Brisket in Barbecue Sauce

I looked down at the end of the dining room table where our teenage guests were huddled protectively over their plates. Male teenage guests, who apparently had not eaten in the last 6 months… or maybe 6 hours. The platter of brisket was fixed in position at their end of the table and would not be circulating again anytime soon. I hoped that the other guests had managed to stab a slice of meat as the platter flew magically over their heads to its coveted destination. This recipe for brisket in barbecue sauce , a dish that regularly graces our table at festive holiday meals, is from Bonnie Stern, published in the National Post, April 2009.

Brisket in Barbecue Sauce

Shopping in my local grocery store, I accidentally made a discovery that changed the way that I prepare this dish forever. Looking for a package of brisket that was on the smaller side, I saw one that was exactly right, labelled “Brisket- 2nd cut” . I thought no more about it, and prepared it as usual. When I tasted the brisket, I realized that this melt-in-your-mouth soft, juicy meat was in a class of its own. This second cut of beef was first rate.

Brisket comes from the breast or lower chest of beef or veal. Butchers generally cut a whole brisket crosswise in half so there are two briskets. The flatter one is the first cut, or “flat,” and that’s what you’ll find in most supermarkets. The second cut, or “point,” is thicker and has much more intramuscular fat, or marbling, that makes it extremely tender and flavorful when cooked. The second cut is great for those who enjoy a fattier meat, while the first cut is good for those who prefer a leaner taste.

The second cut of brisket has become my first choice of meat. Cooked low and slow, bathed in a smoky, sweet barbecue sauce, this roast is so tender that you can cut it with the side of your fork. For best flavor, prepare the brisket a day or two before you plan to serve it and refrigerate it in its gravy. Remove the fat from the sauce after it has been chilled and slice the meat against the grain. The purpose of slicing against the grain is to reduce the length of the muscle fibers to make chewing easier. This technique also locks in the meat’s juices. Reheat the sliced brisket, covered tightly, at 300 F. for about 45 minutes, before serving.

Assemble your ingredients.  Before slicing the garlic, press on the side of the garlic with the flat side of your knife. This will split the peel and allow you to remove it easily. Slice the onions and garlic as directed. 

Place the sliced onions and garlic in the bottom of your roasting pan.  Make sure that your roasting pan is large enough to fit all of your ingredients. (I used an extra deep 9X13 inch pan.) Mix together the kosher salt, smoked paprika and freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl. Dry the brisket with paper towels to allow the spices to adhere better. Rub the spice mixture onto both sides of the brisket. Combine the barbecue sauce, brown sugar OR honey, and lemon juice OR vinegar in a measuring cup. (My preference is Bulls-eye barbecue sauce found on the shelf of your local grocery store). Once the bottle of barbecue sauce has been emptied I refill it with the water called for in the recipe and shake it around to dissolve the remaining barbecue sauce in the bottle. Add the water to the barbecue sauce mixture and pour over the brisket. Seal the pan tightly with foil and roast in a preheated oven as directed. Allow the roast to cool and refrigerate the brisket in its sauce, overnight and up to two days.

Remove the brisket from the refrigerator. You can remove any hardened pieces of fat from the gravy. Place the brisket on a cutting board and cut it into slices, cutting against the grain. In the picture above you can see that the grain is running up and down and I sliced across it. 

Print Recipe

Brisket in Barbecue Sauce

Meat, Chicken and Fish

By Bonnie Stern, published in the National Post, April 2009 – Serves: 8

Prep Time: 20 minutes – Cooking Time: 3 hours – Total Time: 3 hours and 20 minutes

Fork tender beef brisket in a sweet and smoky barbecue sauce

Ingredients

• 5 pound brisket (I like 2nd cut)
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 3 large onions, sliced
• 6 cloves of fresh garlic, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar OR honey
• 3 tablespoons vinegar OR lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups water

Instructions

1

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2

Combine the smoked paprika, kosher salt and freshly ground pepper in a small bowl. Dry off the brisket with a piece of paper towel and rub the spice mixture into the meat, coating both sides.

3

Slice 3 large onions and 6 cloves of garlic. Place the onions and garlic in the bottom of your roasting pan. I use a very deep 9X13" pan. A regular sized 9X13" pan will not work. It's not big enough to fit all of the ingredients. Place the seasoned meat on top of the onions and garlic.

4

Combine the barbecue sauce, brown sugar OR honey, lemon juice OR vinegar in a bowl or measuring cup. Add 1 1/2 cups water to the sauce mixture. ( I usually add the water to the empty bottle of barbecue sauce first and swish it around to dissolve the remaining barbecue sauce clinging to the crevices in the bottle. I add this water to the rest of the sauce ingredients.) Stir all the sauce ingredients to combine and pour over the brisket.

5

Cover tightly with foil (or lid if you used a real roasting pan). Bake at 350 F. for 3 hours.

6

Allow the brisket to cool in the sauce in the pan and refrigerate overnight or for up to two days.

7

After chilling, remove the roasting pan from the fridge and take off the fat floating in the gravy. It will have hardened and is easy to lift off. Place the brisket on a cutting board and using a sharp knife, cut even slices against the grain. Return the sliced beef to the gravy.

8

The brisket can be frozen at this point or reheated in the sauce and served. If frozen, allow the brisket to defrost in the refrigerator before reheating.

9

Reheat the brisket at 300 F. for 45 minutes to an hour.

Notes

You can substitute ketchup or tomato sauce for the barbecue sauce. However, you will be missing out on that smoky flavor imparted by the barbecue sauce.