One of the most delicious meats is the smoked brisket. Its smell and taste are amazing. Unfortunately, if you fail to give it enough time and attention, you will have a tough and chewy brisket. You may have eaten the brisket meat without knowing. People use it when making various dishes. Barbeque lovers like smoking and grilling it. Others love making pulled beef brisket stew, while some use it when making dishes like beef and cheese melts. So what’s a brisket?
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A Brisket
The brisket originates from the muscular chest area. That is the part that supports the heavyweight of the animal. It has many connective tissues that make the muscle tough. If you cut the entire slab of brisket and weigh, you may get 13 pounds. It has a leaner part and a meatier, thicker, fatter part. The thinner part is called a center cut. You can also call it a flat cut; the fatter section is called a point. It’s cheaper compared with the flat cut. You will not enjoy eating meat that is tough and chewy. But is it possible to make it tender and juicier? You can inject some marinade in your brisket and make it yummy, moist, and soft. You need to cook it using low heat and give it enough time to cook. Buying high-quality meat is vital if you want to cook a mouth-watering delicacy. There are things you must consider when selecting meat in your butchery. They include:
The Type of Meat
Do you choose the flat or the point? It’s a question that disturbs many. Both look appealing though the flat is readily available compared with the point. Do you have a party at the weekend? Consider the flat cut. Who wouldn’t like to eat the beautiful brisket slices? But if you intend to make soup, sandwiches, and casseroles, consider buying the point.
What if you want to buy the entire slab of beef? Ensure that the end of the flat has a thickness of one inch. You can also consider taking the chunk whose flat thinness bits are already trimmed off. For health reasons, some people avoid the point since they are too fatty.
Good marbling
Look at the top layer of fat on your meat, ensure that it doesn’t exceed one inch. When injecting your meat, you will have to trim the excess fat, which is waste. The extra fats add extra weight to your meat, and that increases the price. Your brisket needs to have fat within.
Fat is vital when smoking your meat. It will keep your meat moist and protect it from drying out. If your brisket has excess fat, it will drain away. When injecting the excess fat will hinder the marinades from penetrating the meat interiors.
Freshness
Avoid buying a frozen brisket. You can know if your meat is fresh by checking the color, touching, and even smelling it. The color should be deep red. It should smell fresh, and if you touch it, it should be tender. If you cook meat that is not fresh, it will not be tender.
Size
How large is your family? If it’s big, go for 8-12pounds. The bigger the brisket, the longer it takes to cook.
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Trimming Your Meat
After buying the brisket, it’s time to trim it. Trim any excess top layer fat that is above ¼ inch thick. Remove any sticking out raggedy bits and the hard pieces of fat. Round off the corners to protect them from drying out when cooking.
Injecting The Meat
Injecting marinade is an excellent way to soften your tough chunks of meat. You require a needle and a syringe to help inject the meat. If possible, get one will multiple holes to inject your marinades in a large portion of your brisket. Injecting vinegar will help to break collagen, making your meat softer. Injecting the meat will not only make the meat juicier and tender but will give it more flavors. It’s easy since you only require injecting in a small portion. If you put more, the marinade will spill out.
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Why Should You Inject The Meat Instead Of Just Marinating?
When marinating the meat, you need to leave it soaked for some time. The entire surface will get an incredible flavor. Unfortunately, with the brisket, the marinade will not penetrate to the interior. Meaning, the meat will remain tough. It will not cook evenly since the outer part will have more flavors compared to the interior. Injecting oil or grease in the meat means that the entire part will get the flavor and get tender.
How Many Marinades Should You Use?
When preparing your marinade, you should know how many pounds you intend to inject. The ratio should be 1 ounce is to 1 pound. It’s almost impossible to inject more since the meat will pour out the excess. Use the remaining marinade to rub the surface of your brisket.
When Should You Inject It?
Try to inject 30 minutes to hours before cooking your meat. The time will depend on the ingredients used and if you are in a hurry to cook. Some ingredients, such as pineapple juice, contain strong flavor. If you leave it for long, you will leave excess flavor behind. Some like vinegar breaks collagen on the meat, so if you leave them for long, the meat will become too tender.
Where to Inject?
Injecting the flat cut is essential since it’s lean. When you inject some oil in its tough muscle fiber, the meat will cook evenly and become softer. That doesn’t mean that you should fail to inject the point. Though it’s fatty, it also requires getting some sweet flavors.
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How to Inject
Check the smoked brisket injection marinade recipe below. Before that, here is a combination of some ingredients you can consider and combine when marinating your brisket. They include the Worcestershire sauce, adobo, red wine, and beef broth, and brown sugar. A cinnamon and cumin powder is also an option. These ingredients are available and affordable, and you can get them in your local stores. After making your marinade, put it in a large bowl and refrigerate it.
