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The inspiration for this Ultimate Holiday Smoked risket is from the Passover/Seder meal we prepared at our house. Like the RED PEPPER CHICKEN WITH OLIVES, the dinner needed to be prepared ahead of time. With this brisket, I wanted to compliment my chicken dish, or more appropriately stated, please the men – my father and father-in-law – coming to the dinner. I began the cooking of the brisket on my smoker.
Learning Experience
I have a big learning experience from the cooking of this brisket. Â Knowing that I was cooking the brisket ahead of time – How long should I cook it during primary cooking sequence? Â The learning, which I found out through screwing up, is simple – Cook the brisket all they way and plan on re-warming it when you are ready to serve it. Â
The Science of Cooking
It is very hard to partially cook tough cuts of meat. Â In trying to understand the SCIENCEÂ of cooking the brisket, I found an article explaining that the ultimate balance is cooking at a low enough temperature to break down the connective tissue but not too hot or the meat will get tough. Â Ultimately, temperature is your guide. The final temperature that ensures tenderness is 203 degrees. In this cooking of the brisket, I cooked it for 5 – 6 hours in the smoker and a couple of hours in the oven.
Learn from your mistakes
The above cooking was not enough time even with additional cooking on the day of serving it. Â So the ultimate learning is that the brisket needed to be cooked completely on the primary day of cooking. Â My brisket was not as tender as I wanted. Â I saved it a little the next day by putting it into a pressure cooker. The additional cooking in the pressure cooker softened it some more but not as much as I would have liked. Â LESSON LEARNED. Â
Some ideas for Passover sides:
SCALLION POTATO PANCAKES WITH MATZAH MEAL
FRIDAY FIVE (a throwback to when I first started blogging)
The spice brisket (don’t be shy).
The brisket place on the smoker.
The brisket taken off the smoker.
The Ultimate Holiday Smoked Brisket plated.
Ultimate Holiday Smoked Brisket: A Flavorful Feast for Festive Celebrations!
When cooking your main course ahead of time, be sure you cook the Ultimate Holiday Smoked Brisket all the way through to ensure tenderness.
Ingredients
- 13 Lbs Flat Brisket with Fat Cap
- 3 Tbsp Seasoned Salt
- 2 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
Instructions
-
Prepare your smoker with cherry and hickory wood.
Season the brisket liberally with the spices.
Cook the brisket for 6 hours on the smoker. Move inside and cook for at least another 6 hours in a 225 – 250 degree oven.
If serving a couple of days later as I was, put in a 225 degree oven for 60 – 90 minutes prior to serving. I put the brisket in a big foil tray with carrots and onions and 4 – 6 cups of chicken stock.
Let rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Serve and enjoy!
You make this entire process look so easy! That brisket looks delicious!
That is very nice of you to say Dorothy.
I have never made brisket but wow, you make it so easy!!
Then you need to order it when out so you can experience it.
Slow smoked brisket is perfect for a holiday meal. It is what I always order at a BBQ restaurant. Now I can make it…once I get a smoker, that is!
Get yourself a smoker. It is so versatile and can bring so much flavor.
I wish I could try brisket but anyways it looks delicious!
Try an eggplant on a smoker as an alternative.
MM spiced brisket can be great, it’s a shame it wasn’t as tender as you would have liked but it looks delicious
Thx but I learned a very valuable lesson that will help me going forward.