# Beef Brisket Recipe



## MOXJO7282 (Apr 14, 2014)

I've been traveling to Raleigh NC quite a lot lately and have been enjoying beef brisket at a number of locations.  I went to my local supermarket and saw that the brisket was on sale and it looked like a nice cut of meat so I bought one. 

Now I'm looking for an easy recipe to prepare BBQ beef brisket. I have a Weber BBQ and an oven at my disposal. 

Thanks in advance to anyone who can offer a tried and true recipe.


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## RonB (Apr 14, 2014)

From what I read, there is no "easy" recipe for brisket, but here are two places to start:

One of the top ten cooking sites on the net - http://amazingribs.com/recipes/beef/index.html

From the manufacturer of my smoker - http://www.cookshack.com/store/Beef-CS-Recipes/Cookshack-Old-Fashioned-Pit-Smoked-Beef-Brisket

BTW - the first site is a wealth of documented info not just about bbq, but about the science of cooking.

Ron


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## csxjohn (Apr 14, 2014)

MOXJO7282 said:


> ...it looked like a nice cut of meat so I bought one.
> 
> ....



Keep in mind that the brisket is a very tough piece of meat no matter what it looks like.  It takes the brunt of every step the cow makes.

I don't have a specific recipe for you but don't be afraid to ask at the places you've tried it.  Most places will be happy to give you some tips to try it on your own.


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## Elan (Apr 14, 2014)

MOXJO7282 said:


> I've been traveling to Raleigh NC quite a lot lately and have been enjoying beef brisket at a number of locations.  I went to my local supermarket and saw that the brisket was on sale and it looked like a nice cut of meat so I bought one.
> 
> Now I'm looking for an easy recipe to prepare BBQ beef brisket. I have a Weber BBQ and an oven at my disposal.
> 
> Thanks in advance to anyone who can offer a tried and true recipe.



  Here's a recipe that's undoubtedly good, as this site is renowned for award-winning BBQ recipes:

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/brisket1.html


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## Phydeaux (Apr 14, 2014)

To do a brisket properly, you need a smoker.

This is my go-to resource for all things on the smoker. http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/158564/brisket

These folks take their smoking/cooking seriously, and are responsible for my current ribs and brisket technique. I can never order either of these outside of Texas, because no restaurant in my region can come close to my own recipe.

You'll ask yourself - why didn't I buy a smoker_ years_ ago?


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## Passepartout (Apr 14, 2014)

The key for brisket is to cook it at low temperature (180-220) for many hours- like 12 or more to allow the collagen in the tough fibers to melt and permeate the meat. On a BBQ, cook it using indirect heat, fat side up after coating it with your choice of commercially available rubs. 

There is a recent thread about Jewish Brisket with some good recipes too that use a dutch oven, spices and simmering it for a good while. I saw some that suggested that method to take care of the toughness, then slapping it on a flamin' hot grill to finish it.


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## Chilcotin (Apr 14, 2014)

This recipe came into my facebook feed.  I have not tried it:

http://cookwithcampbells.ca/en-ca/Recipes/slowcookerspicedbeefbrisket.aspx


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## GrayFal (Apr 14, 2014)

Here is a "Skinny" version by a chef from Long Island!

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/04/braised-brisket-with-potatoes-and.html


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## laurac260 (Apr 14, 2014)

Phydeaux said:


> To do a brisket properly, you need a smoker



There's a multitude of ways to make a brisket.  You don't need a smoker to do a proper brisket.  You only need a smoker to SMOKE a brisket. 

For those of us who don't like smoked meat...
I'd go with the previous posters recommendation of cooking at low temps for MANY HOURS.


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## b2bailey (Apr 14, 2014)

"low temps for Many Hours" -- my first thought was to use a CrockPot.


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## Passepartout (Apr 14, 2014)

Crock Pot is a good way to do it, then slap it on a flamin' hot grill to put grill marks and a tasty char on the outside. If you leave it in the slow cooker too long, though, it will just fall apart.


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## laurac260 (Apr 14, 2014)

I rub mine with garlic and cracked pepper, then marinate it for 2-4 hours in 2 parts soy sauce and 1 part worchestershire sauce.

Pour the marinade off and roast the meat in beef broth at about 200 for a good 12 hours.  We ate ours last night, 8 adults and 6 kids and there wasn't a scrap of it left.  It cooks down ALOT though, so keep that in mind.


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## dioxide45 (Apr 14, 2014)

There is always liquid smoke...:ignore:


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## Elan (Apr 14, 2014)

Don't need to cook a brisket low and slow either.  There are numerous high heat methods for cooking a brisket.  

