Slow Cooked Barbecue Beef Brisket

Well I have admit when we purchased some beef brisket on special I wasn't quite sure what to do with it.  It's not a common cut here in Australia however I did know that it is widely cooked in America therefore finding a recipe or some ideas on cooking it wouldn't be to had thanks to my good friend Google.

After much learning,  many recipes and then some more, I decided to wing it and cook something very loosely based on a combination of recipes.  So after putting it all together, putting the slow cooker on I crossed my fingers and went to work.  The outcome would be a surprise, whether good or bad, when I walk back in the door tonight.

And a surprise it was... a beautiful aroma had encompassed the house.  Great I knew that I had nailed the sauce element but what about the meat?  What about this brisket -  that cut of meat that I have never cooked with before?

The brisket itself, is a cut of meat from the breast or lower chest and is normally tough cut of meat. There seems to be two very popular methods to cooking this interesting cut.  Firstly the meat is rubbed with a spice rub or marinated, then cooked slowly over indirect heat from charcoal or wood, hence somewhat smoking the meat. Brisket is also cooked in a slow cooker on a low setting for usually 8 hours per 2 kgs of meat.  This also tenderizes the meat due to the slow cooking method and the fact it is normally enveloped in a sauce to keep it tender.

Now of course I ended up using a mixture of both methods - I rubbed it in a spice mix, then put it in the slow cooker covering it with a sauce and set the timer for 8 hours on low.  Once cooked I gave the family the choice of sliced meat with mash and vegetables or burritos and looking at the picture you can automatically tell what they chose..... burritos!!  So I actually shredded the cooked beef and then mixed through the sauce rather than slicing it.

However way you plan to eat this I am sure you will enjoy.  It had a wonderful depth of tomatoes with the right amount of flavour and heat from the spices.  The liquid smoke lightly laced the sauce with gave it quite an authentic American/Mexican style that we are delivered here in Australia.

Slow Cooked Barbecue Beef Brisket

Serves: 8

SmartPoints per Serve: 8

3 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black  pepper

2 kilograms beef brisket, all visible fat trimmed

2 red onions, small dice

1 440 gram tin diced tomatoes

3/4 cups tomato ketchup

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

3/4 cup beef stock

1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

1 tablespoon cornflour

2 tablespoon water 

In small bowl, mix brown sugar, paprika, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Place brisket in slow cooker and rub mixture all over brisket.  Cover with diced onion.

In another small bowl, mix the tomatoes, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, stock and liquid smoke. Pour over brisket along with broth.

Cover and cook on the low heat for 8 hours or until meat is tender.

Transfer brisket to cutting board and let stand 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, place all the sauce in a small saucepan.  Combine the cornflour and water.  Add to sauce and stir to combine.  Heat over medium heat, until boiling and slightly thickened.

Thinly slice brisket or shred; transfer to serving plate. Spoon sauce over top or if shredded mix through.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)