Anyone Know How to Make a Good Brisket???

All this talk of food reminds me - How the HELL do I make a decent brisket???

I can bake just about anything in this world - but give me a slab of meat and I SUCK!!!

My husband ate brisket at a friends house and has been trying to get me to make it since. I tried a couple of times but it was really tough and not very appealing.

HELP!

[The Guardian]

Now that, I can help with.

The trick with brisket is that its a tough piece of meat, so you have got to do some things with it to make it tender. Otherwise you get good mouth muscle exercise.

You also should either do a flat or a point. A whole untrimmed brisket has meat grain going two different directions and that makes it somewhat difficult to cook or carve. Plus one end is considerably thicker than the other. Using a full brisket will typically result in one end being over-cooked and the other end under-cooked.

To do it right takes a while for a brisket done in a smoker. You can make a real good corned-beef brisket in the oven in about 3-4 hours.

For the smoker, here is what you need to do:

1. Marinate it at least overnight in your favorite marinade.

2. Fire up the smoker in the morning and put your favorite rub on the brisket.

3. Once the smoker is up to temperature, put the brisket in the smoker along with favorite smoking wood. (For beef, the old standby is Mesquite, but Cherry or an Apple/Grape mix works well too.)

4. Smoke the brisket until internal temperature is 120. At this point, any smoking you do becomes creosote and doesn't do anything good for the taste of the meat. (Basically the protein muscle stops absorbing "smoke flavor" at this temperature.) The smoker operating temperature should be low here. Probably running around 200-225 degrees.

5. Take the brisket out, wrap it in foil, toss in a little more marinade (or hell, some beer!) and put it back. You are now "baking" it until internal temperature hits around 200 degrees. You can increase the temperature of the smoker at this point. But you probably should not take it over 300 degrees.

6. Its done, take it out, let it rest AT LEAST 30 minutes. Carve and enjoy.

Note that the above process in a smoker is time consuming. Probably in the 12-14 hour range.

The corned-beef in the oven is simple. Buy one of those already trimmed points with the spice (Price Chopper has these).

1. Put it in a Corning-ware disk with about 1/4 to 1/2 inch water.

2. Sprinkle spice (Its a pickling mix, I believe) on the brisket.

3. Look on the package to verify, but I believe you cook it around 3-4 hours at ~300 degrees.

This is very good too!

Guardian,

I am going to try the oven method. I dont have a smoker - but I am printing out that too in case I get one.

I have only bought those huge slabs, felt like I was carting half a cow around the store - never dawned on me there might be something else.
I have seen pickling spice in the canning area of the store so it should be easy to find.

Thanks!

Non-smoker method.

One whole brisket.

Salt and pepper.

Turn on oven, put meat in pan, pour a little soy sauce or teriyake sauce on the meat, cook at 250 to 275 for 6 hours.

It should be "pull apart" at this point. Eat it.

It's that simple.

Whole brisket defined at about 12 to 14 pounds.

The end.

[The Guardian]

Cherry: The pre-packaged points and flats at Price Chopper are pre-tenderized AND come with the spice. It is a no-brainer to fix. I may be doing one of those Sunday too.

Or if I feel sadistic, I might just have to fire up the smoker and spend the day Saturday doing a brisket or two.

[The Guardian]

Bad's method will work too. However I think he is talking about a covered roaster. You need to steam the things to tenderize them.

I plan on surprising my husband. Wish me luck - and thanks for all the help guys.

Bad's method will work too. However I think he is talking about a covered roaster. You need to steam the things to tenderize them.


I cook it uncovered fat left on, fat side up. I cook most of the briskets this way unless it's a nice summer day and then I'll grill it indirect heat. I also have a smoker, but I'm kinda burned out on smoking foods...plus, I've discovered I'm not crazy about smoked meats. Smoked fish and fowl is good.

Recipe Variation:

If you want the "smoked" flavor, you can use some Liquid Smoke that you can buy in the grocery stores. Be advised...a little goes a lonnnnnnnnnnnnng way...plus your house will smell like it's in the middle of a forest fire.

do I trim off the fat when it is done cooking?

I have an electric knife I cut roast with - would that work good? Does leaving the fat on do something special? Make it more tender?

do I trim off the fat when it is done cooking?

I have an electric knife I cut roast with - would that work good? Does leaving the fat on do something special? Make it more tender?


Yes, dear. You "trim" the fat off when you're done cooking. It's more of a "hack off the fat" because it's a lot. The fat goes down into the meat and tenderizes it during the cooking process. Also, if the meat gets too "dark," that's okay. If it starts to look like it's burning...that means one of two things...you didn't fucking believe me when I said to turn the temp to 275 or your oven is too hot.

You are allowed to cover it with aluminum foil towards the last couple of hours to prevent it from being burned...but remember, the part you're "hacking" off is the fat. The meat will not be "burned."

This is such an easy thing to do, I can't even believe I'm explaining it.

Oh, and the electric knife? Shit can it. The meat should be so tender that you can almost take it apart with a fork. I let the meat "rest" for about an hour after I've cooked it. I don't know why. I just do. It's a habit. I don't like carving meats that have the surface temperature of the sun.

Now here's something I always forget about brisket...I don't remember whether to cut with or against the grain. I always flub it up but it only takes a couple of cuts to realize that if it's hard to cut, you're cutting it the wrong way.

Hope this has been helpful.

[Persephone]

I am trying to imagine the degree of devotion it would take for a vegetarian to cook a brisket for a man.

