brisket boredom

In my book brisket has only 3 edible culinary forms. At the top is pastrami. Then corned beef. Then barbecue.

Two of those are best with a smoker to cook them in.

Phil

Someone once said that the best reason to make corned beef is to be able to make corned beef hash. A really great CBH with some home made habanero ketchup is a wonderful experience, whether for breakfst, lunch, dinner, or a snack.

Perdsonally, I love a good brisket, as well as the other preparations mentioned herein :smiles:

Shel

I don't remember the proportions, but brisket makes a terrific addition to hamburger meat when you grind it and mix it with another cut (which I also can't remember at the moment :o ). IIRC, there was quite a discussion on eGullet about the proper mix, cuts, etc.

Also, if you have any means of slow smoking, brisket is THE BEST. Very Texas, and if done right, absolutely succulent. DO NOT trim the fat off, though -- helps to keep it moist. :lips:

Texas version....rub with paprika, black and red pepper, salt....smoke for 1 hour then wrap in foil and put in a 200-225* oven for 8 hours.....

I like it with thyme, rosemary, sliced onions, granulated garlic, s/p.....baked slow for a long time. Serve with caramelized onions and coarse mustard.....blue cheese or BBQ sauce would be great too. The layer of fat keeps it moist/juicy.

At our little restaurant and deli we sell on average 75-80 briskets a week for sandwiches and sliced or whole for take home. I can't take credit for the recipe but it's relative easy and very good.

We use "market trimmed" brisket in the 3-4 pound size and inject them a mixture of Allegro Original Marinate, brown sugar, liquid smoke, and Worcester's sauce (I'm at home at the moment but will post the exact recipe when I get to work) while still wrapped. Use a deep steam pan with a wire rack (and lid) and fill the bottom of the pan with 2 cups of water and 2 cups of liquid smoke, less if your don't like a real Smokey taste. Place the brisket/s on the rack fat side up and rub the tops with liberal amounts "Canadian Steak Seasonings" (get it at Sam's Club). Preheat your oven to 400 degrees, put the lid on and cook for about 4 hours. You need to check them after 2 hours to make sure you have plenty of liquid in the bottom of the pan. Just add more water if needed.

We make our own sauce (similar to marinate) or you can use B-B-Q sauce or try some of the other sauces listed.

Bill

Every year for passover we make the same meal. It's become such a tradition that there is no experimenting allowed, and frankly it's not needed.

But the brisket recipe that I use is about as simple as it can get, and absolutely delicious.

Use a flat cut brisket.

Into a large baking dish put a layer of onion (usually 2-3 yellow onions depending on size). Fairly large chunks are fine. On top of that lay the brisket. Add about 3 cloves of chopped garlic. And now the secret ingredient, a big bottle of cheap spaghetti sauce (e.g. Ragu, etc.). Specifically we use 'Garden Medley'. Pour right over the brisket. Now add a couple of cups of beef broth. That's it.

Throw in the oven for 2-3 hours covered with foil at 325 degree. Let cool, remove the brisket from the liquid and slice very thin *against* the grain (very important). Put sliced brisket back into the pan, cover and put into fridge overnight (or even two nights). About 2 hours before serving time put back into oven @ 350. After one hour uncover and cook for another hour or so. Serve with bowtie pasta and kasha and you've got yourself a meal.

We always make at least two because it reheats so well for leftovers, but it also freezes great. Just freeze after that first night and when ready take out of freezer and increase the final day of cooking to 3 hours instead of 2.

We smoked a Texas style brisket the other day at work, it turned out pretty good. With the leftovers we made a Texas Reuben. Made in the same manner as a regular Reuben but with Texas toast, Monterey Jack jalapeño cheese, BBQ sauce, and Cole slaw. I had got the idea when we were eating Rubens on St Patty's day. It was pretty tasty :lips:

dan

There's always Texas Kettle Style BBQ Brisket ...

Shel

I have to use a rather timid recipe as my elderly father-in-law can't tolerate black pepper, salt, garlic, onions...... uh-huh. Makes cooking interesting for family meals.

I buy the flat brisket and trim most of the fat off. To the bottom of my roasting pan I add a layer of thickly-sliced onions (for removal, lest they cause my FIL to panic), quartered white mushrooms and dried thyme. Sometimes I add sliced carrots as well. The meat comes next with the layers of vegetables and herbs repeated. I add about 1" of beef broth to the bottom of the pan and cover it tightly. It goes in the fridge to roast the next day or directly into the oven at 325 for 2-1/2 hours.

I remove the foil and retrieve the onions from the pan. I slice the meat thinly and return to the pan, cover it, and roast another hour or so. When it's tender I reduce the pan juices and thicken with whatever liaison I choose (potato starch if it's Passover, corn starch if it's not).

I've sneaked in some red wine in the past but it's out of the question these days. The family eats enough to assure me it's good. ;)

Texas Kettle BBQ

Yes, I have a couple actually. I don't think they're transcribed to the computer yet, so it'll take a day or two before I post 'em. Watch this space ...

Shel

I just cooked brisket and goofed in the prep, but it worked out all right after all. I also do it with lots of thinly sliced onions (4 medium organic Spanish onions for a 5-pound piece of meat), lots of sliced garlic (about 1/2 cup), and a little more than a cup of thinly sliced carrots (2 large organic). Made a bed of half the vegetables, coated the lean side of the meat with salt, pepper, and paprika, placed it lean-side-down on the vegs. Salt and pepper on the fatty side, now on top. Rest of the vegs on that. Sprinkled lots and lots of paprika on top. Just as I was about to put the cover on the Dutch oven, I started sneezing. It was at that point I discovered that all that paprika was HOT not sweet. :blush: Oh well.

