Easy as... Brisket?

I never tire of beef.  Growing up on a cattle farm, we had what seemed like an endless supply of beef in our freezer.  Steaks, hamburger, roasts...  I am a beef lover.  One cut of beef that I particularly enjoy is a brisket.  Brisket is a cut of meat from the breast or lower chest of beef, or the pectorals.  Interesting fact: cows do not have collar bones, so these areas on the cow are supported by the brisket muscles.  The cut of meat from this area therefore has a lot of connective tissue which means the meat must be cooked correctly in order to be tender and juicy.

When buying brisket in the grocery store, there are a couple of things to know.  First of all, the weight of the uncooked meat will NOT be the weight of the cooked meat.  This is true for most meats, but it especially holds true with brisket.  This is because as the brisket cooks a lot of the fat and connective tissue breaks down and dissolves resulting in sometimes a 35% loss in weight.  Second of all, don't look for the leanest looking cut.  Usually you can't even see the layer of fat, because the meat will be packaged with the fat on the bottom, but a significant layer of fat is necessary to help keep the meat moist while it cooks.

When cooking brisket, think "Low and Slow."  Brisket is a really very simple meat to cook.  Some recipes call for a dusting of flour, searing, or dry rubs, but with the amount of fat on the meat, and some simple ingredients, all I do with my brisket is season and cook.  Mine always turn out moist and delicious with very little work.

My recipe for beef brisket is really versatile.  Use what you have on hand!  It makes a lot, so I always freeze half, tightly wrapped.

1 beef brisket (usually between 5-7 lbs)
1/2 cup whisky, or dark beer, or cola
1/2 cup soy sauce
garlic salt
onion salt
worcestershire sauce

Marinate the meat in the whisky and soy sauce for 2 hours up to overnight.  (I do this in the bowl of my crock pot the night before so I don't dirty an extra dish).  Sprinkle meat with onion salt, garlic salt and worcestershire sauce.  Turn the meat fat side up (so the fat can melt down through the meat as it cooks), cover with lid, and cook at 300 degrees for 4-6 hours. (Or in a crock pot, on high for 1 hour, then low for... eh... 5 hours or so...)  You can't really overcook brisket, as long as it's covered.  Once it's cooked, the meat should be fork-tender and practically fall apart.  I let it cool to room temperature, take the fat off, and refrigerate in it's juices overnight.  When I am ready to serve it, I let it come to room temperature, then heat, covered, in a 300 degree oven for about 20 to 30 minutes or until hot.  Brisket is yummy, but reheated brisket is delicious!!!

Try it, you'll love it!