Tips on cooking Brisket

[danpeikes]

Originally Posted by Constance

I have a 9 lb. brisket in my refrigerator, waiting to be cooked. Actually, it's been waiting in the freezer for about a year and a half, but it's time has finally come. DH loves to buy big pieces of meat, but he got carried away with this one. He says we'll lose about 1/3 when he trims it up, though.
I'm going to do it in the oven, low and slow, for at least 8 hours; will probably put it on at 225 before I go to bed tonight.
What about seasonings? I plan to make several different meals out of it, so I thought probably just salt, pepper and garlic, plus some kind of liquid. I've looked at several recipes, and some use vinegar, wine, beef broth, beer, or tomatoes. What do you all use?

I often use apple juice, guiness, or beef broth

[ChefJune]

This is the way I've been making it for years and years and ....
Jacobs’ Family Brisket

This is the recipe—first devised by my Aunt Ruth, then improvised on by any number of family cooks—that is forever etched in stone as our family’s traditional Rosh Hashanah Dinner. The major caveat: it’s much better made a day ahead and reheated ­ that also gives you the chance to chill the gravy so you can degrease it completely.
6 to 8 generous servings
5 pounds boneless brisket of beef
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 red onions, sliced
4 whole stalks celery (including leaves) coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 cup bottled chili sauce
1 can beer

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place the brisket fat side up in an oiled roaster large enough to hold it comfortably. Season with salt and pepper. Place the onions and celery over the beef. Mix the brown sugar with the chili sauce and spread on top the vegetables. Add ½ cup of water to the bottom of the pan.
2. Put the pan in the preheated oven. Allow 1 hour per pound of meat for roasting. Roast uncovered for about the first 30 minutes, basting frequently with the pan drippings, until the meat is well browned.


3. Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees F. and cover the pan. After 3 ½ hours total cooking time, pour the beer over the meat and re-cover the pan. Cook 1 ½ hours longer, or until very tender.


4. Remove the meat from the pan and let cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Strain the gravy into a bowl and refrigerate overnight to solidify the fat that will rise to the top.


5. The next day, slice the meat and reheat it in the de-fatted gravy.
Add ½ cup more beer if gravy is too thick.
Teacher’s Tip: If, like me, you are allergic to beer, an equal amount of red wine, such as a Côte du Rhône, can be successfully substituted. If you¹d like to avoid the alcohol altogether, try a red grape juice or 100% cranberry juice.

[BigAL]

I've been smoke'n briskets for quite awhile now. The best way, imho, is to buy a whole packer brisket, about 12#'s. Don't trim the fat, put on alot of kosher salt and a ton of black pepper. On the smoker fat down to protect the meat, smoker temp 225-300, indirect heat. once the internal temp of the flat hits about 160-165ish it will "stall". I put it in an alum foil pan and cover w/foil(fat down). When the temp gets up to 195ish I'll poke it w/a meat therm to check for tenderness. When it slides in like going into butter, it's done. Pull off smoker, loosen the foil to "tent" and wait at least 30min. I usually wait 30-60min. Separate the point from the flat, slice the flat cross grain and chop the point. Then the point goes back in the smoker to render more fat out and to make burnt ends.

Just how I do it anyway. I've tried many different ways, on a smoker, and this is the best.

The smoker temp can be 300*(I've done a few hot & fast briskets). Same rules apply, just goes quicker and you'll have less smoke flavor. Also remember no two cuts will cook the same, never have for me anyway.

[Paymaster]

Oh yeah! Love those burnt ends!

[Poppinfresh]

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums...ket-20090.html

Follow it to the letter and you can't go wrong. Best brisket I've ever had - and I'd even say that if I didn't have a personal bias due to creating it.