Help me blow minds with this brisket

April 6, 2012 9:11 AM

Passover Brisket Filter cooking times.

For reasons somewhat puzzling to me I, a non Jew, have been tasked with cooking the brisket for a friend's Passover tonight. I have never cooked brisket before and am naturally a little nervous about fucking it up.

I have 2 4lb briskets, first cut. They don't look particularly fatty, which is kind of a shame. The recipe calls for 1 4lb brisket at 325 F for 4 hours, covered, with some kosher red wine and a can of crushed tomatoes in the pan too to give it some moisture, and to baste every 30 minutes or so with the pan juices.

First question - I just double this recipe and do everything else the same, right? Cooking time stays the same even though it's twice as much meat because the cuts are still 4lbs?

I was kind thinking of dropping down to 300 F and cooking for an extra hour or so cause there's not that much fat on this brisket and I want it to be tender. I have the time. Is that a terrible idea?

I have a meat thermometer and the dinner is at 8 so theoretically if I get on it now I can have these bad boys in for 7 hours if I need to.

posted by nathancaswell to Food & Drink (6 answers total)

Your instincts serve you well. Drop it down to 300 (or even 280), cook for as long as you can. You don't need to baste as long as you keep it covered. In addition to the tomatoes, add two large, roughly chopped onions, 4 cloves of garlic and three of four carrots (also roughly chopped). For extra credit, toss in a couple peppercorns, some caraway seeds, and some mustard seeds into the wine as well. Also, you don't mention salt, but you'll need to rub the meat with a fair amount before you put it in.
posted by Jon_Evil at 9:20 AM on April 6, 2012

Those small pieces will cook more quickly than you think. Seven hours would be far too long. The other thing with brisket is that you can overcook it. If it gets much above 190 internal it starts to get tough.

The braising liquid you have selected is just fine, but keep in mind that this makes a sweet braise (which many people like, but not all).
posted by OmieWise at 9:21 AM on April 6, 2012

The Texans in my family cook (amazing) brisket according to this recipe: http://pastebin.com/DrEnXy3g

The gist of it: Tightly covered with foil not touching the meat @ 275F for 4-5 hours. No basting until the last 30 minutes.
posted by wrok at 9:24 AM on April 6, 2012

Nth-ing dropping the temperature down. Since you have the time, you could probably go as low as 250. You won't need the whole 7 hours, but you might need a little more than 5. And yes, 190 is the temp you want to get to.
posted by neroli at 9:32 AM on April 6, 2012

From the question, it doesn't sound like this is important, but just so you know: mustard is kitnyot (aka not 100% kosher for passover for Ashkenazi Jews).
posted by Phredward at 10:57 AM on April 6, 2012

Thanks ya'll, it's in at 275, I'll start checking it after 4.5 hours or so. There were a couple other things in the recipe, pretty much Jon_Evil's comment + some rosemary. All in all it seems pretty similar to braising short ribs, which I've done a few times before.
posted by nathancaswell at 11:29 AM on April 6, 2012