[jeny]

I will give points to my mother in law for being able to cook meat like it's nothin'. Sunday my sisterin law and her husband are coming over to do christmas and she's making prime rib, I cannot wait because she makes excellent prime rib.

I am trying to imagine the degree of devotion it would take for a vegetarian to cook a brisket for a man.




A man AND his carnivorous kid! I actually cook a lot of meat for them - but because it is not something I eat - and I ABSOLUTELY refuse to taste it along the way - like my other stuff - it is not nearly as good.

They eat a lot of my vegetarian recipes too. But my meat repetoir is mainly casseroles, pastas, made with white chicken (canned) tuna, and pre-formed hamburger patties. I can't stand the smell of meat unless it is cooked with some sort of sauce - like BBq.

Except bacon. I like that smell.

I am trying to imagine the degree of devotion it would take for a vegetarian to cook a brisket for a man.




Oh, your ass. ::) You'd make me liver and onions if I asked you to.

[nickg]

my wife makes a MEAN brisket. in fact she makes it every year for Christmas Eve and the one year she didn't everyone was disappointed. she just made it the other night for Christmas and has it in the freezer and then all she has to do it pop in the oven to warm it up!

if i was home i'd give ya the recipe. i'll see if i can post it later for ya if i can.

[wendy]

Oh, and the electric knife? Shit can it.

PLEASE!!!!

:D

Cherry, get rid of the playtoy and get yourself a GOOD set of carving knives (Wusthof).

[The Guardian]

;D Nick: Please post it. There are never too many recipes for brisket!

PLEASE!!!!

:D

Cherry, get rid of the playtoy and get yourself a GOOD set of carving knives (Wusthof).


You know the problem with knives? So few people know how to sharpen them. This results in two things...(1) You can't cut anything that you're intending to cut, and (2) You'll cut your fingers off trying to cut what you were intending to cut.

I have five sets of high grade carving knives...well, actually only three now since the other sets were "borrowed/purloined" and every one of them is razor sharp and can take off the hair on your arm...that is if you have hair on your arm, of course. :)

I have really shitty knives, I guess. But I dont' know what kind to get. And then I was told I cant put them in the dishwasher.

My knives are NEVER very sharp. Maybe it's because I sometimes also use them as screwdrivers - like I don't have my very own little tool belt right in the garage with a lavender handled set of 12.

But, seriously, meat and knives seem to be more of a man's domain (did I say that?) and my man is ignorant of both. That's why we have lots of tuna casserole.

[Satan]

Here's what kind to get:

Henckels or Wusthof.

http://www.carving-knives.com/

Here's what kind to get:

Henckels or Wusthof.

http://www.carving-knives.com/


I think you're giving Tiger too much credit in the knife department...

Tiger, click here (http://www.smdistributor.com/ginsu_knives.htm)

[Satan]

I guess I missed the part where she said she was looking for disposable knives... ::)

I guess I missed the part where she said she was looking for disposable knives... ::)


You know those knives when you go over to a friend's house, you bring the salad fixings and you have to cut a tomato, and at best all you can do is smash it flat with their knives?

Those are the knives Tiger has.

You know that time when you need co cut the end of a rope off, you say, "Hey, Tiger, let me borrow your knife" and you cut and cut and cut....and the only way you get through the rope is by gnawing on it?

Those are the knives Tiger has.

[Persephone]

I guess I missed the part where she said she was looking for disposable knives... ::)


You know those knives when you go over to a friend's house, you bring the salad fixings and you have to cut a tomato, and at best all you can do is smash it flat with their knives?

Those are the knives Tiger has.

You know that time when you need co cut the end of a rope off, you say, "Hey, Tiger, let me borrow your knife" and you cut and cut and cut....and the only way you get through the rope is by gnawing on it?

Those are the knives Tiger has.



Hey! What's wrong with that? ;)

Hey! What's wrong with that? ;)


Whenever I go to friends' houses for dinner and I'm going to be cooking something, I have a "travel set" of knives that I always bring. They're not the best in the sheath, but at least they'll cut a vegetable without destroying it.

[Persephone]

Hey! What's wrong with that? ;)


Whenever I go to friends' houses for dinner and I'm going to be cooking something, I have a "travel set" of knives that I always bring. They're not the best in the sheath, but at least they'll cut a vegetable without destroying it.



You could probably manage to cut up a bell pepper at my house, but I don't own any $500 set of steak knives. I'm sure I would not pass muster.

You could probably manage to cut up a bell pepper at my house, but I don't own any $500 set of steak knives. I'm sure I would not pass muster.


I have a set of Henckels and am fairly unimpressed with them. They are uncomfortable in the grip and they don't hold an edge for shit. I prefer carbon knives as they take a sharper hone and faster with less effort.

Steak knives? I don't own a steak knife...simply for the reason I don't buy that "grade" of steak. If I need a knife to cut my steak, I might as well eat a shoe.

[truelies]

I am very skilled at EATING a good brisket. Does that help any?

[Persephone]

Steak knives? I don't own a steak knife...simply for the reason I don't buy that "grade" of steak. If I need a knife to cut my steak, I might as well eat a shoe.



Funny. I would say the same about a veggie burger. :)

Oh, well. Since you would have to bring your own steak if you came to my party I guess you would know to bring your own accoutrements.

I am very skilled at EATING a good brisket. Does that help any?


Absolutely! There is no point in even making a brisket unless there are a whold bunch of people like you sitting there hungry.

Skilled eaters at a brisket festival are the most important ingredient, IMHO.