Theres nothing better than a juicy piece of brisket. Its delicious no matter how you cook it: cured into pastrami or corned beef, smoked for Texas barbecue, or oven-roasted for a Jewish holiday. Unfortunately, theres a reason the saying “brisket, dont risk it” exists, and weve all had a less-than-perfect brisket that turned out drier and chewier than we hoped. This huge cut of meat takes twice as long to cook as other braising meats, and it can lose its moisture easily if its not prepared correctly. Considering that a whole brisket can run upwards of $50, its not exactly an inexpensive mistake.
Luckily, its completely possible to pull off a mouth-watering, fall-apart-tender brisket. You dont need to be a certified pitmaster to do it, either. Its all about paying attention to the details and avoiding many of these common mistakes everyone makes when cooking brisket. Armed with this knowledge, youll be ready to cook brisket for anyone — maybe even a holiday meal!
The temperature of the meat begins to rise again — which you want because brisket gets more tender the longer you cook it.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__simply_recipes__uploads__2015__04__easy-beef-brisket-horiz-a-1200-3e5b8e1bf2b64a0bafd7d36b128624f1.jpg)
Not cooking the brisket long enough
Brisket is not a last-minute dinner plan, and its definitely not an easy weeknight dinner. If youre smoking it on a 225 degree Fahrenheit smoker, it can take as much as an hour and fifteen minutes per pound. Even if we increase the heat and cook it in a 275-degree oven, youll still need to plan for an hour per pound. Were looking at five to six hours total for a five-pound brisket, so youll want to plan ahead.
The good news is that brisket tastes better the next day, and it gets more tender as it sits. After your brisket is finished cooking, let it cool down to room temperature. Then, place the brisket (and any sauces it cooked in) in a glass casserole dish and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. The next day, slice the meat and put it back in the casserole dish. Cover it with foil and bake it in a 350-degree oven for about an hour, until its heated through.
Letting all of the brisket’s moisture escape
If we had to pick a single secret for cooking a perfect brisket, it would be this one. The grill or a smoker is the ideal way to infuse smoky flavor into your brisket, but cooking brisket uncovered is a great way to let all the moisture escape. Luckily, you can have your cake and eat it too — a smoky brisket thats also juicy and moist — if you follow the rules.
Brisket is a very large cut of meat and experiences something called the plateau or the stall. When it reaches the 160 degrees Fahrenheit mark, the meat stops increasing in temperature. Greg Blonder, Ph.D., explains that the meat is basically sweating, releasing enough moisture that it keeps the meat cool while it cooks. This moment is the perfect opportunity to take your exposed brisket off the smoker and wrap it in aluminum foil or butcher paper. That allows the meat to absorb smoke for the first few hours of its cook time while keeping the moisture in for the remaining hours.
The same principle applies to oven-roasted brisket. That evaporative cooling still happens at 160 degrees, so youll want to keep the brisket covered for the entire cook time to keep the steam inside the pot.
Does brisket get more tender the longer you cook it?
FAQ
Does brisket get softer the more you cook?
How do you make brisket more tender?
Does overcooking brisket make it tough?
How do you soften a tough brisket?
Does brisket become more tender when cooked?
Brisket will become more tender the longer it is cooked, as long as it reaches an internal temperature of 203°F. Hot-and-fast brisket may not be as tender as slow-cooked brisket because it does not have enough time to tenderize.
What is the healthier substitute of brisket?
Brisket is high in fat. Instead of brisket, lean meat like chicken, turkey and fish will be a good option for healthy lifestyle. Chicken is good source of protein and has very less fat. Omega-3-fatty acids are good for healthy heart, which we used to get from fish.
How to cook a tender brisket every time?
By following these key steps, it is possible to achieve a tender and juicy brisket every time. To tenderize a brisket, it needs to be cooked at low temperatures for an extended period of time to break down the tough connective tissue. The temperature of the smoker should be maintained between 225°F and 250°F for the best results.
Does brisket taste better the next day?
The good news is that brisket tastes better the next day, and it gets more tender as it sits. After your brisket is finished cooking, let it cool down to room temperature. Then, place the brisket (and any sauces it cooked in) in a glass casserole dish and cover it tightly with plastic wrap.