BBQ Brisket

BBQ Brisket
From Every Kitchen Tells Its Stories – Recipes that Warm the Heart

Printable Recipe

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
First stage roasting: 3-4 hours
Marinate: 24 hours
Final roasting time: 1 hour
Serves 8-10

Ingredients:
5-7 lb/2.5-3kg beef brisket
1 tsp garlic powder (one of the very few times I use it)
2 tbsp powdered mustard
1 tsp paprika
Pepper
Sauce:
1 (14 oz/500ml) bottle ketchup
2 tsp mustard powder
¾ cup water
⅓ cup Worcestershire sauce
⅓ cup brown sugar
1 cup diced celery ( or 1 tbsp celery seeds)
½ cup gravy from brisket

Directions
1. Season brisket with garlic powder, paprika, mustard and pepper. Sear brisket on both sides(*see note below).

2. Roast brisket, fat side up, covered. Do not add water to roasting pan. Roast at 325°F/170°C until tender (usually 30 minutes per pound).

3. Meanwhile, combine ingredients for the sauce in a saucepan, cover and simmer 1 hour. If there is not enough gravy around the brisket, add beef bouillon or magi liquid and water to make up the difference.

4. Let the brisket cool for 30 minutes or so. Trim of excess fat. (You might want to refrigerate for a couple of hours to firm up the tender brisket before slicing to make it easier.) Then slice across the grain.

5. Marinate in sauce, refrigerated overnight. For best results try to find a container that will hold the sliced meat in one layer so that the sauce gets to all the meat.

Second Stage roasting:
1. Let the meat come to room temperature (about 1 hour) before roasting. Bake at 325°F/170°C covered for ¾ -1 hour.

Note: *Searing brisket: This creates a seal on the meat as it cooks in the oven. Meat stays juicier This process caramelizes the sugars present in meat, sealing the juices in and allowing the meat to remain juicy during cooking. There are a few pre-cooking tips that will help make the most of your sear:

Remove the meat from the refrigerator and set it out until it reaches room temperature (15 minutes or so) before cooking with it. The removal from cold will allow the meat to relax, allowing the meat's natural moisture to reabsorb into the muscle, rather than staying trapped between the meat's fibers;

Make sure the pan that will be used for searing is hot, hot, hot! If the pan is not hot enough when the meat is added, the meat will stick and tear when turned. Allow the meat to release all by itself before turning....it will, I promise, just be patient.

1. Place a heavy stainless steel sauté pan or seasoned cast iron skillet on high heat on top of stove. When pan is hot, add 1 tbsp olive oil, (not Extra Virgin as it burns quickly at high heat), peanut, vegetable or grape seed oil which also has a high smoke point, and then quickly add meat (in small batches if you are making stew). If you put too much meat in at one time, it will just turn grey and “stew”, losing the ability to caramelize or form a crust to seal in the precious juices. This process sizzles, so be careful.

2. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes (or as long as it takes for the meat to easily "unstick" itself from the pan) and, using tongs or spatula, flip to other side. If you’re using a regular pan (not non-stick), the meat is ready to turn when it stops sticking to the bottom. Watch for coloration to take place, it will happen fairly quickly. When one side of the meat is seared, turn it to allow a fresh side of meat the opportunity to brown. Searing calls for constant attention because it takes place so quickly. If attention is averted, it is easy to burn the meat. The result will be a nice crisp caramelized surface and juicy meat on the inside. Keep in mind that the inner core of the seared meat is most likely raw and will need to be cooked further.

The Cooking Primer section of Every Kitchen Tells Its Stories has many great cooking tips.

Serving ideas: BBQ Brisket tastes great with latkes or kugel