Trying brisket for a change. Looking at recipes and see some different approaches, which leave me with some questions. I’d appreciate any advice people can give.
Is it better to use the flat or point end? The leaner part seems preferable as long as it doesn’t get too dry. Second, whether to cook a whole piece and slice it to serve or do the usual thing and cut into 2” pieces.
(Flavour wise, aside from the usual veg and bacon etc I usually roast some oxtail, scrape off the meat and add the bones to the beef while it braises then add the meat into the stew towards the end. It adds some richness)
Have only smoked a handful of briskets so my limited experiences may not be relevant. On the smoker I struggle to cook a juicy, tender flat. Always tasty, but not often tender. As a braise I would think it matters far less. I have managed to dry out meat in a braise but it’s a lot more difficult to do so.
Please share which way you went and how it turned out. Would like to benefit from your experience in this cook
It seems to me that adding oxtail bits to a braised brisket is going to be even fattier/greasier than a typical beef bourgogne. I make it with more ‘supermarket’ cuts like
short ribs
trimmed/cubed chuck (in a serving dish)
Because this was for a birthday dinner I wimped out on the butchery (will be my first time) and put the briskets in the freezer for a future experiment (which
I’ll report back on) and went with pre cut chuck with the ox tail. Was great. Used Ontario Pinot Noir though, so the name is a misnomer.
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The point is a lot more fun to eat. If you’re cooking for a group, go with the whole thing. That way people who don’t care for the fattier cut can have leaner slices and everyone else can get the choice meat. If for appetizers, the chunks of burnt ends are fun. But the full brisket is the show-stopper.
I shall reflect on this when I do tackled the brisket for Boeuf Bourgignon