Help a Yankee...Brisket recipes!!!!

[Spence]

Hey there!


Okay, help my Northern butt out here....I keep hearing about how great brisket is down here in Texas.  So, I say 'what is brisket?'

After everyone stopped laughing at me (a few days later), one of the kind ladies in my office brings in some brisket for me.


Wow...totally floored.  I've been missing out on good barbeque my whole life!


So, hit me....gimme your best brisket recipe!  How do you marinade/rub/infuse it...how long do you grill/smoke/whatever it.

I'm sure making brisket is like making chili...everyone has their own style.  So, I'm hoping to get a few different styles! 

[Ozark Tracker]

lets start ya off with just brisket,  salt it a little, get yer smoker going  210 - 220 degrees let it smoke for about 2 hours per pound, but check it after 3 hours,   smoke it with the fat side up so it'll drain into the meat to tenderize it.

when you get it done, slice it thin against the grain, then use it like that or chop it at this point. get your best bbq sause.

[Delmonico]

I'm going to hijack this a bit, but it still involves brisket since most corned beef toaday is brisket. 

Watch the sales after St. Paddy's day for cheap corned beef brisket, buy it and smoke it like OT said and let it cool, slice it across the grain and put just a tiny bit of oil in yer skillet and fry it.  The best beef bacon you'll ever eat for cheap.  Beef bacon is made out of brisket and the corned beef is already brined.  My wife several years ago bought 30 of them for 59 cents a pound, we had beef bacon frozen in the freezer for months.

[Wishbone]

Heres a way to Cook Brisket if you dont have a Smoker. I got this method from a BBQ Cooker from Texas. I've done it quite a few times & its Great. Wishbone-Ks


Captns Brisket
For the folks who don't have a smoker pit of any kind, but do own a
closed BBQ grill, like the Weber, or the Old Smokey charcoal grill--
here's a good trick for cooking briskets anyway!

Take a Packer trimmed brisket(got the top fat cap on)BTW! Don't ever
try to cook a "trimmed brisket" They take off that fat cap, and it's
heck getting that varmint tender!

OK! Find you a good dry BBQ rub--look close! there should be no
salt at all on the label! If you can't find one--make your own.

Simple rub-works good:

1 table spoon each of the following:

garlic powder (not salt)
onion powder (not salt)
black pepper
chili powder (high grade-no salt or flour in it)
paprika
dark brown sugar

and

1 tsp of the following:
cayenne red pepper powder

Mix all this up, and put it in a empty spice jar.

Get your brisket and put it on the work table--pour some of the above
rub into your hands and rub it into that brisket good! All over!
rub it in with your hands-don't mess around and try to sprinkle it on
(that's sissy stuff!) Why you think this stuff is called a rub?

OK!

Lay that brisket fat side up-on some heavy duty tin foil!--fold over
the tin foil and wrap that brisket good! Now lay that brisket in a
baking pan-and place it into your home oven. Set that oven to
exactly 250 American degrees! If you don't have an oven thermometer-
get one! All ovens are different, and this is a "must have" temp!

Bake that brisket for 4 hours.

Just before it's time to take it out-go out and start you two little
8 coal fires in you closed BBQ grill--these are set to each side
(indirect cooking) take that brisket and open it up carefully and
drain the juice. set that brisket right in the middle of your grill--
(fat side up) and place some smoke wood chips on each little pile of
coals-put on the grill top cover, and regulate the air damper about
1/2 open--you are not cooking now, you are smoking! keep this grill
going for about 2 to 3 hours--you'll end up with a prime , and tender
Texas pit BBQ brisket!

Da Cap'n said that!

Copyright 1998 by Phil Mahan
Cooking with Da Cap'n

[Ozark Tracker]

I'm going to hijack this a bit, but it still involves brisket since most corned beef toaday is brisket. 

Watch the sales after St. Paddy's day for cheap corned beef brisket, buy it and smoke it like OT said and let it cool, slice it across the grain and put just a tiny bit of oil in yer skillet and fry it.  The best beef bacon you'll ever eat for cheap.  Beef bacon is made out of brisket and the corned beef is already brined.  My wife several years ago bought 30 of them for 59 cents a pound, we had beef bacon frozen in the freezer for months.

Del's right about the beef bacon,  it's good fryed just by itself, on biscuts, snadwich, straight with potato salad,  just try to keep from drying it out too much.

[Delmonico]

Another idea, but it won't be smoked, but will be moist and tender would be to put your rub one several hours before and get out a dutch oven and get a fire burned down to some coals.  Put the brisket in the oven rfat up and put the oven on a small bed of hot coals, put the lid on and just heap the coals one it.  This will get the oven to maybe 425 or higher.  This will give it a good sear.  Just let it go and let the oven cool off slowly for 3-4 hours, don't open it and let the moisture out.  You can keep track of the temp by touching the sides real quick, remember it don't take a real long time to see of an oven is hot.   Only add coals if needed.

When done it will be very tender and moist.

These two before and after pictures are a pork loin I cooked last year, but the results would be the same with the brisket.

Before:



After:

[Singing Bear]

$.59 per pound?    Dang!  Cheapest I can find here is $1.17 per pound for the tips, not the flats. 
I managed to buy 2 anyway.  Got one ready to go and froze the other.  Now ya got me thinking maybe I should go back and buy a few more.

[Delmonico]

No wait till after March 17 and a bit later, when they over-stock for St. Paddy's day and they are gettin' near the end of the sell date.

[Spence]

Thanks pards!  My wife Liz and I have been hovering over this thread, printing out every new post.

Delmonico, my wife says THANK YOU for the bacon idea!

[Marshal'ette Halloway]

Ok.. my turn!
I promise you that this will melt in your mouth. Forget about a knife.. You won't need one!
The juice off of this is the next thing to heaven when you dip your bread or biscuits in it..
My mouth is just watering thinking about it..

Put meat in a pan. I always generally have a large Brisket or 2 small ones.

Add .. 1 cup Worcestershire sauce
            1  Cup Liquid Smoke
            1 1/2 cups  hot water.

Sprinkle a liberal amount of onion powder, garlic salt & celery seed on top ( 1 heaping  teaspoon each)
Leave covered overnight in fridge....turning at least one time.

Next morning, take out the pan...slip it into the oven and bake at 230 degrees for at least  8-10  hours..covered.
If you use foil to cover, use the heavy duty or double foil it .

After about 4 hours of baking..thinly slice brisket ..return to pan..and check juice in pan..
Make and add more solution and water if needed. ( depends on how much you like)
Recover and finish baking.

If you cook it longer.. it will not matter. I have cooked mine up to 12 hours before and it was wonderful.

If you like the BBQ Brisket, I make my BBQ sauce..and take out the sliced meat when it is done.. (without the broth)
pour the BBQ sauce all over it and return it to the oven for an hour or so.
Using the low heat for the duration of cooking ensures that the meat is juicy and tender and the BBQ will be all through the meat.
( ( Use the saved  Broth for your bread)) 

**I use this same recipe sometimes to cook my large roasts.. If you do, add all your vegetables the last 3 hours..
I have even made sour dough dumplings and put them all around the meat**

Lordy.... I think I am going to have to clean my keyboard off. I am slobbering all over the place thinking about it.
Guess Marshal and I are going to have Brisket this week!

[Dr. Bob]

Marshal'ette,

What time is dinner?      Promise that I will be clean and polite.  [Well, 'cept for the drool at the delightful smell of that thar brisket!! ]

[Delmonico]

Don't believe him maam, he drools at any good food, but that is not a crime in my cook camps.