Slow Cooker Beef Brisket with BBQ Sauce

BY: Nagi
PUB L ISHE D: 18 May '18UPDATED: 15 Feb '20

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To-die-for Beef Brisket recipe that really makes the most out of this cut
of beef! This Slow Cooker brisket is cooked in a simple homemade
BBQ sauce until it’s deliciously tender and infused with incredible
flavour. 

Serve brisket with a side of Coleslaw or Macaroni Salad and steamed

corn. Or pile high onto rolls and make sliders!
 Beef Brisket recipe!
I really am not a girls’ girl when it comes to food. I don’t gaze in wonder
at stunningly decorated multi-tier cakes. I don’t ooh and aah over pretty
little chocolates. I have no interest in learning how to make candy.

But I do go gah-gah over sights like this – a giant hunk of flavour

loaded brisket.

I’m all class. All class. 😂

 Cooking brisket – in brief
 What is brisket? A cut of beef that needs to be cooked slowly to
break down the connective tissues. The unique thing about this cut
of beef is that it can be slow cooked so it’s fork tender, yet is still
sliceable. It also has a better beefy flavour compared to other slow
cooking beef cuts like chuck.
 Is there another name for brisket? There’s no other name for
raw brisket, that is the name of the cut. But you will see it sold in
stores already prepared in the form of corned beef, pastrami and
silverside which is brisket that’s been brined.
 What cut of meat is similar to brisket? There is no cut of beef
with the same cooking qualities. For this recipe, the best substitute
for beef brisket is rolled chuck, like you use for Pot Roast.
 How long does it take to cook? 8 to 10 hours in the slow
cooker on low, 1 hr 15 minutes in a pressure cooker, or 5 hours in
the oven at 320F/160C.
 Is brisket supposed to be pink? No. Cooked plain brisket
should not be pink, if it is, it is massively undercooked and will be
tough.  You cannot eat brisket rare. HOWEVER, pastrami and
corned beef are pink even after cooking due to the special curing
salt they use (like bacon).

 
 How to make slow cooker Beef Brisket
It’s a straight forward beef brisket recipe though there is a fairly long
list of spices because we’re making a homemade rub and homemade
BBQ Sauce here. Totally worth it – there’s no bottled sauce that
compares to this!

 Spice Mix – We start off with a spice rub. No need to

marinate because we’re slow cooking it – the long cook time
essentially has the same effect as marinating. If we were roasting
it, I’d recommend marinating it.
 Slow Cook – place the ingredients for the homemade BBQ
Sauce in the slow cooker (vinegar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce,
garlic and spices), add the beef and leave to slow cook for 8 to 10
hours.
 Caramelise crust – After this, all that’s required is a few minutes
in a hot oven (or even under the grill/broiler) to caramelise the
crust;
 Reduce sauce – Meanwhile, simmer the liquid in the slow
cooker to reduce it down to a syrupy sauce consistency <– This
right here is our homemade BBQ Sauce!
 What is beef brisket?
Brisket is a cut of beef made for slow cooking, not fast
cooking. It’s unique characteristic compared to other slow cooking
cuts of beef is that it holds its shape even after hours and hours of
slow cooking and can be sliced.

When you slow cook other cuts of slow cooking cuts of beef like chuck
(like in Beef Stew), gravy beef (an Australian beef cut) and short ribs,
they “fall apart easily because there is more connective tissues running
throughout the meat which breakdown with slow cooking.

However, as you can see in the photos in this post, brisket holds
together and can be sliced. But the slices are ultra tender and could be
shredded easily, see? 🙂
Is brisket suitable for shredding?

Brisket does shred well, but I prefer using chuck beef or ribs for
shredding for recipes like slow cooked Shredded Beef Ragu, Shredded
Beef Chili and Shredded Mexican Beef.

Those cuts have more fat running through the meat and so the
shredded pieces are nice and juicy. Though brisket has a layer of fat
on the surface, there actually is not that much fat or connective tissues
running through it, so if you shred it then it’s pretty lean.
 What to serve with beef brisket
For this particular recipe, I’m keeping this Slow Cooker Beef Brisket
whole and slicing it. Serve up a hearty Southern style supper with
sides of Homemade Southern Style Baked Beans, Corn Bread (or try
my favourite Corn Bread Muffins!), Creamy Corn
Casserole, Coleslaw, Macaroni Salad, Potato Salad or mashed potato.

Or pile it onto sliders – this is the way I usually serve it because

brisket is a perfect recipe for feeding a crowd! – Nagi xx

MORE GREAT THINGS TO PILE ONTO SLIDERS

• Slow Cooker Honey Buffalo Shredded Chicken
• Easy Homemade Pastrami
• Chili – and Slow Cooked Shredded Beef Chili
• Cubanos (Cuban Subs with Mojo Marinated Pork, from the “Chef”
movie)
• Slow Cooker Pulled BBQ Pork Sliders

PS If you love beef, don’t miss this Beef Pot Roast and Prime Rib /

Standing Rib Roast recipes!