. Sometimes, when I'm in some awful overpriced restaurant in some strange town -- all of my restaurant-finding techniques having failed, so that I'm left to choke down something that costs seven dollars and tastes like a medium-rare sponge -- a blank look comes over my face: I have just realized that at that very moment someone in Kansas City is being given those burned edges free."
• Temp it. When the meat temp hits 195°F (95°C), start poking it. Poke it with a thermometer probe. It should slide in and out with little resistance if it is done. Poke it with a finger or pick it up and jiggle it. If it goes wubba wubba and wiggles like jelly, it is done. This usually happens somewhere between 195 and 205°F (90 and 96°C), usually at around 203°F (95°C).
• Cheating. Here's my technique, strictly illegal in BBQ competitions, but very welcome in my family. In a frying pan, render about 1/4 pound of the beef fat that you trimmed from the brisket. Or cheat and use bacon fat or duck fat. You can do this over hot coals. Cut the brisket point into 1/2" to 3/4" (12 to 19 mm) cubes. Set aside any pieces that are too fatty or just eat them. Put the cubes in the pan and gently fry the cubes until they are crunchy on the outside, turning them a few times. Drain the fat and add about 1/4 cup (60 ml) of your favorite BBQ sauce and 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the drippings from the foil used for the Texas Crutch. Put the pan back on the cooker in a hot spot and close the lid. Stir every 5 minutes or so. Let the cubes absorb most of the liquid and start to sizzle, but don't let them burn. When they're done, keep them warm in the faux cambro with the flat.
• Faux Cambro. Cambros are insulated boxes used to keep food warm for extended periods of time. To create a home made version, get a plastic beer cooler, line it with a towel, blanket, or crumpled newspaper, and put the meat, still in foil, into the cooler on top of the lining. If the foil is leaking fluids put the meat in a large pan first. Leave the thermometer probe in the meat. Close the lid and let the hot meat sit in the cooler for 1 to 4 hours until you are ready to eat. If you can, wait til it drops to 150°F (65°C) to slice it. If you have a tight cooler, it should hold the meat well above a safe serving temp of 140°F (60°C) for several hours. Click here for our cooler reviews.
• Slice (How do I slice brisket?). Don't slice until the last possible minute. Brisket dries out very very quickly once it is cut. If you wish, you can firm up the crust a bit by unwrapping the meat and putting it over a hot grill or under a broiler for a few minutes on each side. Watch it closely so it doesn't burn. Sauce should not be needed if the brisket is juicy, but if you want sauce, just don't use a sweet one. Heat up my Texas Barbecue Mop Sauce or heat up the jus in the foil and bring it to the table. Beware: Taste the jus first. It might be salty. You can dilute it warm water or unsalted beef broth. Important: Turn the meat fat side up so the juices will run onto the meat as you slice.
• Slicing is a bit of a challenge because there are two muscles (the point and the flat) and the grain flows in different directions. In this photo you can see the grain in the meat. The point muscle sits on top of the flat muscle. The point is thin on one end (A) and thick on the other (B). The thickness of the slab varies significantly, from 1" (2 cm) at the left and right edge to 4" (10 cm) or more at the crown of the point.Here are three methods for carving. (I) the easy method, (II) the Sorkin method, and (III) the competition method.
• (I) The easy methodLop off about 1" (2 cm) from the thick end and about 2" (5 cm) from the thin end, which is the tip of the flat. These ends are likely overcooked and dry. Chop them and smother them in sauce for chopped brisket. Then find the fat layer between the point and flat and slide your blade between the two muscles. Separate them, and trim off most of the excess fat. Find the grain of the flat and slice across the grain. You can also slice against the grain of the point. Offer your guests "lean" or "fatty." Most will choose the lean, which will leave the better, fattier, point cut for you (turn it into burnt ends!).
• (II) The Sorkin slicing methodI learned this method from Barry Sorkin of Chicago's Smoque BBQ. He makes my favorite brisket in the world. In the photos below, Sorkin demonstrates how he slices a whole packer brisket.
• Start by removing the drier thin part of the flat, and set it aside for chopping, not slicing.
• Then slice the thick center part of the flat across the grain until you encounter the point muscle on top of the flat. In the photo above, he is within one or two slices from hitting the point. These center cut slices are the ones that most competitors use because they produce a visually pleasing presentation of nearly identical slabs of meat.
• Sorkin then goes into the layer of fat between the point and flat at the thick butt end, and he removes much of the fat. It can be 1/2" thick or more in there, and that makes the slices inedible.
• The remaining hunk has both muscles, the point sitting on top of the flat, with the grain going in different directions. He slices this hunk in half.
• Here, the section on the right is a butt end with one cut edge. The left section, from the center the brisket, has two cut edges.
• Slice the center section as shown, from the outer edge in.
• Slice the remaining butt end of the point in the same direction as you cut the flat, continuing to cut parallel to the cut end.
• Sorkin then fans the slices on a bun. Notice the line separating flat and point.
• Thin parts of the flat are chopped and some of the fat from between the point and flat is mixed in for moisture. The results are crunchy, heavily seasoned, and juicy. These bits can also be splashed with sauce and served on a bun.
• (III) Competition brisket slicing methodSome competitors prefer this method of slicing. Run a knife between the flat and the point and separate the two muscles. Trim off excess fat. Slice each muscle separately across the grain about 1/4" (6.3 mm) thick. The meat should hold together, not fall apart or crumble. It should only pull apart with a gentle tug. If the first slice falls apart, cut thicker slices. Here is a picture of a competition brisket entry by Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) President Emeritus Candy Weaver. Notice the nice even slices of flat with the smoke ring on top surrounded by chunks of burnt ends. Learn more about how to cook competition brisket here.
• Serve. If the brisket is perfectly cooked, it should be moist and juicy. You can serve it simply sliced on a plate or as a sandwich made with Texas Toast. If you wish, drizzle some Texas Barbecue Mop Sauce mixed with some of the drippings from the Texas crutch on top of the meat. Taste the drippings first because they can be salty (if so, you can dilute them with water or unsalted beef broth). Here's one of my faves: At Joe's KC in Kansas City the serve a sandwich called the "Z-Man". It's thin sliced brisket with a sweet KC sauce topped with melted provolone cheese, a couple of thick crunchy onion rings, more sauce, all on a toasted kaiser roll, and slaw on the side. You want pickle chips on it, go ahead.