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


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## Phydeaux (Apr 14, 2014)

laurac260 said:


> There's a multitude of ways to make a brisket.  You don't need a smoker to do a proper brisket.  You only need a smoker to SMOKE a brisket.
> 
> For those of us who don't like smoked meat...
> I'd go with the previous posters recommendation of cooking at low temps for MANY HOURS.



Sure, and you can prepare ribs in the microwave too. 

Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.

I stand by what I wrote. Brisket in the smoker. The only proper way. 

Yum, thanks for helping me to decide what to have this weekend.


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## easyrider (Apr 14, 2014)

I like them smoked but I really like them pressure cooked. Brisket is also really good as a canned meat. Last time it was on sale I canned 28 quarts.

We sometimes slow cook beef brisket in the oven in a roasting pan swimming in a beer. I use Coors. Then about 20 minutes before its done you slather it with bbq sauce and increase the heat.

Bill


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## laurac260 (Apr 14, 2014)

Phydeaux said:


> Sure, and you can prepare ribs in the microwave too.
> 
> Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.
> 
> ...



You like smoked meat.  Great.  I don't like smoked meat, nor does anyone in my house.  Also great.   Thank goodness there is more than one way to cook a brisket.:whoopie:

As far as ribs in a microwave?  Hardly a comparison to slow cooking a brisket in the oven, though I've never tried microwaving them myself…  How was it?


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## MuranoJo (Apr 15, 2014)

easyrider said:


> I like them smoked but I really like them pressure cooked. *Brisket is also really good as a canned meat. Last time it was on sale I canned 28 quarts.*
> We sometimes slow cook beef brisket in the oven in a roasting pan swimming in a beer. I use Coors. Then about 20 minutes before its done you slather it with bbq sauce and increase the heat.
> 
> Bill



Hi, Bill,
Mind sharing your steps or recipe for canning the meat?  This is something we haven't tried, but it sounds good.
We have canned salmon and trout with good success.


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## easyrider (Apr 15, 2014)

Its pretty simple. I use a 23 qt presto pressure canner. I bought this originally as a solution to catching too many tuna. Anyway, take whatever meat you like and cut into pieces that will fit into your jar. Add a seasoning like canning salt or bullion to the jar and then stuff the jar full of raw meat leaving about a half inch on top. 

It takes about 2 hours to do a batch of 7 qts. It takes 90 minutes of 12# pressure to can meat.

With beef I add a teaspoon of beef bullion or canning salt to the bottom of the jar. Chicken gets chicken bullion only. Pork gets salt only. Fish gets salt only.

Other foods I like canned are pinto beans and asparagus. The asparagus get really mushy but is really good in cream of asparagus recipes.

Some of our recipes are enchiladas, tacos, wraps, casseroles, stews, soups, gravies and sandwiches. 

Recently I have grown fond of picked asparagus in a chicken wrap. I like hot dijon mustard on a tortilla with canned chicken and pickled asparagus. 

We donate a meal every month to a teen shelter. They seem to enjoy the chicken enchiladas and on our end its pretty easy as they bake them at the shelter.

Bill


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## Fitzriley (Apr 15, 2014)

*Cooking great steaks*



RonB said:


> From what I read, there is no "easy" recipe for brisket, but here are two places to start:
> 
> One of the top ten cooking sites on the net - http://amazingribs.com/recipes/beef/index.html
> 
> ...



Ron, Read the first site blog on how to properly cook a steak, can't wait to try this! I love rib eye and sometimes I make it great and sometimes I am disappointed. Hoping this will make it always taste like a steakhouse!


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## GrayFal (Apr 15, 2014)

This thread is making me hungry.

OP, please call me when dinner is served!


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## MichaelColey (Apr 15, 2014)

I have to agree with those who say "low and slow" is best.  When I smoke mine, I keep the smoker at 200 until the meat temperature hits 185 (about 12-16 hours).  There is an art to cutting brisket, too.  Search on YouTube.  It's easier to watch than read.


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## Elan (Apr 15, 2014)

MichaelColey said:


> I have to agree with those who say "low and slow" is best.  When I smoke mine, I keep the smoker at 200 until the meat temperature hits 185 (about 12-16 hours).  There is an art to cutting brisket, too.  Search on YouTube.  It's easier to watch than read.



