Spice-Rubbed Braised Brisket Recipe (2024)

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golden hills

Trader Joe's has pomegranate juice much cheaper than PomWonderful. Buy your pistachios at TJ as well. Google Lynda Resnick or Stewart Resnick to see how much water their trees use (more than all LA homes) or how they got control of a water bank the CA tax payers spent millions on. They also own a bunch of other brands. I know this isn't the place to get political but please read a little about them before you give them your money.

Evan

Absolutely the place to get political if there's something relevant of concern! Thanks for letting us know.P.S. Avoiding problematic companies isn't political, really. It's just being a responsible consumer!

Prakash Nadkarni

Brisket is ideally suited for Instant-Pot cooking: just combine ingredients, turn cooker off when done. (Browning meat is nice but optional.) See lemonblossoms.com/blog/instant-pot-brisket/. It takes 75 min for a 4-5 Lb cut, less if you cheat and carve the brisket - into somewhat thicker slices - BEFORE cooking. (Use a VERY sharp knife). A little coffee (as here) and/or cocoa/chocolate adds pleasant complexity when combined with acid sources (tomato, vinegar, red wine): try it with chili.

Prakash Nadkarni

@Home Cook: It WILL work without coffee, but then you might want to use 1/2 - 3/4 cup pomegranate juice instead of 1 1/2 cups. Coffee, which is bitter, and the juice, which is acid/sour (as is the wine) sort of cancel each other out to yield a mellow, complex result. Without the coffee, the juice's sourness might dominate.

Luann

This is the only brisket I will ever make again! I had a smaller brisket and put the shallots in the dutch oven with the brisket rather than doing it 3 hours later. It came out perfect. I skipped the broiling part as well. My brisket looked just like the picture above.This was the most delicious brisket that I have ever made. The lemon juice and parsley add a nice touch. Thank you Susan Spungen and The NY Times. You always come though!

Jennie

Didn’t have pomegranate juice. Didn’t want to go to the store. Subbed juice from 1lb of sour cherries I had in the freezer plus about 2Tbsp pomegranate molasses. Rave reviews.

Claudia O'Connell

Made this for Hanukah dinner 2020 and it was the best pot roast recipe I have made. Sprinkling roasted pistachio nuts as a garnish gave such a wonderful compliment to the richness of the flavors. This will be my annual brisket recipe for the holiday.

Christine

If you are in the United States you can find “Pom Wonderful” brand juice in the refrigerated juice cabinet in most supermarkets

Prakash Nadkarni

@Jenn: You can certainly slow-cook. See recipetineats.com/slow-cooker-beef-brisket-with-bbq-sauce/ and dinneratthezoo.com/slow-cooker-brisket/. For the present recipe, follow steps 1-3; substitute slow-cooker for oven in Step 4,cook for 8-10 hours. Then follow the remaining steps of the recipe.The reason for cooking cipollini separately is that they would turn to mush if cooked with the meat.

Tasha

Is separating out the fat necessary? It seems fiddly. Happy Hanukkah to everyone making this on the first night.

Gina Ruben

They also have a very bad reputation for how they treat their employees.

Susan

Very good but still prefer the coffee brisket recipe in Zahav. Don’t need to put under broiler. Reheated on top of stove, removed brisket, and reduced liquid a bit.

Cooking in SF

My mom made this yesterday and it was delicious that it was on the saltier side. Having grown up in a household that uses less salt, we are also a bit more sensitive to the taste. Take that as you will! But overall delicious meal

Misha

I didn't have many things in this recipe, and it still came out delicious! my first time making brisket too. i used all red wine, because i did not have pomegranate juice; and i didn't have parsley or lemon to add at the end...and i didn't want to remedy that because - covid. I would like to make it again sometime with the pomegranate, to see how that is different. But even without it the brisket was delicious!