BEEF BRISKET

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• On a cutting board, mash the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt together with the flat-side of a knife into a paste. Add the rosemary and continue to mash until incorporated. Put the garlic-rosemary paste in a small bowl and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil; stir to combine.
• Season both sides of the brisket with a fair amount of kosher salt and ground black pepper. Place a large roasting pan or Dutch oven over medium-high flame and coat with the remaining olive oil. Put the brisket in the roasting pan and sear to form a nice brown crust on both sides. Lay the vegetables all around the brisket and pour the rosemary paste over the whole thing. Add the wine and tomatoes; toss in the parsley and bay leaves. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and transfer to the oven. Bake for about 3 to 4 hours, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices, until the beef is fork tender.
• Remove the brisket to a cutting board and let it rest for 15 minutes. Scoop the vegetables out of the roasting pan and onto a platter, cover to keep warm. Pour out some of the excess fat, and put the roasting pan with the pan juices on the stove over medium-high heat. Boil and stir for 5 minutes until the sauce is reduced by 1/2. (If you want a thicker sauce, mix 1 tablespoon of flour with 2 tablespoons of wine or water and blend into the gravy).
• Slice the brisket across the grain (the muscle lines) at a slight diagonal. Serve with potato pancakes.
• Using a box grater or food processor, coarsely grate the potatoes and onions. Put the grated potatoes and onions together in cheesecloth or a tea towel and twist it to squeeze out the excess liquid. Put the dry potatoes and onions in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the egg whites and chives to bind the mixture together.
• Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and coat with 1/4-inch of oil. For each pancake, take about 2 tablespoons of the potato mixture and drop into the hot oil; gently flatten with a spatula so they fry up thin and crispy. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden. Remove to paper towels to drain; season with salt while the potato pancakes are still hot. Continue frying, adding more oil as needed, until all of the mixture is used up. Serve immediately with apple sauce, if desired.

