Tough Love: A Brisket Recipe : Suffering from tough, fatty brisket? There is a cure. (2024)

This Hanukkah will be different. I’ve finally gotten the nerve to save my family from disaster. Well, maybe not disaster, but at least indigestion.

I’ve decided to confront my mother with the truth about her brisket. Mom, your brisket is tough. It’s fatty too.

The truth hurts, but so does swallowing dry meat. For years I’ve dreamed of taking over in the kitchen just so that I could make the brisket.

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Latkes and brisket are part of every Hanukkah. Every family has its own recipe for latkes, and every family seems to share my mother’s recipe for brisket. The latkes are always to die for, and the brisket is always tough and fatty.

But brisket doesn’t have to be tough and fatty. It can be tender, it can be juicy, it can be wonderful.

Don’t misunderstand. I don’t want to rewrite my family’s holiday script. Tradition is important. I couldn’t imagine Hanukkah without my family, all of their lovable idiosyncrasies, or my mother’s latkes. (Let me emphasize here again that my mother makes wonderful latkes.) And I do want to maintain the holiday brisket tradition. I only want to change the way the brisket is prepared.

Brisket is a tough cut of meat. This does not mean that all hope for a tender, juicy slice of lean brisket is lost. I have found in my years of cooking away from home that understanding the nature of a cut of meat is the key to making it taste good. Knowledge is power.

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. A tender and moist brisket is the result.

A second problem with brisket is that it tends to be fatty. The secret to serving a tender and yet lean brisket is cooking it in two stages. First, cook it covered, with broth and seasonings, at a low temperature for a long time. Then cool the meat for several hours or overnight. Refrigerate the cooking liquid separately and remove the fat that rises to the top and hardens. When the meat has cooled, cut off the fatty top layer. Slice the brisket into 1/4-inch-thick slices and put the slices into a roasting pan. Cover the sliced meat with the defatted cooking liquid and reheat slowly. All the fat is gone and the meat is tender and juicy. This is why, I found out, my Mom’s leftover brisket, reheated in its juices, came out tender and tasted so much better than it did the night it was first served. This is why I actually look forward to Mom’s leftover brisket.

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I will remind my mother of this as I explain my recipe for perfect brisket. I’ll also remind her that as she cuts the fat off the cold brisket, she should look for the small piece of meat sometimes contained within the fat cap. She can cut the fat off this piece as well. She can slice that bit of meat and heat it with the larger slices or save it for sandwiches the next day.

One great thing about this recipe is that Mom can cook the brisket a day or two ahead and, on the first night of Hanukkah, all she needs to do is remove the fat, slice it and reheat. So in addition to a recipe I’m giving Mom some free time.

Which means she’ll have plenty of time to make latkes.

*

The Perfect Brisket

Active Work Time: 45 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 9 hours, 15 minutes

Note that all of the cooking takes place in the same roasting pan. For smaller briskets, a Dutch oven will work. Use a turkey roaster for larger briskets.

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 onions, cut in half, then into strips

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound white mushrooms, sliced

1 cup red wine

2 (10 1/2-ounce) cans double-strength beef broth

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

1 cup currant jelly

Salt, pepper

1 (3 1/2- to 4-pound) beef brisket

* Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in Dutch oven or roaster. Add onion strips and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.

* Add minced garlic and saute 1 minute. Add mushrooms and red wine. Increase heat to high and reduce liquid by cooking, stirring often, until liquid is gone, 10 to 12 minutes.

* While mushrooms and onions cook, whisk together broth, tomato paste and currant jelly in nonreactive mixing bowl. Add to mushrooms and onions when wine reduces. Stir to incorporate and season with salt and pepper to taste. Scrape mushrooms and onions into bowl.

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* Sear brisket, fat side down, in same pan used for mushrooms and onions over high heat 2 to 3 minutes, then turn over and sear other side 2 to 3 more minutes.

* Pour sauce over top of brisket. Lift edges of meat so liquid goes underneath.

* Bake brisket, covered, at 300 degrees for 2 hours.

* Remove brisket from oven and let stand, uncovered, at room temperature 1 hour.

* Wrap brisket in foil. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, or up to 2 days. Refrigerate cooking liquid in separate container.

