| Texas Style Barbecue Beef Brisket is well known in | | | | The low temperature of the oven and the long |
| barbecuing circles. It's almost always a required item | | | | cooking time will melt the connective tissue and fat |
| in barbecue competitions. However, this great tasting | | | | making a tender brisket. It also allows the brisket to |
| cut is not just for barbecue. | | | | cook evenly all the way through without drying out |
| Now there's certainly nothing wrong with barbecue | | | | the exterior. |
| brisket. I love it! The long slow cooking in a smoker | | | | Brisket Slow Baked and Sauced |
| creates a brisket that is really something special. | | | | 4 lb. flat cut brisket |
| My contention is that it's just as special cooked in | | | | Garlic powder |
| other ways. | | | | Celery salt |
| Selecting The Best Brisket | | | | Worcestershire sauce |
| The key to great tasting and tender brisket cooked | | | | 3 Tbsp. liquid smoke |
| by any method begins with selecting the brisket. You | | | | Onion salt |
| need to be a little picky and not just grab the first | | | | Black pepper |
| one you see. | | | | For The Sauce: |
| Brisket is a primal beef cut and is a long fibered | | | | 1 cup catsup |
| muscle from the chest area of the beef critter. It's | | | | 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce |
| located just below the first five ribs. | | | | 2 cups water or broth |
| The brisket muscle is used for walking and because | | | | 3 to 4 drops Tabasco |
| it's so heavily used it is naturally tough. However, | | | | Sprinkle the brisket with the liquid smoke, garlic |
| some briskets are tougher than others. | | | | powder, onion salt and celery salt. Cover with foil and |
| Selecting the tenderest brisket is a combination of | | | | refrigerate overnight. |
| skill and luck. | | | | The next morning sprinkle the brisket with pepper |
| Beef Brisket Cuts | | | | and drizzle the Worcestershire sauce over it. Cover |
| The first step in selecting brisket begins with which | | | | and bake at 275 degrees for five hours. |
| cut. | | | | After five hours uncover the brisket and pour the |
| Whole beef brisket is normally in the 8 to 12 pound | | | | sauce over the meat. Return the brisket to the oven |
| range and has an inner fat layer between the | | | | and bake for an additional hour. Baste with the sauce |
| muscles that will not render during cooking. They are | | | | every 15 minutes. |
| usually sold in cry-o-vac packaging and are not | | | | Remove the brisket from the oven and pour off the |
| trimmed of excess fat. | | | | sauce. Allow it to cool for approximately 30 minutes |
| Unless you have a lot of people to feed and are | | | | and then slice very thin across the grain. Drizzle some |
| prepared to deal with all the fat steer clear of whole | | | | sauce over the slices and serve. |
| brisket. | | | | Braised Beef Brisket |
| Whole brisket is further divided into point cut and flat | | | | Braising is a moist heat cooking method by which |
| cut brisket. These cuts are in the 4 to 6 pound range | | | | meat is cooked in a small amount of liquid at low heat |
| and have been trimmed of most excess fat. | | | | for a lengthy period of time. Braising is sometimes |
| The point cut has much more interior fat than the | | | | referred to as "pot roasting". |
| flat cut. It's a great cut for shredded beef but | | | | The long, slow cooking develops flavor and |
| because of all the fat it doesn't slice very well. | | | | tenderizes brisket by gently breaking down its fibers. |
| For sliced brisket you would want to select the flat | | | | Braising can be done on top of the range or in the |
| cut. | | | | oven. A crock-pot is an ideal braising tool. A |
| Brisket Grades | | | | tight-fitting lid is very important to prevent the liquid |
| Beef is sometimes graded for eating quality. All beef | | | | from evaporating. |
| is inspected for wholesomeness but quality grading is | | | | Braising is my moist heat method of choice for beef |
| voluntary and the packinghouse has to pay for it. | | | | brisket. |
| Of all the grades there are only three that are | | | | Tex/Mex Oven Braised Brisket Recipe |
| available at the retail level. The three grades are | | | | 4 pounds beef brisket, flat cut |
| prime, choice and select. | | | | 1 1/2 cups beef stock |
| Unless you order online you will probably never see | | | | For The Tex/Mex Rub: |
| the prime grade. | | | | 2 tablespoons chili powder |
| That leaves choice and select grades. Of the two | | | | 2 tablespoons salt |
| the choice grade will have the best fat marbling and | | | | 1 tablespoon garlic powder |
| will result in a more tender brisket. | | | | 1 tablespoon onion powder |
| If your brisket is not quality graded then you could | | | | 1 tablespoon ground black pepper |
| be getting any of the three grades. It's all a matter | | | | 1 tablespoon sugar |
| of luck. | | | | 2 teaspoons dry mustard |
| If you can get a good view of the non-graded | | | | 1 bay leaf, crushed |
| brisket try to select the one with the best marbling. | | | | Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. |
| If you can't get a good view then go with a smaller | | | | Trim any excess fat from the brisket. |
| brisket. It's likely that a small brisket is from a | | | | Combine all the rub ingredients and season the |
| younger animal and will be tenderer. | | | | brisket all over with the rub. Place the brisket in a |
| You can also perform a flexibility test. Place your | | | | roasting pan and roast, uncovered in the oven for 1 |
| hand vertically under the center of the brisket and let | | | | hour. |
| the brisket droop over the edges of your hand. | | | | Add the beef stock to the pan. The liquid should be 1 |
| The brisket that droops the most will be the | | | | 2 the height of the brisket. Add some water if |
| tenderest. | | | | necessary. |
| Cooking Brisket | | | | Lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees. Cover |
| That's it for selecting brisket. Now let's cook it up. | | | | the pan tightly and continue cooking for another 3 |
| (And not on the barbecue!) | | | | hours or until its fork tender. |
| Baked Beef Brisket | | | | By carefully selecting your brisket and using either |
| Since brisket is one of the toughest cuts of beef | | | | one of these two recipes you will be rewarded with |
| that you can buy most cookbooks will tell you that it | | | | great beef flavor and surprising tenderness from this |
| has to be cooked with a moist heat cooking method. | | | | tough cut. |
| However, by imitating the low and slow method of | | | | The next time you're thinking beef brisket remember |
| smoke cooking you can bake a brisket in the oven. | | | | this: Beef brisket is not just for barbecue! |
| And it's great! | | | | |