So. Much. Brisket...
February 8, 2021 2:32 PM Subscribe
I tried ordering 5-6 pounds of brisket via grocery store pickup, and ended up with an ENTIRE 16 pound brisket. Now, I need recipe ideas...
I've already identified this question about what to do in terms of breaking down the small child-sized piece of meat, but I need recipes. I'd initially planned to do Nach Waxman's brisket recipe, but I feel like 5-6 pounds of that is enough for me, and I'd hate the recipe after working through 16 pounds of it at once. What else would be a good use of the meat? Stews? Tacos that don't require smoking? Help!
Notable considerations:
- I don't have a smoker or a way to smoke/grill the meat
- I also can't eat a large amount of garlic without fiercely regretting it
- Bonus points for things that freeze well (not that I necessarily want to re-freeze meat that's been frozen once, but needs must)
- I am interested in new/novel preparations or from varying food traditions as my midwestern CatholiJewish upbringing has very much ingrained in me how brisket "should" be cooked and taste.
- Willing to shop for ingredients, and I'm around a number of well-stocked markets so I can source ingredients that might not be found in your average American supermarket.
I've already identified this question about what to do in terms of breaking down the small child-sized piece of meat, but I need recipes. I'd initially planned to do Nach Waxman's brisket recipe, but I feel like 5-6 pounds of that is enough for me, and I'd hate the recipe after working through 16 pounds of it at once. What else would be a good use of the meat? Stews? Tacos that don't require smoking? Help!
Notable considerations:
- I don't have a smoker or a way to smoke/grill the meat
- I also can't eat a large amount of garlic without fiercely regretting it
- Bonus points for things that freeze well (not that I necessarily want to re-freeze meat that's been frozen once, but needs must)
- I am interested in new/novel preparations or from varying food traditions as my midwestern CatholiJewish upbringing has very much ingrained in me how brisket "should" be cooked and taste.
- Willing to shop for ingredients, and I'm around a number of well-stocked markets so I can source ingredients that might not be found in your average American supermarket.
Best answer: If you have a food pro, you can make wonderful craggy ground beef for burgers by cubing the meat to ~1/2", partially freezing, and pulsing. (If you don't partially freeze it will just smear and there will be tears.) The resulting burgers are very fall aparty and do better in a skillet than on the grill and the flavor is excellent. You could do just brisket, or some schmancy mix with short rib or whatnot. Just brisket is excellent, speaking from experience. This could kill a pound or so depending on how many you're feeding.
posted by ftm at 2:47 PM on February 8, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by ftm at 2:47 PM on February 8, 2021 [3 favorites]
Best answer: I don't have a smoker or a way to smoke/grill the meat
do you have a place where you COULD smoke meat if you had a smoker? you can improvise one out a couple large ceramic flower pots, a grill grate, and a hotplate.
Or you could find a local BBQ group (FB or whatever) and see if someone is willing to do it for you (perhaps for a portion of the final product)?
I usually cure some brisket into corned beef when I get some. I use Morton Tender Quick and store-bought Pickling Spice.
posted by ArgentCorvid at 2:55 PM on February 8, 2021 [6 favorites]
do you have a place where you COULD smoke meat if you had a smoker? you can improvise one out a couple large ceramic flower pots, a grill grate, and a hotplate.
Or you could find a local BBQ group (FB or whatever) and see if someone is willing to do it for you (perhaps for a portion of the final product)?
I usually cure some brisket into corned beef when I get some. I use Morton Tender Quick and store-bought Pickling Spice.
posted by ArgentCorvid at 2:55 PM on February 8, 2021 [6 favorites]
Best answer: This southwestern inspired brisket from Smitten Kitchen Is SO GOOD. I’ve only made it in my slow cooker, but the recipe provides options for oven or Instant Pot. You pull apart the cooked meat and serve it in tacos or on top of rice or a salad. The recipe calls for five smashed cloves of garlic, but it cooks for hours...if that’s not going to mellow it enough for you, just leave it out or sub a teaspoon of garlic powder, if you can tolerate that. Because this recipe creates a fair amount of flavorful sauce, I think it would freeze beautifully.
posted by little mouth at 3:13 PM on February 8, 2021
posted by little mouth at 3:13 PM on February 8, 2021
Best answer: I would try to cut it into at least 3 pieces or as many as 5. I make pot roast with about 2 - 3 lbs. of beef. I love pot roast. I brown the meat with some fruity olive oil, then reserve it, layering in onions (they'll cook and dissolve, leaving flavor and texture), carrots, beef, potatoes, at least 1/2 cup red wine, probably some garlic and a little thyme, adding water if it seems to need it. Simmer on the stove or in a low oven in a Dutch oven. Cooked for at 2 hours, the meat will be tender and all the veg will taste great and you should have some gravy.
The Melissa Clark Gochujang brisket cyndigo posted about sounds great.
I tried to get corned beef last year for St. Patrick's Day, but things were too topsy-turvey because of Covid, so at least I have that to look forward to this year, as I am back to grocery shopping, albeit rarely.
posted by theora55 at 3:28 PM on February 8, 2021 [3 favorites]
The Melissa Clark Gochujang brisket cyndigo posted about sounds great.
I tried to get corned beef last year for St. Patrick's Day, but things were too topsy-turvey because of Covid, so at least I have that to look forward to this year, as I am back to grocery shopping, albeit rarely.
posted by theora55 at 3:28 PM on February 8, 2021 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: Oh, this is all awesome so far! Thank you!
