what's the best way to cook brisket???

Answer 1

According to a great site--CooksIllustrated.com, do this:


Barbecued Beef Brisket

Written: 7/1998
Barbecuing brisket for less than a crowd is easy to do. Simply ask your butcher for either the point or flat portion of the brisket, whichever cut you prefer. Then follow the master recipe, reducing the spice rub by half and grill-smoking for 1 1/2 hours. Wrap the meat tightly in foil and reduce its time in the oven to 2 hours.

Serves 18 to 24

Spicy Chili Rub
4 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons table salt
1 tablespoon ground oregano
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground white pepper
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

Brisket
1 whole beef brisket (point and flat cut together), 9 to 11 pounds, trimmed
1 bottle barbecue sauce (18 ounces)

If you cook it for a long time over very low heat and slict it very thin against the grain, a tough brisket transforms itself into a tender, smoky-flavored treat.


Barbecue & Grilling Beef
See Illustrations Below: The Best Way to Barbecue Brisket

1. For Spicy Chili Rub: Mix all ingredients in small bowl.

2. Following illustration 1, apply dry rub liberally to all sides of brisket; wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 and up to 48 hours.

3. For Brisket: One hour prior to cooking, remove brisket from refrigerator and unwrap. Ignite about 2 quarts of hardwood charcoal or charcoal briquettes in pile on one side of grill; burn until completely covered with thin coating of light gray ash, 20 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, following illustration 2, assemble hickory chip pouch by wrapping 4 to 6 wood chunks (about 3 inches each) or 3 cups wood chips in double sheet of heavy-duty foil. Prick at least 6 holes in top of foil pouch with knife tip to allow smoke to escape; place on top of ash-covered coals.

4. Set grill rack in place and position brisket, fat side up, on side of rack opposite fire (illustration 3). Make sure that both top and bottom grill vents are open; position holes in lid directly over brisket and cover grill. Grill-smoke brisket without removing lid so that smoke flavor permeates meat, 2 hours.

5. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Attach two 48-inch long pieces heavy-duty foil by folding long edges together 2 or 3 times, crimping tightly to seal well, to form an approximately 48- x 36-inch rectangle. Position brisket lengthwise in center of foil. Bring short edges over brisket and fold down, crimping tightly to seal (illustration 4). Following illustration 5, repeat with long edges of foil to seal brisket completely. Place brisket on baking sheet; bake until fork-tender or instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest portion of meat registers 210 degrees, 3 to 3 1/2 hours.

6. Remove brisket from oven, loosen foil at one end to release steam, and rest for 30 minutes. Following illustration 6, drain juices into large bowl. De-fat juices (you should have 1 1/2 to 2 cups) and mix in equal parts with barbecue sauce.

7. Unwrap brisket and place on cutting board. Following illustrations 7 and 8, separate into two sections. Slice each section, on the bias across the grain, into very thin slices. Moisten slices with some of the barbecue sauce mixture and serve, passing remaining sauce separately.



STEP BY STEP: The Best Way to Barbecue Brisket


1. Apply the dry rub generously to the brisket, pressing down to make sure the spices adhere. The meat should be completely obscured by the rub.
2. For controlled smoke release, wrap wood chips in foil and puncture the foil in several spots.

3. Place the brisket on the opposite side of the grill away from the coals and enclosed wood chips.
4. Wrap the grilled brisket in two 4-foot sections of heavy-duty foil that have been sealed together.

5. Seal foil sections together crosswise, then fold the sides of the foil packet tightly up against the sides of the meat.
6. When the brisket comes out of the oven, use potholders or oven mitts to lift the baking sheet and carefully pour the juices into the bowl. Reserve the juices.

7. Since the grain on the two sections of the brisket goes in opposite directions, separate the two cuts before slicing.
8. Carve the brisket into thin slices, going against the grain on the diagonal.



