Anyone know how to cook brisket?

[Mike J]

We have got some and want to know how to cook it 

[rogerzilla]

Very, very slowly casseroled.  If you roast it conventionally, it will dry out before it's tender.

[Nuncio]

Slow and low heat on top of chopped winter veg in a covered pot, with plenty of liquid. 

[citoyen]

Slow and low heat on top of chopped winter veg in a covered pot, with plenty of liquid.

I recommend a good porter for the liquid, or failing that, Guinness. I have a recipe somewhere that I cooked not long ago and it was utterly divine - I shall see if I can dig it out. Tbh, you don't really need a recipe - just chuck it all in a pot and stick it in the oven - but it does help you to make sure you get the proportions right.

d.

[Phil]

If you've got a slow cooker, pop it in with a couple of onions chopped in half, some herbs to taste, and a can of cheap stout.  Leave it on low for eight hours or longer.  If you're feeling fancy, some mushrooms and carrots go down very nicely as well. 

[toekneep]

We had brisket last Sunday and it was superbly cooked and deliciously tender. Unfortunately I didn't cook it, Mrs. TKP did, and she isn't available right now. As soon as she it out of the shower I will ask her for the details.

[toekneep]

Slow at about 170C she says but she can't remember how long exactly. 

It was wrapped in foil on a bed of onion and carrot.

[Hummers]

It can be roasted and not turned into leather.

Put water and an (optional) peeled onion in the pan, nearly half way up the meat.

Season and cover with foil.

Roast at 170 for an hour for a small joint, two and half for a large one.

Courtesy of Mrs H

H

[nicknack]

Slow at 170! 

Not if you've got a fan oven. It'd be incinerated.

[toekneep]

Slow at 170! 

Not if you've got a fan oven. It'd be incinerated.

The oven in our crappily equipped rented house is ancient. It pre-dates such modern fangled things such as fans. Or rings that change temperature less than five minutes after turning the dial down for that matter. Or the grill that burns everything on the back of the grill pan but just warms the stuff on the front. Cooking on it is nothing less than a challenge.

[Mike J]

It can be roasted and not turned into leather.

Put water and an (optional) peeled onion in the pan, nearly half way up the meat.

Season and cover with foil.

Roast at 170 for an hour for a small joint, two and half for a large one.

Courtesy of Mrs H

H

We have gone for this option, and will check it after an hour - as the timer on our oven only does an hour at a time.  Will let people know how it goes.

[Hummers]

Slow at 170! 

Not if you've got a fan oven. It'd be incinerated.

I passed this observation on to Mrs H.

I may have been mistaken but I could have sweared the temperature dropped by 15 degrees in the front room.

Mrs H: Tell me again. Has your brisket ever been incinerated?

Hummers: No dear. Do you still want me to squat on all fours like this and use me as a coffee table?

I would be interested to hear how Mike got on.

H

[Mike J]

I would be interested to hear how Mike got on.

H

Thanks for the reminder.

We cooked it using the Hummers method (just sounds so wrong), but didn't want to overcook it so did it for two hours and it was a little undercooked when we eat it, so next time we will go for the full two and a half hours.  It was nice though

Thanks everyone for the tips 

[Hummers]

I would be interested to hear how Mike got on.

H

Thanks for the reminder.

We cooked it using the Hummers method (just sounds so wrong), but didn't want to overcook it so did it for two hours and it was a little undercooked when we eat it, so next time we will go for the full two and a half hours.  It was nice though

Thanks everyone for the tips 

Phew.

H

[David Martin]

Slow and low heat on top of chopped winter veg in a covered pot, with plenty of liquid. 

And even better if you use a glass or ceramic pot rather than a metal one. Chop onions, carrots, swede, some but not much potato. Take the joint. Place in the pan. Add veg. Pour over the best part of a bottle of good red wine. add herbs and maybe a drizzle of olive oil. Season well.

Add lid, place in oven at about 150-170.

Return eventually, preferably many many hours later.

Remove meat from pan and place to one side. Remove veg and remaining liquid to a pan. Whoosh them up to make a thick sauce.

Decent horseradish, plenty of the sauce and thick slices of falling apart meat. Mmmmm!

..d