Beef brisket is a relatively inexpensive cut of meat that requires a long cooking time at a low temperature, but the wait is worth it. Beef brisket is a cut from the breast section and sold boneless. Because brisket is a tough cut of meat, it’s best when braised (that is, simmered in a small amount of liquid), either in the oven, in a slow cooker or on the stove top.

Two different cuts of brisket are available. Unless the recipe specifies one or the other, either may be used in recipes calling for boneless beef brisket:

• Beef Brisket Flat Half (also called thin cut, flat cut, first cut, or center cut). With its minimal fat, this cut is generally the more expensive of the two.
• Beef Brisket Point Half (also called front cut, point cut, thick cut, or nose cut). This cut is the less expensive and has more fat and flavor than the flat cut.

There are so many ways to prepare this cut of beef, but the recipe below is one of our favorites. I like to serve it with homemade baked beans and coleslaw. The brisket tastes even better if made the day before. Slice the cooled, cooked beef and place it in a baking dish. Pour the sauce over the sliced beef and cover the dish with foil. Refrigerate the dish overnight and reheat the next day in a 350 degree F oven for about 45 minutes. Leftover brisket also makes a great sandwich.

BBQ Brisket

This recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

• 3 lb beef brisket
• 3 tablespoons brisket rub, recipe below
• Barbecue Sauce, recipe below
• 1 cup beef broth
• Cooking spray

Brisket Rub

• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

BBQ Sauce

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon water
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Directions

For the rub:

Combine all the ingredients in a glass jar. You will need 3 tablespoons for this recipe and the rest can be saved for other uses.

To make the BBQ sauce:

Whisk all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl with a cover and refrigerate until ready to cook the brisket

Place the brisket in a dish and coat all sides with 3 tablespoons of the rub. Cover the dish and refrigerate the brisket overnight.

The next day, bring the brisket and BBQ sauce to room temperature. Heat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Spray a roasting pan with cooking spray. Place the brisket in the pan. Pour the BBQ sauce over the brisket. Pour the beef broth around the bottom of the pan. Cover the dish tightly with foil.

Bake for two hours and remove the baking dish from the oven and turn the brisket over. Cover with the foil and bake for 2 more hours.

Uncover the baking dish and continue to bake the brisket for one hour or until very tender.

Let the brisket rest for 15 minutes. Slice the meat against the grain and serve with the sauce.

Homemade Baked Beans

For this recipe, the beans do not have to be soaked overnight. Check the sell by date to be sure the beans are not old. Old beans do not cook evenly and tend to be tough, so the cooking time is much longer.

Ingredients

• 1 lb dried navy beans, washed and drained
• 3 slices thick bacon
• 1 onion finely diced
• ½ cup molasses
• ½ cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar

Directions

Heat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Cook the bacon until crisp in a Dutch Oven. Remove the bacon to a paper towel and when cool, break into small pieces. Set aside

Cook the onion in 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat until tender. Remove the pan from the heat.

Add mustard and garlic powders, honey, molasses and ketchup. Stir well.

Add the beans and cooked bacon and stir until coated in the sauce. Add the water, return the pan to the heat and bring to a boil.

Cover the pan and place in the oven. Cook for about six hours, stirring occasionally and adding more water, if necessary, to keep the beans barely covered.

After five hours remove the cover and add the salt and vinegar. Stir until blended.

Cook the beans for an additional hour or until the sauce is thick and the beans are tender.

Apple Fennel Coleslaw

12 servings

Dressing

• 1/4 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey or agave syrup
• 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Gala or Fuji apple, peeled and grated

Salad

• 3 cups very thinly sliced red cabbage
• 3 cups very thinly sliced savoy cabbage
• 3 medium carrots, shredded
• 1 large fennel bulb, cored and shredded
• 2  green onions, thinly sliced

Directions

In a large bowl, stir together yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, honey or agave, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the grated apple and mix well.

To the same bowl, add the cabbage, carrots, fennel and green onions, tossing until well combined. Chill until serving time.

Later in the week you can use some of the leftover brisket to make sandwiches. Here is an easy recipe to make homemade rolls to make those sandwiches extra special.

Easy Homemade Sourdough Sandwich Buns

8 rolls

Ingredients

• 1 cup sourdough starter
• ¾ cup water
• 2 ¼ cups bread flour
• 1 egg at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon butter at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 package instant yeast
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• Cooking Spray

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in the large bowl of an electric mixer. Mix with the paddle attachment until the dough comes together.

Switch to the dough hook and knead for about 5 minutes until the dough is soft and pliable. This dough does not come together in a ball.

Push the dough to one side of the bowl and coat the bowl with cooking spray. Push the dough to the other side of the bowl and coat that side of the bowl.

Push the dough back and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise one hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Divide the dough evenly in a greased hamburger pan – use about ¼ cup of the dough in each of 8 bun cups.

Let rise covered for one hour. Bake the rolls for about 25 minutes until golden. Switch the pans halfway through the baking time. Cool on a wire rack.

Posted by Jovina Coughlin in apples, Bacon, barbecue, Beans, Beef, Bread, Coleslaw, Sauces, sourdough, Vegetables Tags: baked beans, how to make beef brisket