Bottle of Wine Braised Brisket - The Defined Dish - Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How do you know when braised brisket is done? ›

You could pull it at 190°F, but some say that as high as 200°F is the tender, moist sweet spot for braised brisket! Check with your thermometer, yes, but also just look at the meat. You want tender tender tender, but (especially if you're using the first cut) you also want to be sure the meat doesn't dry out.

Slow cooking beef brisket in a rich, savory red wine bath for several hours transforms the tough, fatty cut of beef into something so tender and juicy you hardly need a knife to cut it. This red wine braised brisket recipe is a variation of the recipe my husband and I usually make for my family at Passover.

Place in the oven and bake for about an hour and 15 minutes per pound, until the brisket reaches 170-180° (I used one of our 4 1/2 lb. flat briskets that took about 4 hrs., 15 min. Update: after cooking one of our 7 lb. briskets, it will take over 5 hrs. to get to 185 degrees).

Add thyme and bay leaves to roasting pan and cover well with foil. Set oven to 300°F (150°C) and cook brisket on middle rack until fork-tender, 3 to 4 hours.

Keeping a water pan in the smoker is the best way to retain moisture. After the first 2-3 hours start spritzing your brisket with water, apple juice, hot sauce or apple cider vinegar every 30 minutes to an hour. This helps keep it moist and stops it from burning.

Contrary to some sources, you do not need to flip your brisket at any point during cooking.

“You can overcook a braise,” she says, even if there is more wiggle room for when it's done.

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.

Rich, dark liquors like bourbon and whiskey go well with the smokiness of BBQ dishes like brisket and pulled pork. If you don't want to drink it straight, we recommend mixing up a bourbon lemonade – the slightly tart taste of lemons cuts the smokiness of both the bourbon and BBQ.

What is traditionally served with brisket? ›

It's always tasty served with roasted potatoes or potato salad, but don't forget the veggies! Crunchy cabbage slaws, roasted veggies, and tangy salads are all great choices.

Wrapping a brisket in butcher paper or aluminum foil will speed up the cooking process. Wrapping the brisket will prevent what's called "the stall" — when evaporation from the surface of the brisket halts the cooking process.

The main reason to cook brisket fat side down is for delicious consistent results, especially when it comes to competition barbecue. Fat-side down encourages a more pronounced smoke ring. A smoke ring refers to the thin ribbon of pink-colored meat between the crust and the interior brown-colored meat.

As soon as it's fork-tender, it's done. Cooking any longer will dry out the meat. With braising, just a little effort yields amazing results.

For chunky braises like beef stew or short ribs, take the pot out of the oven as soon as the meat breaks apart easily along the larger seams. For shredded braises like ropa vieja or barbacoa, cook the meat until it shreds into individual fibers. If the meat is still tough, let it cook longer.

The brisket is done when the internal temperature is between 190 and 200 degrees. It should not go above 205 degrees. You can also tell the brisket is cooked when it's fork tender. You can easily shred it between 2 forks.