Braised Brisket Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long does it take to braise a brisket? ›

Scrape vegetables into roasting pan with brisket. Add thyme and bay leaves to roasting pan and cover well with foil. Set oven to 300°F (150°C) and cook brisket on middle rack until fork-tender, 3 to 4 hours. Transfer brisket to a work surface and let rest 30 minutes.

The temperature of the meat begins to rise again -- which you want because brisket gets more tender the longer you cook it.

Regardless, brisket is a cut that benefits from a low and slow cooking style. Braising and smoking are the most common. They're both effective ways to add great flavor to the meat as well as make it mouthwateringly tender. You can also steam beef brisket.

Contrary to some sources, you do not need to flip your brisket at any point during cooking. Flipping can disrupt the smoking process, as you are repeatedly lowering the temperature every time you open the grill, extending your brisket cook time.

“You can overcook a braise,” she says, even if there is more wiggle room for when it's done.

It can be broth, wine, beer, or any other flavorful liquid. The broth is a good all-purpose liquid, as it is flavorful and adds moisture to the meat. Wine can also be used, and it will add a deep flavor to the braised dish.

It's a tough cut of meat, which is why the best way to cook brisket is a low-and-slow method: Long, slow cooking makes it tender.

Smoked brisket cooked using the Texas Crutch method (wrapped in butcher paper or foil) is incredibly juicy and extremely tender. Wrapping your meat in foil ensures it comes out beautifully smoked and full of flavor.

The meat was overcooked: Slow cookers are known for their ability to tenderize meat, but if the meat is cooked for too long, it can become overcooked and tough. It's important to follow the recommended cooking time for your recipe to ensure that the meat is cooked to the correct doneness.

Sear the brisket first. Sear the brisket all over to caramelize the meat and develop flavor before slow cooking it. Submerge the brisket in liquid and add aromatics. The liquid can be anything: broth, wine, ketchup, BBQ sauce, beer - you name it.

What is the 3 2 1 method for brisket? ›

The Texas Crutch doesn't exclusively refer to brisket. You can use the technique with any meat. The popular 3-2-1 method of cooking ribs uses the Texas crutch. The numbers simply refer to 3 hours in the smoker unwrapped, then 2 hours wrapped in foil, with the final hour unwrapped at a slightly higher temperature.

Once seared, place brisket in foil pan, fat side up, and smoke, uncovered for 2 hours. Flip brisket and smoke for 1 hour. At this point, the juices inside are under a fair amount of pressure. It is important not to pierce the meat from this point until it is done.

Brisket contains a lot of connective tissue, which can make it tough. The type of connective tissue in brisket is called collagen. Cook the meat quickly and you get tough, dry meat. Cook a brisket slowly, with some liquid, and the collagen turns into gelatin.

OK, most of the problem with tough brisket is usually undercooking. The way to solve this is to cook to internal temperature of about 95C or 203f. But that is just a rough guide to tender brisket. If you cook it very low & slow, say anywhere from 220f to 240f, it will be close to tender at 91C or 196f.

Slow cooking beef brisket in a rich, savory red wine bath for several hours transforms the tough, fatty cut of beef into something so tender and juicy you hardly need a knife to cut it. This red wine braised brisket recipe is a variation of the recipe my husband and I usually make for my family at Passover.

The liquid level needs to remain the same, so add more if necessary. It will take about 1 1/2 to 3 hours to become fork-tender. As soon as it's fork-tender, it's done. Cooking any longer will dry out the meat.

Check for doneness! Start checking after two hours by using your trusty instant-read thermometer. You could pull it at 190°F, but some say that as high as 200°F is the tender, moist sweet spot for braised brisket!

Ideally, the temperature should be kept just below boiling, between 185°F (85°C) and 195°F (90°C). In this temperature range, the collagen will need two to three hours to soften, depending on the size of your cut.