Brisket: The Morning After

Once in a while when I check my stats, I note a curious upswing in some particularly single-minded search among my 30 daily readers (23 usually new). For reasons as yet unclear to me, the Fourth of July brought to my site a number of anxious cooks seeking some variation of "slow cooker brisket recipe jewish."

And here it is:

Texas Oven Brisket

5 to 6 lb. fresh beef brisket, well trimmed
1 cup barbecue sauce (your favorite)
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup liquid smoke (Colgin's is best)
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons celery salt
2 teaspoons lemon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 275°F.

In a large Pyrex baking dish (or slow-cooker), thoroughly mix all ingredients for sauce. Put the brisket in the baking dish, and turn it over once to coat it with the sauce. Seal the dish tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil.

Bake at 275°F for 5 to 7 hours (about 1 hour and 15 minutes per pound). Remove from oven and allow to stand for 1 hour before slicing. Slice across the grain, and serve with sauce. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Note: This recipe works well with a 5- to 6-pound brisket. You need not shorten cooking cooking time for smaller cuts. About four hours is the suggested minimum for 2-3 pounds. If you don’t use a slow-cooker, be sure to use a Pyrex baking dish or very heavy metal pan. Also, before you prepare the brisket, remove it from the refrigerator far enough ahead of time to allow it to come to room temperature.

My own note: To make a classic East-coast brisket, just don’t use the BBQ sauce or liquid smoke. For more intense flavor, substitute vegetable or beef broth for the water, and/or add a quarter-cup of red wine.

[recipe via Texas Cooking and my original post here]

And yes of course you may have seconds. What nice manners your mother gave you!