(As a clarifying note - when I say a lot of garlic, I mean like an entire head or more, as I'm one of those people who thinks 3-5 cloves is a "normal" amount. Stupid later-life food intolerances...)
posted by daikaisho at 3:32 PM on February 8, 2021
(As a clarifying note - when I say a lot of garlic, I mean like an entire head or more, as I'm one of those people who thinks 3-5 cloves is a "normal" amount. Stupid later-life food intolerances...)
posted by daikaisho at 3:32 PM on February 8, 2021
Best answer: I like theora55's recipe in a Dutch oven in a low oven (250-300F) with lots of veggies, for more like 4 hours (ie disintegratingly tender, some may say overly tender, ymmv).
posted by SaltySalticid at 3:59 PM on February 8, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by SaltySalticid at 3:59 PM on February 8, 2021 [2 favorites]
Best answer: This is what we have for Christmas every year. It is sooooo good.
posted by emkelley at 5:23 PM on February 8, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by emkelley at 5:23 PM on February 8, 2021 [1 favorite]
Best answer: If you were ever temped to go that route and needed an excuse, Brisket is ideal for sous vide cooking. This recipe has an oven-finished option that relies on on liquid smoke (where which quality can be purchased, and is very much just concentrated smoked water) and finishes in the oven. Its quiiiiite nice.
posted by furnace.heart at 6:37 PM on February 8, 2021
posted by furnace.heart at 6:37 PM on February 8, 2021
Best answer: Strongly recommend corned beef, as some others have above. If your Jewish upbringing involved delis, you probably loved yourself some corned beef and pastrami, but homemade will almost certainly be better than most you have tried at restaurants. Plus it's just super fun to make and slice your own, and it's extremely low-effort. Also, it will last a good long while, since you are, after all, curing it!
Speaking of, you will need some sort of curing salt, which goes by many different names, but Prague powder #1 has got you covered. You can buy a small packet on Amazon for $6. Man, my mouth is watering on your behalf. Have fun!
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 8:20 PM on February 8, 2021
Speaking of, you will need some sort of curing salt, which goes by many different names, but Prague powder #1 has got you covered. You can buy a small packet on Amazon for $6. Man, my mouth is watering on your behalf. Have fun!
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 8:20 PM on February 8, 2021
Best answer: Many years ago I made Ropa Vieja for an international dinner party. I don't remember whether it was the Cuban or the Puerto Rico version, nor do I have a specific recipe. But if you are looking for a different flavor palette for your low and slow brisket, try it. Truly delicious.
posted by CathyG at 9:56 PM on February 8, 2021
posted by CathyG at 9:56 PM on February 8, 2021
Best answer: recipe for 4 or so pounds of it
if it is untrimmed, trim some of the fat off. you want a fat cap but not a big hard chunk of fat on it.
stab your brisket on both sides with a fork. mix together 1 teaspoon each of garlic, onion and celery salts and sprinkle on each side. mix together a small bottle of hickory flavored liquid smoke and a small bottle of worchestire sauce ( or the equivilent) 1/2 cup of ketchup and 1/2 cup yellow mustard.
place your brisket chunk fat side up in a oven safe dish. pour the liquid over it and cover very tightly with either a lid or foil. VERY tightly. i use a ceramic dish with a well fitting lid. marinate overnight or 8 hours at the least.
Bake covered at 275 for 4-5 hours. cut across the grain. it should fall apart.
posted by domino at 6:25 AM on February 9, 2021
if it is untrimmed, trim some of the fat off. you want a fat cap but not a big hard chunk of fat on it.
stab your brisket on both sides with a fork. mix together 1 teaspoon each of garlic, onion and celery salts and sprinkle on each side. mix together a small bottle of hickory flavored liquid smoke and a small bottle of worchestire sauce ( or the equivilent) 1/2 cup of ketchup and 1/2 cup yellow mustard.
place your brisket chunk fat side up in a oven safe dish. pour the liquid over it and cover very tightly with either a lid or foil. VERY tightly. i use a ceramic dish with a well fitting lid. marinate overnight or 8 hours at the least.
Bake covered at 275 for 4-5 hours. cut across the grain. it should fall apart.
posted by domino at 6:25 AM on February 9, 2021
Best answer: I love this chili recipe but only make it sparingly because of the cost of 5 pounds of brisket, but you don't have that problem.
posted by yerfatma at 8:03 AM on February 9, 2021
posted by yerfatma at 8:03 AM on February 9, 2021
Best answer: If you do decide on the makeshift smoker, you could cure it and make pastrami. Smoking is the traditional way to finish it, though, there are non-traditional methods out there. The good part is that you buy some time in that you must brine it for 5 days or so, based on the size of the cut you want to pastami-ize. So you don't have to overload on brisket meals all at once.
Good luck!
posted by zerobyproxy at 11:26 AM on February 9, 2021
Good luck!
posted by zerobyproxy at 11:26 AM on February 9, 2021
Response by poster: Y'all are awesome! After making the recipe I'd intended to make I will be moving on to some of these excellent recipes/ideas. Or all, eventually. Especially if it goes on sale again after I clear out the freezer...
Alas, smoking is not in my future as I'm an apartment dweller. I think people might take issue with the sheer deliciousness. However, oven pastrami? YES.
Thank you!
posted by daikaisho at 12:36 PM on February 12, 2021
Alas, smoking is not in my future as I'm an apartment dweller. I think people might take issue with the sheer deliciousness. However, oven pastrami? YES.
Thank you!
posted by daikaisho at 12:36 PM on February 12, 2021
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by cyndigo at 2:38 PM on February 8, 2021 [1 favorite]