When it comes to cooking the ultimate real barbecue brisket, there are specific techniques and considerations that set it apart from other brisket dishes. This journey begins with selecting the perfect cut of brisket, choosing between traditional methods like smoking or modern cooking techniques like sous vide, and understanding the importance of proper preparation, seasoning, and cooking times. Whether you’re a seasoned pitmaster or just starting your barbecue adventure, this article will guide you through the essential steps to create a mouthwatering, tender, and smoky brisket that will satisfy your taste buds and impress your friends and family.
Here are our top 7 tried and tested recipes!
BARBECUED BEEF BRISKET
A guest at the RV park and marina my husband and I used to run gave me this flavorful brisket recipe. It's become the star of countless meal gatherings, from potlucks to holiday dinners. Husband Ed and our five grown children look forward to it as much as our Christmas turkey. -Bettye Miller, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 2h35m
Yield 6 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- In a small saucepan, combine the first nine ingredients; cook and stir over medium heat 3-4 minutes or until brown sugar is dissolved. Transfer to a disposable foil pan., In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Brown brisket on both sides. Place in foil pan, turning to coat with sauce. Cover pan tightly with foil., Place pan on grill rack over indirect medium heat. Grill, covered, 2 to 2-1/4 hours or until meat is tender., Remove from heat. Remove brisket from pan; tent with foil and let stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile, skim fat from sauce in pan. Cut brisket diagonally across the grain into thin slices; serve with sauce.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 437 calories, Fat 20g fat (4g saturated fat), Cholesterol 64mg cholesterol, Sodium 392mg sodium, Carbohydrate 32g carbohydrate (26g sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 31g protein.
TEXAS-STYLE BARBECUED BRISKET
Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from The Barbecue! Bible 10th Anniversary Edition, by Steven Raichlen. To read more about Raichlen and BBQ, go to our feature The Best Barbecue in the U.S.A.
Provided by Steven Raichlen
Categories Graduation Backyard BBQ Kwanzaa Dinner Brisket Spring Summer Tailgating Grill Grill/Barbecue
Yield Makes 10 to 12 servings
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- 1. Rinse the brisket under cold running water and blot it dry with paper towels.
- 2. Combine the salt, chili powder, sugar, pepper, and cumin in a bowl and toss with your fingers to mix. Rub the spice mixture on the brisket on all sides. If you have time, wrap the brisket in plastic and let it cure, in the refrigerator, for 4 to 8 hours (or even overnight), but don't worry if you don't have time for this-it will be plenty flavorful, even if you cook it right away.
- 3. Set up a charcoal grill for indirect grilling and preheat it to low. No drip pan is necessary for this recipe.
- 4. When ready to cook, toss 1 1/2 cups of the wood chips on the coals (3/4 cup per side). Place the brisket, fat side up, in an aluminum foil pan (or make a pan with a double sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil). Place the pan in the center of the hot grate, away from the heat. Cover the grill.
- 5. Smoke cook the brisket until tender enough to shred with your fingers; 6 hours will likely do it, but it may take as long as 8 (the cooking time will depend on the size of the brisket and heat of the grill). Baste the brisket from time to time with the fat and juices that accumulate in the pan. You'll need to add 10 to 12 fresh coals to each side every hour and toss more wood chips on the fresh coals; add about 3/4 cup chips per side every time you replenish the coals during the first 3 hours.
- 6. Remove the brisket pan from the grill and let rest for 15 minutes. Transfer the brisket to a cutting board and thinly slice it across the grain, using a sharp knife, electric knife, or cleaver. Transfer the sliced meat to a platter, pour the pan juices on top, and serve at once.
- Barbecue Sauce, the Texas Way
- The best Texas-style barbecue sauce combines the sweetness of Kansas City-style tomato sauces with the mouth-puckering tartness of a North Carolina vinegar sauce. I've come up with my own version-mix together equal parts of the Basic Barbecue Sauce and the North Carolina Vinegar Sauce . Serve this with barbecued brisket. For a really good sauce, add some meat drippings or a little chopped brisket.