* About 1 1/2 hours before serving dinner, remove meat and cooking liquid from refrigerator.

* Remove congealed fat from top of cooking liquid.

* Using sharp knife, remove entire fatty top side of brisket and all other visible fat.

* Slice meat into 1/4-inch-thick slices (cut meat across the grain for maximum tenderness).

* Place slices in pan and cover with defatted juices. Bake, covered, at 300 degrees 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

* Serve with pan juices.

6 servings. Each serving: 842 calories, 931 mg sodium, 151 mg cholesterol, 63 grams fat, 24 grams carbohydrates, 37 grams protein, 1.09 grams fiber.

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Tough Love: A Brisket Recipe : Suffering from tough, fatty brisket? There is a cure. (2024)

FAQs

How to fix brisket that is tough? ›

As for what to do now I would put all the brisket in an oven dish with a lid, put in some stock to about 2/3 of the way up and then braise it for at least 3 hours at about 145°C. Braise it until it starts to get tender, then braise it for a bit longer.

How do you make brisket less fatty? ›

When the meat has cooled, cut off the fatty top layer. Slice the brisket into 1/4-inch-thick slices and put the slices into a roasting pan. Cover the sliced meat with the defatted cooking liquid and reheat slowly. All the fat is gone and the meat is tender and juicy.

How do you cure a brisket? ›

Step 1 - Boil the curing solution with the sugar, bay leaves, coriander seeds, black peppercorns and allspice. Cool completely. Prick the brisket all over with a skewer. Submerge the brisket in the cold solution and place in the fridge to cure for 10 days, turning once daily.

Why is my brisket so fatty? ›

Brisket comes from the chest of the animal. The side facing out toward the skin is covered with a layer of fat. This layer of fat is called the fat cap. A fat cap is usually around 1-inch thick, but the exact thickness of the layer will depend on the individual animal and how it was butchered.

Does vinegar tenderize brisket? ›

The vinegar is acidic enough to help to break down the brisket's meat fibers to make it softer and easier to chew.

How to use curing salt on brisket? ›

Mix curing salt and sugar. Rub this mixture into the brisket focusing on the exposed meat (not the fatty parts). Rub the spice mixture all over the brisket. Place in high sided roasting pan or baking dish (something that can hold the water and juices that will be released from the brisket as it cures).

How do you cure dry brisket? ›

If your leftover brisket seems a bit dry, never fear. It can still be revived and no one will be the wiser. To moisten the meat, give it a marinade in some warm beef broth, and make sure to add broth when reheating. Another option is to use the meat in dishes where it can soak up a rich sauce.

How do you cure meat at home? ›

To dry cure meat with salt, cover it entirely in salt for a full day. In order to make sure the meat is completely covered, fill a container with salt, place the meat on top, and pour more salt over until it's buried. You can also add some flavorings (like celery seed and black pepper) at this point, if you want.

What happens if you leave too much fat on brisket? ›

Trimming is an essential part of any brisket because it affects the entire cooking process. Too much fat on top? You won't get a good bark or enough smoke penetration in your meat.

What's the best way to cook a brisket fat up or fat down? ›

So if you're new to the art of grilling, it's important to note that evenly cooked meat offers seamless flavor throughout. This is especially applicable to a full-size brisket, which contains a fattier “point” half and a leaner “flat” half. Placing brisket fat-side-down will help you achieve the best possible taste.

Does brisket get more tender the longer you cook it? ›

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

Why is my brisket still tough after 8 hours in the slow cooker? ›

If you overcook meat, it becomes dry and tough. Often people using a slow cooker and don't check when the food is actually done. If a recipe says cook for 8 hours on low, people may not check the food for 8 hours.

Why is my brisket juicy but chewy? ›

As the other answers point out your brisket was vastly undercooked. Understand that this style of cooking requires not only cooking to doneness but also "time at temperature" in order to break down the connective tissue.

Can I cook a brisket twice? ›

Double Smoked Brisket Points are made from the brisket point, they've been smoked, then seasoned again, and smoked further. They are sauced up, cooked a little longer, and then served as an appetizer, side dish, or on sandwiches.

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