  I've always done low and slow.  But here's a few pages on using the high heat method:

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/brisket4.html

http://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?7188-High-Heat-Brisket-Method-A-Compilation


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## Phydeaux (Apr 15, 2014)

MichaelColey said:


> I have to agree with those who say "low and slow" is best.  When I smoke mine, I keep the smoker at 200 until the meat temperature hits 185 (about 12-16 hours).  There is an art to cutting brisket, too.  Search on YouTube.  It's easier to watch than read.




Do you do the foil wrap/into towels/into the cooler for an hour before cutting and serving?


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## MuranoJo (Apr 16, 2014)

easyrider said:


> Its pretty simple. I use a 23 qt presto pressure canner. I bought this originally as a solution to catching too many tuna. Anyway, take whatever meat you like and cut into pieces that will fit into your jar. Add a seasoning like canning salt or bullion to the jar and then stuff the jar full of raw meat leaving about a half inch on top.
> 
> It takes about 2 hours to do a batch of 7 qts. It takes 90 minutes of 12# pressure to can meat.
> 
> ...


Thanks, sounds easy.  BTW, you do add liquid after stuffing the jars, right?  Up to the 1/2" mark?  Sounds great for brisket.  Plus I never thought of trying it for beans--that would be a super economical way to have canned beans for quick meals.  (DH came home with one of those huge sacks of pinto beans one day.)


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## ScoopKona (Apr 17, 2014)

Elan said:


> I've always done low and slow.  But here's a few pages on using the high heat method:
> 
> http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/brisket4.html
> 
> http://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?7188-High-Heat-Brisket-Method-A-Compilation



One time, I was reading a recipe for making pancakes using a blender. That's just stupid. The goal making pancakes is to work the batter as little as humanly possible so as not to develop gluten. Turns out the recipe was developed by a blender manufacturer.

Just because someone wrote a recipe, doesn't mean it's any damned good.

Put a "low and slow" vs. one of the linked recipes side by side and there will be no comparison. Low and slow has solid science behind it. The high heat methods don't mention anything about collagen and gelatin.

The only difference between corned beef brisket cooked right, Jewish brisket cooked right and BBQ brisket cooked right is the method used for "low and slow." Briskets are best done low and slow. Other ways are necessarily going to be trade-offs: taste vs. convenience.


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## Elan (Apr 17, 2014)

ScoopLV said:


> One time, I was reading a recipe for making pancakes using a blender. That's just stupid. The goal making pancakes is to work the batter as little as humanly possible so as not to develop gluten. Turns out the recipe was developed by a blender manufacturer.
> 
> Just because someone wrote a recipe, doesn't mean it's any damned good.
> 
> ...



  I was pointing out for those that don't have 14 hours to tend to a smoker that there are alternatives.  Is it as good?  I don't know as I haven't tried it.  If I get a chance I'll post how it turns out.


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## easyrider (Apr 17, 2014)

muranojo said:


> Thanks, sounds easy.  BTW, you do add liquid after stuffing the jars, right?  Up to the 1/2" mark?  Sounds great for brisket.  Plus I never thought of trying it for beans--that would be a super economical way to have canned beans for quick meals.  (DH came home with one of those huge sacks of pinto beans one day.)



Not with meat. With meat the jars just get stuffed full to about 1/2 inch to the top. With pinto beans and vegetables you need to add water and burp the jar to get air out. The jars need to be clean but its not necessary to boil them because the pressure cooking for 90 minutes kills all the bad stuff. 

The thing about storing pinto beans dry is they take so long to cook. I think a 10 pound bag makes 12 - 14 quarts. I soak the beans in water for 12 or more hours. I usually add 1 cup of lemon juice to the soak to help reduce the gas factor after eating them. The beans are ready to eat right out of the jar and they taste way better than store bought in a tin can beans.

All of the meat trimmings we choose not to eat I can for my dog Rex. He gets a cup of this stuff every day on his dry food. 

Im hooked on pickled asparagus. Im throwing jalapenos, garlic and red peppers in with them. A qt jat doesn't last long. My grand kids will devour a jar in minutes.

Bill


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## MichaelColey (Apr 18, 2014)

Elan said:


> I was pointing out for those that don't have 14 hours to tend to a smoker that there are alternatives.


With the right setup, you don't necessarily have to tend to it.  My smoker setup (a Bradley with BBQ Guru controller) automatically feeds a new smoke puck onto the burner every 20 min for the first few hours (the best time to infuse the smoke flavor), maintains the temperature that I set, then alerts me remotely and turns down the temperature when the meat hits the target temperature.