Kathy

I made this for New Year's Eve. Fabulous! My first time ever making brisket. The 5 lb cut was too big for my dutch oven, but I just folded it in to brown and made it work. I made it a day ahead, refrigerated the whole pot, removed the fat the next day and sliced it. I reheated on stovetop and did a 5" broil. It was exceptional; the flavors complex and the meat tender. The parsley adds a fresh note and the presentation is very festive with the pomegranate seeds. I wouldn't change a thing.

july 30, 2021

Made it in the Instant Pot, on the “Meat Stew” setting, for 40 min. Amazing. Was as good as when I braised it in the oven.

Scott

Absolutely the best braised brisket in my long life. Context: I grew up on briskets from my mother and grandmother that had tasty meat, but no seasoning so it required when I was younger ketchup, and later, with a more sophisticated palle horseradish to fully enjoy the meat.But not with this brisket, it is absolutely delicious and moist, but not greasy as the seasoning of the rub come through loud and clear.

emma b

Delicious recipe which I make for the holidays the past 3 years. For an even more festive flair - I added sliced star fruit when serving. Beautiful!

Andrea

With regard to "pomegranate juice," should one use sweetened or unsweetened? Thanks!

Becky

Can someone advise on how to reheat the second day, as suggested by the note?

Ben

Flavor is absolutely delicious. But I did this with a flat brisket a bit under 3 lbs and it came out somewhat tough. Anyone have ideas why it might turn out that way?

Catherine R

Made according to the recipe but didn’t have wine so used more pomegranate juice. When the brisket was tender, removed it and cooked the sauce down to be somewhat thicker. Didn’t have fresh pomegranates or small onions so it was just meat and sauce. Huge hit! Definitely a keeper.

rachael

This is one of my go-to crowd pleasers. Always make a double recipe - you’re going to need it! I also double the onions because they are spectacular!

Wendy

Would this work with lamb? Has anyone tried it?

ADM

I have made this on several occasions and this has become our "Go To Brisket Dish" for several Family members. A couple of tweaks (in addition to those previously mentioned) is that I:-Use WHOLE Prime vacuum Brisket (Costco--its $4 per lb vs. $8 for Flat trimmed vs. $12 for Prime trim)-up the dry wine from 8->12oz-Shallots & Chipopolini-initially roast for slightly less than 3 hrs. Let rest refrigerated overnight intact before removing the fat & then let soak sliced in fridge in juiceMMM!

Valerie

Has anyone seasoned the brisket the day before?

Olivia

Am I the only one that got a mouthful of coffee grinds with every bite? Don't get me wrong, the taste and texture of the brisket was EXCEPTIONAL, but I found the grinds off-putting. Any advice? I used finely ground. Also potentially a very silly question but is the coffee still caffeinated after such a long time in the oven? Can I feel this to my toddler? Thanks!

CSN

Fabulous. Followed directions including chilling in fridge for a while, up until broiling step. I just put it back in oven to warm back up,no broiling. Meat was perfectly tender. Used small shallots. What a fabulous flavor. Will add this to special occasion repertoire!

Clara

WARNING: this brisket is highly caffeinated. My fiancé and I were awake half the night after eating this (delicious) brisket. I used espresso in the rub and, what do you know, after 4 hours braising in espresso-saturated liquid, this beef had us wired. Consequently, I recommend either using decaf or enjoying this dish as part of a decadent Sunday lunch. Note: eating this brisket for lunch at the office the next day and was very productive in the afternoon.

marie

My local supermarket didn’t have brisket, so I substituted tritip. ‘Twas delicious! I took some pomegranate seeds out of the freezer ( our tree yielded about 60 pomegranates this year), whirred them in the blender and passed through a sieve to yield 1 1/2 cups of juice. So, so good. My son, who is a tough critic, objected to the pomegranate seed garnish as defiling the meat, but still loved it. I thought the garnish was essential - otherwise it would have looked very monochrome brown.

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Spice-Rubbed Braised Brisket Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long should you braise a brisket? ›

Add thyme and bay leaves to roasting pan and cover well with foil. Set oven to 300°F (150°C) and cook brisket on middle rack until fork-tender, 3 to 4 hours.

