"BBQ" Brisket

Name: "BBQ" Brisket
Total time: 3 h
Yield: 8 or more servings
Cuisine: barbecue
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or vegetable oil, more as needed; 1 whole beef brisket, about 5 pounds; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 or 2 large onions, chopped; 2 cups ketchup; 1/2 cup dry red wine or water; 1/4 cup wine or rice vinegar; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire or soy sauce; 1 tablespoon chile powder, or to taste; 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

By Mark Bittman

Total Time: About 3 hours
Rating: 4(251)
Notes: Read community notes

Brisket simply cannot be grilled over direct heat no matter how careful you are; it absolutely requires long, slow cooking. In fact, it’s difficult to grill (or broil) without some form of precooking, whether in aluminum foil (a venerable trick that makes sense) or in a barbecue pit.

The slow braising phase of cooking the beef, in a ketchup-and-chile-based sauce, may take a while — it doesn’t surprise me when brisket takes three hours or even longer to become really tender — but the final browning can take as little as 10 minutes and produces fork-tender brisket.

Featured in: Oven Adds Flavor When the Grill Can’t

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Ingredients

Yield:8 or more servings

2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or vegetable oil, more as needed
1whole beef brisket, about 5 pounds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 or 2large onions, chopped
2cups ketchup
½cup dry red wine or water
¼cup wine or rice vinegar
1tablespoon Worcestershire or soy sauce
1tablespoon chile powder, or to taste
2cloves garlic, minced or crushed

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven that can later be covered over medium-high heat for 2 or 3 minutes. When it is hot, add oil, swirl it around, then add beef. Sear meat for about 5 minutes on each side, seasoning with salt and pepper; when nicely browned, remove from pot. Turn off heat under pot for a minute.
Step 2
Add onion to pot and cook, stirring, over medium-low heat until softened, 5 to 10 minutes (if meat is very lean you might need to add a little oil). Add all remaining ingredients, stir, and cook for about a minute. Return meat to pot, nestling it in sauce.
Step 3
Cover pan, put it in oven, and cook until meat is tender, at least 2 hours and probably closer to 3. When it is done, you can refrigerate it in its liquid for 1 to 2 days before proceeding.
Step 4
Light a charcoal or gas grill or heat broiler; rack should be about 4 inches away from heat source. Drain meat and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill or broil on both sides until brown and crisp, just a few minutes. Meanwhile, skim cooking liquid of fat, warm gently, and use as sauce.

Ratings

4 out of 5

251 user ratings

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Ellen6 years ago

This was easy, and everyone loved it. I made it two days ahead of time and kept it refrigerated until I heated it up in the sauce ahead of throwing it on the grill for about three minutes per side. Grilling gave it texture but made it very difficult to slice, even using a very sharp knife. I'd add more chile powder and vinegar next time to balance the flavors, as it was a bit on the sweet side. I served it with corn bread, horseradish coleslaw, fruit salad and a fruity Tempranillo wine.

Julie1 year ago

For those of you who are wondering about the grilling details, which are quite vague, here’s what I did, after my first attempt resulted in a charred disaster. I sprayed the grill with oil, heated it to medium, turned off the center burner and grilled the brisket for 3 minutes on each side, using indirect heat. It turned out perfectly.

RobinK1 year ago

This is a great recipe. I made it tonight and my family loved it. Our brisket was 2.5 lbs and I made 3/4 of the sauce recipe and just have a little leftover. The timing was just about right in my dutch oven— maybe 2 1/2 or 2 3/4 hours in the oven, and then just a few minutes on the medium indirect grill. Highly recommended. Thank you!! We will make again.

Julie1 year ago

Jenni1 year ago

An immediate family favourite. I made it as written apart from substituting the Worcestershire sauce with soy sauce fish sauce. I also dumped it in the crockpot after browning the meat and bringing the sauce to the boil. Finishing slow cooker dishes like this under the grill is a fabulous technique to add an extra hit of caramelisation. Will no doubt be making it again before the month is out, it was so easy.

BabsD3 years ago

Brisket was only 2.75 lbs which looked huge at the start...little did I know how much shrinkage would occur. Made sauce with only 1 c ketchup and 1 onion - same seasonings. Put in enameled cast iron Dutch oven for 2 hours 15 minutes. Probably should have been less time or a little lower oven temp? Skipped grilling because of concern for overcooking. Meat eaters loved it. Next time I know to find larger piece of meat - was using grass fed/grass finished beef from subscription service.

Mary B3 years ago

This was delicious. I followed the recipe except my brisket was 2.5 lbs so I made 3/4 of the sauce. I will make it again.

Hank3 years ago

I cooked a five pound brisket three hours and it was too much.

P4 years ago

5 pound too big for my blue Dutch oven

CHH4 years ago

Easy and very good. Double the chili powder but otherwise followed the recipe. Would definitely make this again!!

Ted N.4 years ago

This was one of the best brisket that I’ve ever had. And I grew up in the NY area! Adjusted some of the quantities of ingredients such as more chili pepper for example. It was very good.

greenpoint gal4 years ago

I made this for the first time ever last night on account of pandemic panic shoppers cleaning out the entire Stop n Shop, save for a few briskets. It was a hit. I needed to substitute: water, honey and tomato paste instead of ketchup, apple cider for white wine and rice vinegar. My 2.5 lb roast was in 2.5 hours and was perfect after the grill. The remaining gravy was a bit vinegary but there were no complaints after smothering it on mashed potatoes. Will make again, and thank you Mr. Bittman.

Rob5 years ago

Very tasty. I doubled the amount of chili powder to 2 Tbls; no issue. Used a 4 lb. flat cut brisket. Took 3 hours until it was “fork tender”. Overall, this was a nice change of pace from the traditional “Jewish” style brisket I’ve been making and eating for many years.

richard from the coast of maine6 years ago

I followed the recipe except this one change - I skipped searing step and smoked the brisket for about an hour instead - everything else I did was per Bittman. It was delish.

Anne6 years ago

Cooked this the other day, delicious! I always have to tweak a recipe and did so....I added 2 Tbs of Black Strap Molasses vinegar that I make. (Just add garlic vinegar to an almost empty molasses jar) It added the secret depth the recipe needs. Also added a tsp more chile powder.

Rosella6 years ago

Made this for Labor Day weekend and it was delicious and easy to make. I used the red wine. We did not find it too sweet. A great do ahead dish. We're not big eaters so we had a lot leftover for 5 servings.

camille6 years ago

Easy, moist, spicy, tender, worth making. No reservations. 4+

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