Different ways to cook brisket

Brisket is one of the stars of the smoker. It is my preferred smoked meat. It is not something that I cook often due to the length of time required to smoke it. I do love to eat it. It is always my first choice when I visit a BBQ restaurant.

With a taste for brisket on my mind, I started searching for non-smoked ways to cook one. What follows is two different ways to cook a brisket. The first is to boil it, Boiled Brisket of Beef. The second one gives you some smoked flavor, Beef Brisket in a Crock Pot. You will be able to satisfy your taste for this cut of beef without having to spend a long time using a smoker. So after your trip to the store, Let’s head to the kitchen!

Boiled Brisket of Beef

If you are not a fan of smoked meats, here’s a recipe that will bring brisket to your table. Remember the note at the end. The leftover broth is not to be discarded.

1 brisket of beef (5 to 6 pounds)

2 Creole tomatoes, cut in quarters

2 medium onions, cut in quarters

6 carrots, cut in half across, then in quarters

6 shallots (scallions), cut into 3 to 4 inch lengths

4 stalks celery, cut in half across, then quartered

8 to 10 sprigs of parsley, stems included, torn into 2 to 3-inch lengths

2 tablespoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

4 whole bay leaves, crushed

1 teaspoon dried thyme

6 whole cloves

6 whole allspice

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon mace

2 quarts water, approximately

Place the brisket in a deep heavy kettle or stock pot of about 5 or6-quarts capacity. Place the vegetables and parsley on top of and around the brisket (the brisket and vegetables should be crowded in the bottom of the pot), then add the seasonings and enough water just to cover the meat. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the meat is fork tender. Serve sliced with Creamy Horseradish sauce on the side. Save the broth and vegetables and serve as a soup.

Beef Brisket in Crock Pot

Here’s a great indoor brisket recipe. The addition of the liquid smoke gives that cooked outside in a smoker taste,

3 yellow onions, thinly sliced

4-5 proud trimmed beef brisket

1 package onion soup mix

2 tablespoons Creole seasoning

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 cup beer (non-alcoholic or an additional 1 cup of beef broth as subs)

1 cup beef stock

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

Hot cooked rice

Place half of the onion slices in the bottom of the slow cooker.

Place brisket, fat side up, on top; cover with remaining onion slices and soup mix. Season liberally with Creole seasoning, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix remaining ingredients together; pour over beef. Cover and cook 8 hours on low. Slice thinly; serve beef and gravy over rice.

I have never met a brisket preparation that I didn’t love. This cut of beef has, in my opinion, the perfect amount of meat to fat ratio. I have not, however, shared in this article my favorite preparation, Corned Beef Brisket. Traditionally found around St. Patrick’s day, to me, this is the ultimate brisket. I guess it stems from my Irish heritage. My relatives on my grandmother’s side of the family have names like Murphy, Duffy and O’Brien. That is why my brothers and I march in the New Orleans Irish Channel St. Patrick’s parade every year.