OVEN BARBECUED BEEF BRISKET I
This is a great recipe for the family on the go as it needs very little attention. Choose a brisket that weighs between 4 and 5 pounds, depending on how many you are feeding.
Provided by JMOOSE
Categories Main Dish Recipes
Time 5h10m
Yield 9
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees).
- Sprinkle both sides of brisket with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Place in a large covered roasting pan.
- Cook covered with no water at 325 degrees F (160 degrees C) allowing 1 hour per pound.
- Before last hour of cooking, remove brisket and slice. Return slices to pan and add barbecue sauce mixed with water. Cover meat with sauce, cover, and cook 1 hour longer.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 672.3 calories, Carbohydrate 10.4 g, Cholesterol 147.2 mg, Fat 53.6 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 34.2 g, SaturatedFat 21.6 g, Sodium 440 mg, Sugar 7.3 g
BBQ BRISKET
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories main-dish
Time 11h5m
Yield 10 servings
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Mix together the paprika, salt and pepper, sugar, and cayenne. Rub the spice mixture all over the brisket and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place the brisket in a large casserole or Dutch oven and pour the sauce over the top, hocks and all. Cover and cook until brisket is fork tender and can easily be shredded, about 3 hours. Transfer the brisket to a platter. Skim and discard the fat from the top of the sauce. Shred or thinly slice the brisket. Serve.
- Copyright (c) 2004 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved.
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, and crushed pepper and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add the ham hocks, tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until deep red in color and has thickened, about 20 to 25 minutes. Adjust seasoning salt with pepper. Sauce will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
- Copyright (c) 2004 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved.
- Yield: about 8 cups
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 32 minutes
- Inactive Prep Time: 25 minutes
REAL TEXAS BRISKET (SMOKED) (SOUTHWEST)
This is the real deal--it doesn't get any better than this. You'll need a smoker, that uses wood (not electric), and one that you can control the temperature on. A kettle BBQ pit (like a Webber) using indirect heat might work, but they tend to get too hot. A pit smoker with a separate fire box is best. For best results, use hickory or pecan. Mesquite is good too, but tends to be a little bitter when smoking for very long periods of time. Prep time does not include marinating over night or the time necessary to get the smoker going.
Provided by Pokey in San Antonio
Categories Roast Beef
Time 8h30m
Yield 12-16 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Trim brisket leaving 1/2" layer of fat on top. Determine the direction of the grain of the meet and cut off a slice across the grain. This way when the meet is done, and covered with a dark brown crust, you'll be able to see which direction you should slice.
- Brush with 1/4 cup of lemon juice (bottle juice is fine).
- In a bowl, combine lemon pepper, oregano, celery salt, garlic salt, and seasoned salt.
- Rub brisket with 1/2 of this mixture, cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.
- Remove brisket and let it come to room temp before cooking. Putting a cold piece of meat in a smoker is a sure fire recipe for disaster--the meet will be very bitter.
- Prepare your smoker according to the manufacturer's direction. Heat the smoker to 225°F at the cooking level.
- Place the brisket in the smoker, fat side up.
- Keep the temperature as close to 200°F as you can for the first 2-3 hours by adjusting the air intake, and adding small pieces of wood every 30 minutes. Do not adjust the out vent, it should always remain full open. You know your cooking properly when there is very little smoke coming out of the smoker, and the hot air coming out of the top vent is clear for the first foot, then it turns to a grayish white smoke. If smoke is billowing out of every opening, the smoke is cold and the air flow is too low--your brisket will taste like tar. You can let the temperature creep up to 225°F , but not much over that.
- In a small bowl, combine the Worcestershire sauce, and remaining lemon juice and rub mixture.
- Mop on the sauce every hour as you turn the meat. Be sure to turn the meat over and also rotate to ensure even cooking. This should be the only time you open the cooking area.
