If you're looking for a crowd-pleasing recipe, look no further than this Pioneer Woman brisket recipe.
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While brisket recipes smoked on a wood pellet grill or traditional smoker may be getting a lot of fanfare these days, old-fashioned oven-baked brisket should not be forgotten.
This Pioneer Woman brisket recipe is no exception. Ultra-tender, loaded with flavor and slowly braised for hours in a simple overnight marinade, Ree Drummond’s brisket recipe is a streamlined take on this classic homestyle favorite.
Let’s see how it stacks up to other Pioneer Woman recipes (like her fabulous million dollar dip).
How to Make The Pioneer Woman’s Brisket
Lauren Habermehl for Taste of Home, GETTY IMAGES
First time buying brisket? Look for a good grade of meat and a cut that has an even thickness and width from end to end. This ensures even cooking and will prevent one end from drying out while in the oven. A great brisket should also have a generous 1/4-inch (or even 1/2-inch) thick fat cap on one side and visible fat marbling on the other. More fat equals more flavor!
Ingredients
Directions
Step 1: Marinade the brisket
In a large roasting pan, combine the beef consomme, soy sauce, lemon juice, liquid smoke and garlic. With the fat side up, lay the brisket in the marinade. Cover the pan tightly with foil and let the brisket marinate for 24 to 48 hours in the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Transfer the foil-covered roasting pan to the oven and braise the brisket for 6 to 7 hours (about 40 minutes per pound). You’ll know the brisket is done when the meat is tender and easily shreds with a fork.
Editor’s Tip: While “fall-apart tender” is often used to describe brisket, you don’t actually want the brisket to fall apart once cooked. That’s a sign that the brisket was overcooked. A perfectly cooked brisket should still require some gentle pull when carving.
Step 3: Slice and serve
Transfer the brisket to a cutting board. Then, slice against the grain (it’s a top trick to make tough meat tender) and return the slices back to the juices in the pan. Serve warm, spooning reserved juices over the slices. If you’re into barbecue, Ree also recommends slathering with good barbecue sauce. Enjoy!
Here’s What I Thought
Lauren Habermehl for Taste of Home
This was hands-down the easiest brisket recipe I have ever made. I loved that it required very minimal prep work, and the oven did all the heavy lifting for me. All I really had to do was slice, serve and enjoy!
While this brisket recipe does come out super flavorful and tender, it is a bit on the salty side due to the amount of beef consomme and soy sauce used in the marinade. If you’re sensitive to salty foods, serve the brisket with a side of honey barbecue to balance the flavors.
Next time, I would add about 1/4 cup of honey, brown sugar or maple syrup to the marinade to give the brisket just a little sweetness that’s similar to the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel brisket recipe that I love.
Brisket is a tough, muscular cut of beef that comes from a hard-working area of the steer. This means that, while flavorful, brisket tends to be tough unless cooked low and slow (like our favorite slow-cooked oven ribs). Whether smoked or braised, a low and slow cooking method helps the brisket retain moisture, render fat and relax the connective tissue to make a juicy, flavorful and tender dish.
What should you pair with The Pioneer Woman brisket?
Pair this braised brisket with an array of side dishes. Choose southern favorites like baked beans and skillet cornbread or other comfort foods like The Pioneer Woman’s mashed potatoes or baked mac and cheese. You really can’t go wrong!
What should you do with leftover brisket?
Keep leftover brisket refrigerated in an airtight storage container for 3-5 days. Enjoy chilled, at room temperature or reheated. Leftover brisket is especially good shredded and mixed into chili, stuffed into a baked potato or rolled up in tortillas and baked with homemade enchilada sauce.
Brisket was a favorite for holiday celebrations, such as Rosh Hashanah, Passover, Hanukkah, and Shabbat. Jewish communities first began to favor this cut because it comes from the breast of the cow, located in the front, which makes it kosher.
The day before you plan to cook the brisket, apply a generous amount of brisket rub on all sides of meat and refrigerate overnight. The rub will not only enhance the flavor of the meat, but tenderize it as well. Similar to rubs, the meat should soak overnight in the marinade for maximum flavor absorption.
Although the two brisket cuts can often be used interchangeably, the flat cut is most often used in braises that are sliced, like those popular on Jewish holidays and for corned beef. The fattier point cut, meanwhile, is preferred for pulled beef, beef sandwiches and smoked barbecued brisket.
Technically, filet mignon is as kosher as any other cut of meat. The problem with filet mignon and other cuts from the rear is that they are located near the sciatic nerve and fatty deposits known in Hebrew as chelev, which are Biblically forbidden.
The cut of beef was decided to be celebratory and important due to its location. Brisket is found in the cow's front breast, making it kosher for Jews to consume.
If you're someone who prefers slices of brisket, then the flat is the way to go. Due to the shape and the lean texture, the flat makes it very easy to cut uniform slices. On top of that, the meat isn't too fatty and tastes delicious. Now, if you like shredded meat for sandwiches or BBQ, the point is for you.
The fat melts as it cooks, infusing the brisket with incredible moisture and flavor. Marbling enhances brisket by naturally tenderizing the muscle fibers during low and slow cooking. For those dedicated to their brisket game, the main thing to remember is prioritizing marbling is key.
Some smoked meat tends to become bitter because of the formation of a substance known as creosote. Creosote is a rather thick and oily coating that covers the meat when smoking has gone on for too long. To strike a balance between heat and time is the ultimate key to getting the right amount of smoke.
Marinating helps tenderize tough cuts by breaking up the muscle fibers. But low, slow cooking does that, too, so no need to marinate when you're smoking brisket. Brown and Ayala start with high-grade brisket from a ranch in Iowa, and season it with nothing more than a dry rub of equal parts salt and pepper.
Now, post-pandemic, the U.S. cattle supply is at its lowest in decades due to recent droughts impacting cattle feed like corn and hay. As a result, the cattle that are being sold are smaller in size. In addition, many ranchers are holding on to their cattle longer to build back their herds.
New research shows that brisket has several health benefits. Ground beef produced from the brisket contains high levels of oleic acid, which increases levels of HDL or good cholesterol in humans, Dr. Stephen Smith, Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientist, told ranchers at the recent Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course.
A brisket labeled as a "full-packer" is a whole brisket that contains both the point and the flat. A brisket labeled as a "flat" or "half" may just include the flat. Sometimes you'll see packages of meat simply labeled "brisket" with no further description.
Any animal who has cloven hooves and chews its cud may be eaten; such animals as the camel, badger, hare and the pig then may not be eaten. Sheep, cattle, goats and deer are all kosher and may be eaten. From the water, anything that has fins and scales may be consumed; prohibiting all shellfish.
Brisket became a Jewish food tradition because Kosher practices make it easier to slice brisket meat cuts, and it was historically one of the more affordable meat cuts.
Introduction: My name is Kimberely Baumbach CPA, I am a gorgeous, bright, charming, encouraging, zealous, lively, good person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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Lauren Habermehl for Taste of Home, GETTY IMAGES
Lauren Habermehl for Taste of Home