The brisket cut of cattle is one of the prime cuts even though it contains quite a bit of muscle/connective tissue. When cooked properly, it can become very tender. Marinating is one way to tenderize such cuts, as well as slow cooking. Put them both together and you have one fine cut of meat. Adding your favorite dry rub is one way of creating flavor, but it does not help tenderize the meat, acid ingredients do. This recipe provides a marinade as well as instructions on how to slow cook a beef brisket on your grill or barbecue. This particular grilled brisket recipe is easy as it doesn’t need to be turned or basted once it’s on the grill. To learn where the brisket comes from on steer see the illustration below.
A marinated and grilled beef brisket or use a rub and your favorite barbecue sauce or coating.
Ingredients:
- Approximately 8 lb. beef brisket (cooking is stated per pound below)
- 3/4 cup red wine (or apple cider vinegar)
- 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 3/8 cup Lea & Perrins Original Worcestershire Sauce
- 3/8 cup brown sugar
- 6 garlic cloves, minced or grated
- 3 Tablespoons spice rub
- 1 Tablespoon black pepper
- See Gluten Free Plum Barbecue Sauce and Steak Rub Recipes*
Instructions:
- Whisk all of the ingredients together. Do not add salt at this point as it draws the juices out of the meat. Whisk it together until the sugar is completely dissolved. Place the brisket and marinade in a casserole dish, cover, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Turn the brisket over to coat all sides about every 1 -2 hours.
- Remove the brisket from the container and discard the marinade. Preheat your grill to 225°F or your charcoal barbecue with rack 6-inches from coals.
- Wrap brisket in aluminum foil, (or better yet, Martha Wrap, with the parchment side towards the meat), or place it in a disposable foil pan and cover it with foil. Place the fat side down. You may trim some of the fat, if desired, but the fat creates moisture.
- Turn it every hour and cook until it reaches 170°F. It takes 1 to 1 1/2 hour per pound to cook properly.
- Baste with your favorite sauce, slice across the grain and serve it with extra barbecue sauce on the side.
Tips
*Ensure your spices are gluten free. All McCormick spices are.
Beef brisket will shrink to approximately half its weight once thoroughly cooked.
If using a rub, baste the brisket with barbecue sauce or mixture of some liquid, onion, garlic, and seasonings prior to wrapping it.
If you choose to grill or barbecue the brisket directly on the grill, be sure to add a pan of water or other liquid to create steam to keep the brisket moist. In addition, you will need to baste it about 30 minutes.