Problems Cooking Brisket

[monkeychef23]

So I am cooking brisket for a large event, and it isn't coming out the way it should. Brisket should look dark and fall apart (at least from my experience in the past). This brisket is fairly rubbery, light colored, and it isn't as rich as the one my mother has made (same recipe).

I have cooked it at 325 for 3 hours at it has come out a light color. I know it is cooked because it is not red.

Ingredients:
6lbs of brisket
1 1/2 large, sliced onions
1 can cranberry sauce
1/8 bottle beer (miller draft)
6 oz chile sauce

What am I asking is this: does anyone have any suggestions for me to get my brisket to fall apart when I cut into it? My mother made it this way, and I don't feel it would be right to serve this to my family (also, it doesn't taste as good as it should).

Thanks.

 

[Selkie]

I cook mine on a wire rack in a roasting pan with vegetables, and covered with aluminum foil at 250F for 3 hours. Remove the foil and baste with whatever sauce you're going to use. In my case, homemade BBQ sauce. In your case, the beer/cranberry sauce. The sugar in the sauce will brown and glaze during the next one hour while uncovered. At the end of the forth hour, test the tenderness with a fork. It should easily pull apart. If it doesn't, continue baking for another 30 minutes and test again. Don't get anxious by turning up the heat. Just give it more time until it reaches the tenderness that you're looking for.

 

[monkeychef23]

I cook mine on a wire rack in a roasting pan with vegetables, and covered with aluminum foil at 250F for 3 hours. Remove the foil and baste with whatever sauce you're going to use. In my case, homemade BBQ sauce. In your case, the beer/cranberry sauce. The sugar in the sauce will brown and glaze during the next one hour while uncovered. At the end of the forth hour, test the tenderness with a fork. It should easily pull apart. If it doesn't, continue baking for another 30 minutes and test again. Don't get anxious by turning up the heat. Just give it more time until it reaches the tenderness that you're looking for.

Thanks for your help. Ill try it on 250 for a while longer and report my findings.

 

[monkeychef23]

Alright, so I cooked it at 250 for another hour, little bit more tender. You think I could just keep cooking it for a few more hours and it will start to fall apart a bit more?

 

[Selkie]

I'd check it every 30 minutes.

 

[Zhizara]

Alright, so I cooked it at 250 for another hour, little bit more tender. You think I could just keep cooking it for a few more hours and it will start to fall apart a bit more?

I agree with Selkie that you need to baste it and I'd just keep cooking until it's the way you like it.

I would also add some braising liquid to the pan. The moisture of even plain water will keep your brisket moist.

 

[Josie1945]

Welcome to DC.

Josie

 

[monkeychef23]

@josie thanks for the welcome

@zhizara I think that might be what the beer is for, but I'll remember that for next time, thanks!

@everyone
So I cooked it for an extra two hours and I got the meat to fall apart much more than before. Sadly the meat isn't as flavorful as I had hoped (or as my mother made it) but it is much more edible now.

Thanks for your help everyone. Lesson learned: cook it longer.

 

[Midnight_Merlot]

Well monkey, I have a bit of advice that I am quite "shakey" about, but - one that COULD work in your favor. Pressure cooker. I have an older one, &, it literally scares me under a blanket when I use it, but, as far as tenderizing meats go - I would "bank on it" to get that sweet, juicy meat that you desire. Make sure that you have just about 1 cup of water/juices in there, &, some pretty steady nerves. 20 minutes under pressure, well, you could serve the most tender brisket on the planet. (MINUS the heart-failure) HAHAHA

 

[taxlady]

You reminded me of my favourite pressure cooker story. Some friends cooked a chicken in a pressure cooker. They left it for too long. The chicken exploded out through the safety valve and embedded itself in the ceiling. Yes, a chicken came out through that tiny hole. The only damage to the pressure cooker was replacing some part of the safety valve. I didn't see it, but my DH did.