- Smoke 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours per pound, until the internal temperature is 190°F . If you go much past that, your brisket will not slice up, and you'll have pulled beef.
- Remove and wrap in aluminum foil. Let the meat rest for about 1 hour.
- Cut the point (the pyramid shaped portion) off following a natural fat layer between the point and the flat.
- Trim off excess fat.
- Slice the brisket across the grain, using the starter slice you should have done at the beginning as a guide. Slices should be 1/4" thick. If a portion of brisket is falling apart rather than slicing, don't despair. Save the shredded portions and the burnt ends. They will make the best BBQ beef sandwiches later, when chopped and mixed with BBQ sauce.
CUTS-LIKE-BUTTER BBQ BRISKET
This brisket cuts like butter-no joke! With just a few ingredients and steps, the recipe is nearly impossible to mess up. The thin, fall-apart-tender slices are delicious on their own but also make everything from tacos to Frito pies taste better. -Darla Andrews, Boerne, Texas
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 6h20m
Yield 20 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 300°. Place brisket, fat side up, in a large roasting pan. Pour marinade over brisket. Bake, covered, for 4 hours. Combine remaining ingredients; sprinkle over brisket. Bake, covered, until tender, 2-4 hours longer (a thermometer inserted in brisket should read about 200°)., Preheat broiler; uncover brisket. Broil 3-4 in. from heat until fat is bubbly and slightly charred, 4-5 minutes. Cut diagonally across the grain into thin slices. If desired, skim fat from cooking juices and serve with brisket.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 345 calories, Fat 10g fat (4g saturated fat), Cholesterol 97mg cholesterol, Sodium 523mg sodium, Carbohydrate 14g carbohydrate (12g sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 47g protein.
THE ONE AND ONLY BARBECUED BRISKET
Anyone can master a "real" barbecued brisket. I think that beef brisket was the reason the barbecue process was invented. We have some great BBQ joints in Texas and I think this recipe is as good as any of them. Cook time is for 1 1/4 hours per pound of a 12 lb. brisket.
Provided by Miss Annie
Categories Meat
Time 14h24m
Yield 1 brisket
Number Of Ingredients 2
Steps:
- The day before serving pat the dry rub into every pore on the brisket and place in a large bag, or wrap tightly in plastic wrap, to marinate overnight.
- Early in the morning take brisket out of refrigerator and bring to room temperature while you start your fire and heat to 210ºF.
- Place brisket on opposite side from the firebox with the fat side up, so juices will help baste the meat.
- Maintain pit temperature between 180º and 220º and smoke 1 hour to 1 1/4 hours per pound.
- Every hour or so, if you have to use mop sauce you may do so.
- (The fat is going to keep the meat moist.) Remove brisket and let sit for 20 minutes.
- Cut the fatty top section away from the top section and the second section.
- Slice both brisket sections across the grain.
- Serve the barbeque sauce on the side, not on the meat.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 11321.9, Fat 963.1, SaturatedFat 387.9, Cholesterol 2649, Sodium 2322.4, Protein 614.7
Tips:
- Choose the right cut of brisket: Look for a brisket that is well-marbled with fat, as this will help keep the meat moist during cooking. A packer brisket, which includes both the point and the flat, is a good option.
- Season the brisket liberally: Rub the brisket with a generous amount of your favorite BBQ rub. Be sure to get the rub into all of the nooks and crannies.
- Smoke the brisket low and slow: The ideal temperature for smoking brisket is between 225 and 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook the brisket for 1-2 hours per pound, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 200-205 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Wrap the brisket in foil: Once the brisket has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, wrap it in foil. This will help to speed up the cooking process and prevent the brisket from drying out.
- Let the brisket rest before slicing: Once the brisket is cooked, let it rest for at least 30 minutes before slicing. This will allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, making it more tender and flavorful.
Conclusion:
With a little time and effort, you can make a delicious barbecue brisket that will impress your friends and family. Just be sure to follow the tips above and you'll be sure to end up with a perfect brisket every time.
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