"BBQ" Brisket

By Mark Bittman

Updated June 24, 2023

Total Time
About 3 hours
Rating
4(254)
Comments
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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.

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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
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

906 calories; 67 grams fat; 26 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 29 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 21 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 14 grams sugars; 52 grams protein; 935 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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
254 user ratings
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Comments

Ellen

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.

Julie

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.

RobinK

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.

Julie

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.

Jenni

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.

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