Beef Brisket Help

[crewsk]

I love my hubby to death but sometimes I wonder what he's thinking. He went to the store today & came home with a 13 lb. beef brisket. (He walked in the door & said honey, I have a surprise for you! Then he hands me a bag with this huge hunk of meat in it! ) For the 4 of us, that's a lot of meat, not to mention, I have no idea what to do with it!! I've heard that brisket can be very tough if not cooked properly, so I need help cooking it properly. What temp, how long, what internal temp should I be looking for when it's done, seasonings, etc.? Anything would be helpful at this stage in the game.

 

[Loprraine]

Well, first, 13 lbs??? Cut it at least in half ( if not 1/3rds) and freeze the rest. Just follow the recipes on here, long and slow. It will be great!!!

 

[Uncle Bob]

Miss Crewsk...

Probably before I can type this someone else will come along and fill you in.
What you have is a Packer type brisket. You can cut it into two different pieces. Usually they are sold as flat cut or point cut brisket. If you look on the underside you will see the grain of the meat going in two different directions. divide the meat between these two sections and freeze one for later. As for cooking the low and slow method is prefered. This can be in the oven. In a pot on the stove. In a crock pot (ala pot roast) or on the bbq grill.
All are braising methods except the BBq. Cook in liquid at say 250/300* for several hours in the oven. Do not remove the fat cap as brisket is a lean cut and the fat will aid in adding flavor to it. When done let it rest. Slice across the grain of the meat in thin slices. Season it as you would any roast. Salt, pepper, garlic, onion, etc. etc. So, since I am slow typing I would guess you already have several ideas. If not, stand by. They will come.

Enjoy......

 

[crewsk]

Thanks Loprraine & Uncle Bob! I'm waiting until I have enough counter space to cut it which will be after supper tonight. I'm looking forward to trying it though!

 

[auntdot]

I never heard of a brisket that big, usually they are 5-6 lbs at most.

But what the hey, beef is beef.

There are a lot of good recipes for them. They can be braised, yummy, and you can save some for the grill where they really shine. Some of the best BBQ is made with the brisket. Or use it as stew meat. Just Google for recipes, there are more there than anyone can deal with.

 

[crewsk]

Thanks auntdot! I'll give Google a shot & see what I can find.

 

[SizzlininIN]

Wow thats a whole lotta beef! I went to foodnetwork and typed in beef brisket and all sorts of recipes came up..... there were 2 pages of just easy recipes.
I think the only thing that I've heard it used for is BBQ though. I've had it at a smoke house resturant before and it was really very good.

 

[VeraBlue]

Internal temp is of little use in this case because it will have reached the required safe temperature long before you are going to serve it.

Let's assume you cut it to two. While I am loathe to ever freeze meat, I don't see you having the desire nor inclination to cook brisket again before the end of the week. So, freeze one half.

Season the other half. In a large dutch oven or saucepot with a lid, sautee some sliced onions and garlic till carmelized. Add the beef and sear on all sides. Deglaze the pot with wine or broth. Add canned tomatoes, and a bit more broth, enough to barely cover the meat. Season as you like (I like to also add cranberries or apricots [dried] and a bit of honey). Simmer gently for at least 3 hours. When you have 40 minutes to go, add peeled, quartered potatoes. Let the meat rest about 20 minutes before you slice it.

 

[Corey123]

I'd slow cook it like I would a fresh pork shoulder or ribs.

 

[QSis]

Hi crewsk,

The packer cut of brisket is what most competitive BBQ'ers slow smoke for 12 or more hours.

I didn't hear you mention a smoker, so you will probably be roasting it in the oven. That's how one of my Jewish friends cooks hers.

Season it fairly heavily with some kind of salt, pepper, and any other seasoning you want.

I cook the meat at about 250 degrees (oven) temp until the meat reaches 170 degrees internal temp. Then I foil it with heavy duty foil and pour in some seasoned beef broth. Wrap it really well, and put it back in the oven. Take the meat to an internal temperature of 190 to 200, or when you stick a fork in it and it feels like butter, does not pull up at all when you try to lift it.

Let it rest in the foil for AT LEAST a half hour. Longer is better.

Slice against the grain.

The photo is of me and my BBQ partner from Kansas, at the Jack Daniels competition in Lynchburg, Tennessee.

Brisket is a wonderful thing!



Lee

 

[crewsk]

Thanks Sizz, VB, Corey, & QSis!

Qsis, we do have a smoker so that is an option. Especially since the weather is so nice & hubby will have some extra time on his hands.

I'm getting more & more excited about cooking this thing now!

 

[Corey123]

You're welcome!

Alton Brown made homemade corned beef with one of those cuts. But he used salt peter to keep the meat pink.

 

[Dina]

QSis,
My husband grilled some brisket in our pit for over 3 hours (wrapped in heavy foil) but it turned out dry. It was a bit tender but we missed something. What do you suggest we turn our pit into a smoker? We have the smoking chips and all, we just have no experience in smoking meats.

 

[Katie H]

I love my hubby to death but sometimes I wonder what he's thinking. He went to the store today & came home with a 13 lb. beef brisket. (He walked in the door & said honey, I have a surprise for you! Then he hands me a bag with this huge hunk of meat in it! ) For the 4 of us, that's a lot of meat, not to mention, I have no idea what to do with it!! I've heard that brisket can be very tough if not cooked properly, so I need help cooking it properly. What temp, how long, what internal temp should I be looking for when it's done, seasonings, etc.? Anything would be helpful at this stage in the game.

Send what you can't use to me. I'm sure Buck and I will find a wonderful use for it.

 

[QSis]

QSis,
My husband grilled some brisket in our pit for over 3 hours (wrapped in heavy foil) but it turned out dry. It was a bit tender but we missed something. What do you suggest we turn our pit into a smoker? We have the smoking chips and all, we just have no experience in smoking meats.

Tell us about your pit, Dina.

When you say "grilled", that sounds like you may have cooked the meat over direct heat, at a higher temperature.

Smoked brisket is traditionally cooked using indirect heat at a lower temperature. And, it is the one of the trickier cuts to cook correctly, so that you get a tender, juicy product.

Lee

 

[AllenOK]

Internal temp is of little use in this case because it will have reached the required safe temperature long before you are going to serve it.

If you smoke it, you want the internal temp of the brisket to reach about 190 - 200 degrees F. Once the internal temp reaches that level, you know that the collagen has converted over to gelatine, rendering a tough cut into a tender cut.

crewsk, let us know what you do and the results. I'm thinking about doing a brisket for my family here soon.