My wife does brisket in the slow cooker sometimes (super simple recipe--onion soup mix, chili sauce and a can of coke), and it's fine, but it just doesn't compare to the taste of a "low and slow" smoked brisket.


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## Elan (Apr 18, 2014)

MichaelColey said:


> With the right setup, you don't necessarily have to tend to it.  My smoker setup (a Bradley with BBQ Guru controller) automatically feeds a new smoke puck onto the burner every 20 min for the first few hours (the best time to infuse the smoke flavor), maintains the temperature that I set, then alerts me remotely and turns down the temperature when the meat hits the target temperature.



  Yeah, if you've got a smoker with ATC and it auto-feeds or has charcoal capacity for a 14 hour smoke, you're good.  Most people don't.  Independent of that, is that a 14 hour smoke means you're starting around 3:00 AM if you want brisket for dinner.  

  I'm not personally attesting to the high heat method, but if there's that much information on it on the tvwb web site, then I'm confident that it's an acceptable method.  Those folks there have more BBQ experience and knowledge than everyone here combined, and they're not all just backwoods bumpkins from the South.


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## Passepartout (Apr 18, 2014)

Elan said:


> a 14 hour smoke means you're starting around 3:00 AM if you want brisket for dinner.



Yup. Ya gotta REALLY want brisket to do that. 'Course you can always go back to bed after you put it on, and it's too early (late) for drinking beer anyway.

Truth told, I am not as big a fan of smoked brisket anyway. I find it dry and except for the edges and ends, it lacks flavor. I'll take pork ribs or tenderloin every time. I'm fine with corned beef brisket from a slow cooker or from the oven, Jewish style.

I was feeling the need for some smoke this week so I brought home some pork ribs from Costco, rubbed some spices on 'em overnight and they spent most of Wednesday in the smoker. Boy, they were good with some cole slaw and baked beans.

Jim


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## csxjohn (Apr 18, 2014)

Elan said:


> ....  Those folks there have more BBQ experience and knowledge than everyone here combined...



What are you basing this on?  I'm not so sure you're correct.  I'll start the count with 55 yrs of actively  being involved in BBQing and about 6 years of that professionally


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## MichaelColey (Apr 18, 2014)

Elan said:


> and they're not all just backwoods bumpkins from the South.


And what's wrong with backwoods bumpkins from the South?  We KNOW how to cook good food!


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## Elan (Apr 18, 2014)

csxjohn said:


> What are you basing this on?  I'm not so sure you're correct.  I'll start the count with 55 yrs of actively  being involved in BBQing and about 6 years of that professionally



  Let's just put it this way.  That site is to BBQ as TUG is to timesharing.  Sure there may be someone from that site that has a wealth of knowledge and experience in timeshares, but as a whole, there's not the collective knowledge and experience on timeshares there as there is here.  If you perused the site, you'd find that there are numerous competitive BBQers there.  With all due respect to everyone here, I'll defer to them for BBQing expertise over a select few on a TS board.  YMMV.


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## MuranoJo (Apr 19, 2014)

easyrider said:


> Not with meat. With meat the jars just get stuffed full to about 1/2 inch to the top. With pinto beans and vegetables you need to add water and burp the jar to get air out. The jars need to be clean but its not necessary to boil them because the pressure cooking for 90 minutes kills all the bad stuff.
> 
> The thing about storing pinto beans dry is they take so long to cook. I think a 10 pound bag makes 12 - 14 quarts. I soak the beans in water for 12 or more hours. I usually add 1 cup of lemon juice to the soak to help reduce the gas factor after eating them. The beans are ready to eat right out of the jar and they taste way better than store bought in a tin can beans.
> 
> ...



Thanks for the tips, Bill.  We're fairly experienced in canning, as we've had a garden since we first married; I had just not heard of canning beans (nor much experience with meats other than fish), so we'll have to give that a try.
(BTW, made pickled eggs today.)


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## ScoopKona (Apr 19, 2014)

Elan said:


> Let's just put it this way.  That site is to BBQ as TUG is to timesharing.  Sure there may be someone from that site that has a wealth of knowledge and experience in timeshares, but as a whole, there's not the collective knowledge and experience on timeshares there as there is here.  If you perused the site, you'd find that there are numerous competitive BBQers there.  With all due respect to everyone here, I'll defer to them for BBQing expertise over a select few on a TS board.  YMMV.



I agree with you. There are a couple BBQ websites I always turn to (as a lurker) when I need better science for BBQ. There is a real science to it, and those guys spend their whole waking day thinking about it.


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