How long should a rub stay on brisket before cooking? ›

You can immediately start to smoke the brisket as soon as you apply the rub. If you want to use the dry rub as a marinade, wrap the brisket up tight and place it in the refrigerator for several hours. It's your preference. Smoke the brisket fat side down for about 3 to 4 hours at about 250 degrees.

What is the secret to moist tender brisket? ›

When placing your meat, make sure the fattest side is facing upward. You want to do this so that the fat can dribble down over the meat to keep a brisket moist and juicy for longer.

How to tell if braised brisket is done? ›

Check for doneness! Start checking after two hours by using your trusty instant-read thermometer. You could pull it at 190°F, but some say that as high as 200°F is the tender, moist sweet spot for braised brisket! Check with your thermometer, yes, but also just look at the meat.

How long to braise a brisket at 225? ›

A: You can usually figure about 1.5 hours per pound at 225 degrees for brisket, pork shoulder and other larger pieces of meat. Several things can affect this time such as actual meat thickness, wind, temperature and how often you open the door of the smoker.

Can you overcook braised brisket? ›

You can overcook a braise,” she says, even if there is more wiggle room for when it's done.

Can you put too much seasoning on brisket? ›

It's hard to use too much seasoning on brisket. Let the rub sit on the meat at room temperature for 1-2 hours. This will start the bond of the seasoning to the meat. Moisture will start to seep out to the meat and combine with the rub to create bark.

Should you put rub on brisket overnight? ›

All that rub breaks down and becomes a juice and it's being absorbed by the fat. That's a really important part of the process. You know, you can let them sit out for about an hour seasoned and you kind of get the same deal, but it's not really the same. To us, letting it sit overnight is always going to be better.

Should brisket be seasoned overnight covered or uncovered? ›

Wrap the rubbed cut of meat tightly in plastic wrap and then let it sit undisturbed in the refrigerator for at least six hours or overnight.

How do you make brisket more flavorful? ›

Rubs and Marinades

Common go-to rubs include seasonings like garlic, herbs, and spices. Just be sure to take it easy on the rub so that your brisket doesn't come out too salty. If you plan to mop or baste your brisket while smoking, be sure to coordinate the flavors properly with your rub.

What temperature is brisket most tender at? ›

Brisket can be done in a range of 200-210°F (93-99°C), but as a general rule, it's safe to bet on 203°F (95°C). Brisket should be tender but not so tender it's falling apart. You should be able to slice it into pieces that can just hold together, requiring a little pull to come apart.

Is dry rub or wet rub better for brisket? ›

Wet rubs are fantastic when you are cooking low and slow – again, brisket and pulled pork.

Why is my braised brisket tough? ›

Brisket contains a lot of connective tissue, which can make it tough. The type of connective tissue in brisket is called collagen. Cook the meat quickly and you get tough, dry meat. Cook a brisket slowly, with some liquid, and the collagen turns into gelatin.

Does brisket braise well? ›

Slow cooking beef brisket in a rich, savory red wine bath for several hours transforms the tough, fatty cut of beef into something so tender and juicy you hardly need a knife to cut it. This red wine braised brisket recipe is a variation of the recipe my husband and I usually make for my family at Passover.

How long to braise a 6 lb brisket? ›

Cook the brisket for several hours, or about 40 minutes per pound. At that point (about seven hours for mine), open the oven door and peel back the foil. Now, stick two forks into the meat and make sure it's fork-tender/falling apart, which means you can pull it apart to some degree.

Does brisket get more tender the longer you cook it? ›

It's a tough cut of meat, which is why the best way to cook brisket is a low-and-slow method: Long, slow cooking makes it tender.

How long should braising take? ›

It will take about 1 1/2 to 3 hours to become fork-tender. As soon as it's fork-tender, it's done. Cooking any longer will dry out the meat. With braising, just a little effort yields amazing results.

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