If you want to cook it in the oven do this:

Onion-Braised Beef Brisket
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Written: 1/2005
This recipe requires a few hours of unattended cooking. It also requires advance preparation. After cooking, the brisket must stand overnight in the braising liquid that later becomes the sauce; this helps to keep the brisket moist and flavorful. Defatting the sauce is essential. If the fat has congealed into a layer on top of the sauce, it can be easily removed while cold. Sometimes, however, fragments of solid fat are dispersed throughout the sauce; in this case, the sauce should be skimmed of fat after reheating. If you prefer a spicy sauce, increase the amount of cayenne to 1/4 teaspoon. You will need 18-inch-wide heavy-duty foil for this recipe. If you own an electric knife, it will make easy work of slicing the cold brisket. Good accompaniments to braised brisket include mashed potatoes and egg noodles.

Serves 6
1 beef brisket , 4 to 5 pounds, flat cut preferred
Table salt and ground black pepper
vegetable oil
3 large onions (about 2 1/2 pounds), halved and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup dry red wine
3 bay leaves
3 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons cider vinegar (to season sauce before serving)

We discovered that for the best results, brisket should be cooked, cooled overnight, sliced, and then gently reheated.


Beef
See Illustrations Below: A Better Way to Cook Brisket

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 300 degrees. Line 13 by 9-inch baking dish with two 24-inch-long sheets of 18-inch-wide heavy-duty foil, positioning sheets perpendicular to each other and allowing excess foil to extend beyond edges of pan. Pat brisket dry with paper towels. Place brisket fat side up on cutting board; using dinner fork, poke holes in meat through fat layer about 1 inch apart. Season both sides of brisket liberally with salt and pepper.

2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until oil just begins to smoke. Place brisket fat side up in skillet (brisket may climb up sides of skillet); weight brisket with heavy Dutch oven or cast-iron skillet and cook until well browned, about 7 minutes. Remove Dutch oven; using tongs, flip brisket and cook on second side without weight until well browned, about 7 minutes longer. Transfer brisket to platter.

3. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pan (or, if brisket was lean, add enough oil to fat in skillet to equal 1 tablespoon); stir in onions, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute; add tomato paste and cook, stirring to combine, until paste darkens, about 2 minutes. Add paprika and cayenne and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Sprinkle flour over onions and cook, stirring constantly, until well combined, about 2 minutes. Add broth, wine, bay, and thyme, stirring to scrape up browned bits from pan; bring to simmer and simmer about 5 minutes to fully thicken.

4. Pour sauce and onions into foil-lined baking dish. Nestle brisket, fat side up, in sauce and onions. Fold foil extensions over and seal (do not tightly crimp foil because foil must later be opened to test for doneness). Place in oven and cook until fork can be inserted into and removed from center of brisket with no resistance, 3 1/2 to 4 hours (when testing for doneness, open foil with caution as contents will be steaming). Carefully open foil and let brisket cool at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes.

5. Transfer brisket to large bowl; set mesh strainer over bowl and strain sauce over brisket. Discard bay and thyme from onions and transfer onions to small bowl. Cover both bowls with plastic wrap, cut vents in plastic with paring knife, and refrigerate overnight.

6. About 45 minutes before serving, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. While oven heats, transfer cold brisket to cutting board. Scrape off and discard any congealed fat from sauce, then transfer sauce to medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until warm, skimming any fat on surface with wide shallow spoon (you should have about 2 cups sauce without onions; if necessary, simmer sauce over medium-high heat until reduced to 2 cups). While sauce heats, use chef's or carving knife to slice brisket against grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices, trimming and discarding any excess fat, if desired; place slices in 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Stir reserved onions and vinegar into warmed sauce and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over brisket slices, cover baking dish with foil, and bake until heated through, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

To Make and Serve the Brisket on the Same Day
If you would like to make and serve the brisket on the same day, after removing the brisket from the oven in step 4, reseal the foil and let the brisket stand at room temperature for an hour. Then transfer the brisket to a cutting board and continue with the recipe to strain, defat, and reheat the sauce and slice the meat; because the brisket will still be hot, there will be no need to put it back into the oven once the reheated sauce is poured over it.