Worcestershire sauce – It’s a fermented liquid that is sweet and contains a little vinegar. Once you use it when making your marinade, you won’t regret it.
Beef stock and broth – These are common ingredients in the brisket injection recipe. They are readily available. You don’t require adding more ingredients if you have the two. The results will be mouth-watering.
Different types of alcohol – You can include alcohol or even distilled spirit in your marinade recipe. The alcohol adds flavor to your brisket.
Fruit juice – have you heard of brisket injection recipe apple juice? After injecting your brisket with the apple juice, cook it before four hours are over. It seriously tenderizes your meat giving it a yummy taste. Pineapple juice is a nice alternative.
You also require an injector, preferably the one with multiple holes. Before attempting to use the injector, read the instruction first. You also require the right workspace since injecting your meat; space may get messier.
- You don’t want to cloak your needle with the residues from your marinade. To avoid that, filter your marinade first and remove any solid particles.
- Put the marinade in the injector and inject the meatier part along the grain of your brisket. Remember, the whole idea of injecting your meat is to add flavor while making it tender.
- Inject will little bits since if you put more marinade, it will spill it out.
- Store the marinade left since you will require coating your meat before cooking.
- Clean and disinfect the injector and store it properly.
- Let any excess marinade drain out.
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Garlic Based Injection Recipe
There are many combinations of ingredients that you can inject and get beautiful results. For instance, you can warm 2 cups of water then add two cups of low-sodium beef stock. You can add a teaspoon of brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, two spoonful salts, and a finely ground garlic. Add each ingredient separately. Mix them and use the mix to inject your meat.
Beefy Coffee Delight
Did you know you can use a coffee recipe to make a delicious brisket? You require two separate bowls. In one bowl, mix two cups of black coffee with au jus powder. In a separate bowl, put a quarter cup of vegetable oil and a tablespoon of paste/dry mustard and whisk them. Add the Worcestershire in that mix then combine the mix in the two bowls. Use it to inject your meat.
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How to Smoke It
Do you have a smoker? It’s a good option since your brisket requires cooking slowly over indirect heat. Worry less, if you lack one since you can use a grill. How can you achieve the indirect heat method when using a grill? If you are using a gas grill, you can light one side. You can also pull coals on one side and use the other side to cook.
The smoke gives your meat a wonderful Smokey flavor. Soak a hardwood chip in water for an hour and put it over the fire. Let the excess fat drip into a drip Pan. When placing your brisket on the grill, avoid putting your brisket over direct heat.
After placing it on the side, leave it for an hour and 15 minutes to smoke. Keep on rotating it as it cooks. Let the grill temperature remain at 200 degrees F. Place a lid on the smoker. After an hour, baste your meat to help it remain moist while adding some flavor.
You require a meat thermometer to know if the meat is ready. Once the temperature reaches 185 degrees F, the brisket is ready. Remove it from the smoker and put it on the plate. How do you serve?
Since you want the meat to remain tender, slice it against the grain. You can slice thin/thick slices depending on your preference. You don’t have to add it to any other dish. It’s okay on its own. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t serve your brisket with a sandwich bun.
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Storage of Brisket
Don’t dispose of leftovers. It’s advisable to store it within two hours after cooking. If the meat remains at room temperature above two hours, bacteria will increase and spoil it. That means you need to discard it.
You can refrigerate the brisket leftovers and eat them within 3-4 days. You can also freeze the brisket, and it will last for 2-3 months. When freezing, wrap it firmly using a heavy-duty aluminum foil. A freezer bag or even a plastic container is another option you can use. Freeze your brisket at 0 degrees F, to help it last longer. You can reheat it whenever you crave for it. If your meat spoils, it will get a sour smell, and the texture is slimy. If those signs appear, tasting is terrible. You may get sick.
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Conclusion
Since the brisket is a tough chest muscle, be careful when preparing and cooking it. A simple mistake will make your meat chewy and tough. Selecting the right brisket is essential. Ensure it has excellent marbling, fresh, and the correct size. To make the meat juicier and moist, inject it using the right ingredients. It is essential to know how much to inject when to inject and how to inject it. You also should know the type of ingredients you can combine to get the right marinade. You can choose to inject your meat instead of marinating. If you marinate, the surface will soak with marinade, but it will not penetrate the interior. That means that your meat will be tough and chewy at the end. When smoking your meat, avoid direct heat. You can use a smoker or even a grill. Store the leftover before two hours are over after cooking. Bactria will increase if you leave it to stay longer. Keep on monitoring your brisket, and once it spoils, dispose of it.