CLASSIC BEEF BRISKET WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix together salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne. Season brisket generously on all sides with salt mixture. (Use about 2 tablespoons and reserve remaining mixture.) If possible, wrap and refrigerate several hours or overnight, then bring to room temperature.
• Heat oven to 300 degrees. Place brisket in a shallow roasting pan or earthenware baking dish. Pour wine and 2 cups water over the brisket, then add cloves, garlic, bay leaves and allspice berries.
• Scatter about 1/3 of the sliced onions over brisket. Cover with foil or a tight-fitting lid. Place in oven and bake for about 3 hours or until meat is quite tender when probed with a fork. (Be careful not to overcook; you want slices, not shreds.)
• Meanwhile, place a large skillet over high heat and add olive oil. Add remaining onions and season with remaining salt mixture. As onions begin to brown, reduce heat to medium. Cook, uncovered, turning onion slices with a spatula every few minutes until caramelized and fork-tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water to onions and simmer a few minutes more. (For more flavor, use broth from the brisket pan instead.) Onions may be prepared in advance and reheated.
• To serve, transfer brisket to a cutting board. Trim extraneous fat from meat. With a large knife, cut meat across the grain into 1/4-inch slices. Strain braising liquid into a saucepan (discard solids left in strainer) and skim any rising fat from surface.
• Arrange sliced meat on a platter. Cover with caramelized onions and ladle some hot braising liquid over. Garnish with parsley sprigs and sprinkle with scallions, if using. Serve remaining juices separately.

SOUS VIDE BRISKET

Steps:

• Vac and seal the brisket in a sous vide bag.
• Heat the water in your sous vide machine to 155.
• Cook the brisket for 24-36 hours.
• After the cook, remove the meat from the water bath and plunge in ice water bath to cool if not smoking the meat right away.
• To finish the brisket, drain the liquid away from the bag, saving it to add to a sauce or use it to help reheat the meat.
• Sprinkle salt and pepper over the surface of the meat and smoke the meat on a grill or smoker at 300 for 2-3 hours or until the internal temperature is 170.
• To serve, slice the meat in thin slices.

CLASSIC BRISKET RECIPE

Steps:

• Combine the rub ingredients and then rub all over the brisket. Set aside for 30 minutes.
• Then, combine the ingredients for the BBQ sauce into the slow cooker. Place the brisket into the slow cooker and cook for 8-10 hours on low.
• Once cooked, place brisket on a tray and pour the liquid into a saucepan. Bring the liquid to a simmer on medium high to high heat and reduce until thickened. While the liquid simmers, drizzle the brisket with olive oil and roast in the oven at 375F for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and baste with the sauce, then return to the oven again and roast for 5-10 minutes. Serve thinly sliced across the grain with the leftover BBQ sauce.

CLASSIC SMOKED BRISKET

Steps:

• Follow these easy tips for a successful and tasty brisket.
• Choice has a fair amount of marbling (fat to meat ratio) while Prime seems to have the best in terms of balance and flavor. Some people swear by Wagyu, but the fat ratio is too high for what you pay for in our opinion. Select won't give you enough fat or flavor and is easy to dry out during a long smoke.
• You want only about ¼ inch of fat on the surface of the brisket. Excess fat can prevent or delay the formation of the pellicle which is the hard layer that forms while heat is applied to the meat. The pellicle holds the glaze formed by the dissolving spices which eventually form the bark.
• Nut woods like hickory, oak, mesquite, and pecan tend to generate more smoke and stronger smoke flavors than fruit hardwoods like apple and cherry.
• We recommend using our Texas Mesquite Hardwood Pellets with this recipe which contains a blend of Mesquite, Hickory, and Pecan hardwoods.
• This recipe uses the Louisiana Grills Beef and Brisket Rub seasoning.
• Turn your Louisiana Grill to smoke mode, let the fire catch and then set your grill to 225°F.
• While your grill is heating up, trim your brisket of excess fat (you'll want to leave about ¼ of an inch of fat so the meat stays moist during the long cooking process) , and season with your favorite rub - whatever floats your boat! Place your brisket on the grates of the grill, fat side up. Let it smoke for about 8 - 10 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 190°F.
• Wrap in pink butcher paper and then wrap that in a towel. Let it rest in the cooler for up to an hour so the juices can sit.
• Slice against the grain and enjoy!
• Cooler
• Pink Butcher Paper
• Towel
• To speed up The Stall (the point during the cook where the internal temperature stalls for a long period of time before rising again) try wrapping your brisket tightly in aluminum foil or pink butcher paper with a little bit of liquid inside (beef stock is good) and throw back on the grill until it reaches your desired temperature.
• Paleo