STEP BY STEP: A Better Way to Cook Brisket


1. Use Dutch oven or cast-iron skillet to weight meat as it browns.
2. Carefully pour sauce and onions into foil-lined baking dish.

3. Place brisket on top of sauce, fat side up, nestling meat into liquid and onions.
4. Fold flaps of foil to wrap brisket securely, but do not wrap too tightly.

Both recipes forgot the last step--invite me to dinner when you make it!

Answer 2

Brisket?? Fat Side?? All the brisket I have cooked (and it's the best tasting joint when done properly) has been rolled and there is fat most of the way round. Anyway - sit it on its bottom so that you are looking down on the circle, blast it very hot with no lid for about 20 mins to half an hour, roughly chop a medium sized onion, throw it in, put a lid on the roasting tin/casserole dish, turn the heat down to about Reg 3(Gas), 100 (fan) 200 (elec) and forget about it for at least one and a half to two hours depending on the size of the joint. This way the brisket makes its own wonderful gravy. Enjoy, however you cook it!

Answer 3

http://bbq.about.com/od/brisketrecipes/index.htm
This site has everything you could ever want to do with brisket. This is the recipe we use (my husband's a Texan so good brisket is a must!)

Cher's Char-grilled Oven Brisket Recipe

6-10 lbs beef brisket, trimmed of fat
1 (16 ounce) bottle Stubb's beef marinade
1 (12 ounce) can beer, of your choice

Trim as much fat as possible from brisket.
Place in a large roasting pan (I buy the aluminum throw aways).
Pour entire bottle of Stubs marinade and beer over brisket.
Marinade the brisket in the fridge at least 24 hours, turning once or twice.
When you're ready to cook (early the next day) remove the brisket from the marinade and place on a very hot outdoor grill.
Sear brisket on both sides till it almost appears blackened (this will not hurt the flavor, only intensifies the juices while baking).
Discard remaining marinade.
Place char-grilled brisket on heavy duty foil and wrap very tightly (I actually wrap the brisket twice to avoid losing too much of the juices).
Place in a 250 degree oven and bake for 7 hours.
Remove the brisket from foil and let rest in its own juices for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
Serve with your favorite BBQ sauce -- if desired, however, the pan juices spooned over the brisket is out of this world.

Answer 4

1 put your brisket in a large pot with
garlic, 2 cloves smashed flat
onion, 1 finely chopped
coriander seed 1 Tablespoon
black pepper
salt
bay leaves 2
1 cabbage roughly cut (save the big tough outside leaves whole)
use the large leaves to make a form fitting cover right down on your brisket / cabbage combo

pour on 1 good beer, (sam adams, heiniken st pauli girl etc)

cook on med low or in crockpot for three- four hours yum!

Answer 5

Marinate it overnight in your fav (but don't use Claude's unless you are a salt fanatic). Put brisket plus marinade in covered roaster in slow oven and cook till very tender. If you have a smoker, use that but marinate first!

Answer 6

In the oven on LOW (or crock pot - low) -- add onion slices, garlic and your favorite BBQ sauce. Cook from the evening BEFORE you need it till supper time (24 hrs). It will fall apart it will be so tender. Then side the meat with your choice of vegetables, salads & deserts.

Answer 7

I cook mine in the oven overnight at 250. It will come out very tender. I just use a spice rub, wrap it in foil and cook it

Answer 8

my boyfriend loves this
put it in the crockpot in the morning on low...
cook till late that night.
cook your cabbage in the juces from the brisket, and make homemade mashedpotaoes!
he loves it.
(and to be honest i think it is alittle to salty, and i dont like that the meet is red even after you cook it. but we women like to make our men happy, and if that is what he likes then that is what he gets)

Answer 9

On a smoker grill,slowly so it doesn't get dried out.

Answer 10

Slowly smoke it.

Answer 11

alot of jewish recipes call for braising it in coca- cola