After cooking, I put the meat and gravy/vegs away separately. Tonight, sliced all the meat. Put all the gravy/vegs in a deep skillet and added a 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes, then put one meal's worth of meat on top to heat. The tomatoes helped a lot! It was still on the spicy side, but edible. In fact, it was pretty good! :D The sweetness and acid of the tomatoes helped tone down the heat.

Try smoked paprika ... I think that would be the perfect choice for this dish along with Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes.

Shel

I do use smoked paprika -- but I find it is better as a condiment added just before serving, rather than something cooked in; it loses its flavor with cooking. At least, the kind I have does. :(

On Barefoot Contessa today:

Recipes : Brisket with Carrots and Onions : Food Network

TEXAS KETTLE BARBEQUED BEEF BRISKET

This is a pretty standard variation on Texas Barbequed Beef. It’s served almost everywhere, and makes a nice home-cooked dish for family and friends. The original recipe called for a lot more smoke flavoring, but cutting it back worked best for my taste. The chipotle pepper is my addition to the recipe - use sparingly or not.

1 point cut brisket, about 3-lbs
3/4 cup of your favorite chile sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce (I just happen to like L&P)
1 tsp hot pepper sauce, or to taste (I like a chipotle sauce)
1 12-oz can of beer
1 Tbs liquid smoke
1 dried chipotle pepper

Take chipotle pepper if using it, soak in hot water just to cover for between 30 and 45 minutes or so, put in blender, and give it a whirl until a smooth paste forms.

Place meat in a plastic bag. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a non-reactive bowl, stir until sugar is dissolved and pour over meat. Close the bag tightly and turn a few times to coat the meat well. Marinate at room temp for two-three hours or over night in fridge, occasionally flip the bag to be sure the marinade reaches all of the meat.

Place meat and marinade in a Dutch oven of a size to allow the meat to be covered with the sauce at least 3/4 the way up if not completely. Cover tightly and bake at about 275-degrees for three to five hours, or more, or simmer over very low heat, until meat comes apart in shreds. Exact temperature for baking isn’t critical, but it’s best to keep the temp low. Higher temps can result in tougher meat. I’ve never gone over 300-degrees.

When done cooking, turn onto a platter and pull the meat apart with a fork.

You can serve the meat with the sauce (which can be reduced if you desire or if needed) over rice or on toasted buns. Beans are a nice accompaniment as is cole slaw.

smoked brisket

About two hours before you intend to cook soak any fruit wood in water. It doesn't take much more than a couple of decent handfuls of wood.

Dry rub, mop, baste or marinate the brisket.

If you have a back yard bbq that closes you have an acceptable smoker! I'm assuming your grill is gas. If you use charcoal all the better for flavor!

Preheat the bbq to 175 degrees.
Turn off the fire under one end of the grate.
Fold a two foot piece of foil in half lengthwise twice and form it around your hand so you hae a shallow cup.
Put the cup under the grate and put the soaked wood in the cup.
Quickly put the meat on the grill on the end away from the smoke.
Put a small pan on the other end of the grill over the smoke and close the lid.

Now here's the trick. Keep an eye on the temperature! The amount of time the meat stays in contact with the smoke controls the flavor. The meat will need at least 3 hours to be done. Check for internal temp to be sure!

Interesting tales of Passover briskets, here. Although I'm seven years retired, on occasion, I'll crank out an entree' or two for a friend in need.:lol:

A few weeks ago, I got a distress call from a friend who needed help with a Passover meal. On relatively short notice his wife had committed to a somewhat large family gathering...about 30 people. Could I come over and prepare a brisket, some chicken, matzo stuffing, etc.? I picked up a frozen, solid as a rock, 18 pound kosher brisket. Would you believe I trimmed over 5 lbs. of fat before roasting it? I abhor leaving the fat on while cooking. I like brisket very well trimmed before it hits the oven. I'm ahead of myself. It took a couple of days to defrost, before I could prep it. These folks wanted the same sauce used for sweet and sour meat balls. I made up a dry rub of crushed garlic, kosher salt, brown sugar, paprika, citric acid granules, and pepper and rubbed it into the flesh. I let it rest for 24 hours.

Then I made a mixture of simple ingredients, but they all had to be special, designated kosher for passover=tomato sauce, ketchup, diced tomatoes and some fresh onions and carrots. I added lemon juice, brown sugar, some honey, and a bay leaf to the mixture with an equal amount of water, then reduced it down to its former quantity before the reduction; but not thick.

These folks have a 50 qt. portable roaster, just for Passover, that must have been made in the 1950s as it still has a fabric wrapped electrical cord with only two prongs. I lined the bottom with onions, carrots, and celery and poured in some sauce. Without browning it, I put the brisket in the roaster, slathered it with the rest of the sauce, and dumped on some more vegetables. Covered roaster...325 degrees until cooked through, but NOT fork tender. I removed the brisket, wrapped it in foil, and stuck it in the fridge. The stock from the roaster was transferred to a stock pot and also stuck in the fridge. Next day, the fat was removed from the stock, then reduced to a sauce and seasoned to taste. I sliced the brisket crossgrain, sauced it, and stuck it back in their fridge with finishing instructions.