Best 3 Midwest Brisket Recipes

PASTRAMI SANDWICHES WITH ONION RINGS AND QUICK PICKLES

Steps:

• Combine the salt, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pickling spice, mustard seeds, pink curing salt, garlic and 1 tablespoon coriander in a large pot. Add 3 quarts water. Bring to a simmer and cook to dissolve the sugar and salt. Add 3 quarts cold water. Let cool to room temperature. Add the brisket, then weigh down with a plate and cover the pot. Refrigerate for 3 days. (If your refrigerator is too small to hold the pot, you can cut the brisket in half and refrigerate in 2 smaller containers as well.)
• When you are ready to cook the brisket, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Arrange a rack in a roasting pan. Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Coarsely crush the peppercorns and the remaining 1/4 cup coriander seeds in a spice grinder. Pour into a small bowl and stir in the smoked paprika. Remove the meat from the brine and rinse briefly. Pat dry. Pat the spice mixture all over and set the meat in the roasting pan, fat side up. Pour the boiling water in the bottom of the pan (don't let it touch the meat). Cover the roasting pan tightly with foil. Roast until the meat is very tender, about 3 hours. Carefully remove the foil and roast 10 more minutes to dry out the crust slightly.
• Slice the warm pastrami. Serve on rye bread with deli mustard and Onion Rings and Pickles on the side. (This pastrami can also be made ahead. To reheat, thinly slice and set over a steamer, or microwave covered with a damp paper towel.)
• Heat 1 inch oil in a pan to 350 degrees F.
• Set the flour in a bowl, eggs in a second bowl, and combine the panko and regular breadcrumbs in a third. Dredge the onions in the flour first, followed by the eggs and finally the breadcrumbs, then pan-fry until golden brown, a few minutes on each side. Remove to a rack to drain and stay crispy and season with salt.
• Combine the vinegar, salt, mustard seeds, granulated sugar, peppercorns, garlic and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Layer the cucumbers, chiles and dill sprigs in a jar or other lidded container. Bring the vinegar mixture to a simmer and stir to dissolve the salt and sugar. Pour over the cucumbers. Let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours. (The pickles will keep a week or more in the refrigerator.)

BBQ BURNT ENDS

Steps:

• For the brisket: Combine the salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne, cumin, granulated garlic and dry mustard in a small bowl. Sprinkle the brisket on all sides with the spice rub. Place the brisket into a slow cooker and cover with the lid. Set the slow cooker to high and cook until tender, about 6 hours.
• Remove the brisket from the slow cooker and set aside until cool enough to handle. Pour the liquid from the slow cooker into a fat separator. Discard the fat.
• For the BBQ sauce: Pour the cooking liquid into a stockpot and place over medium heat. Stir in the tomato paste, brown sugar, vinegar, salt, liquid smoke, cayenne, granulated garlic and dry mustard. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, at least 20 minutes.
• Slice the brisket into 1-inch chunks. Remove and discard any large pieces of fat. Spread the brisket in a 9-by-13-inch pan and pour the sauce over the meat.
• Turn the broiler on high. Broil until crispy and slightly charred on the edges, about 5 minutes. Serve warm with white bread or rolls.

BEEF BRISKET

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• On a cutting board, mash the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt together with the flat-side of a knife into a paste. Add the rosemary and continue to mash until incorporated. Put the garlic-rosemary paste in a small bowl and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil; stir to combine.
• Season both sides of the brisket with a fair amount of kosher salt and ground black pepper. Place a large roasting pan or Dutch oven over medium-high flame and coat with the remaining olive oil. Put the brisket in the roasting pan and sear to form a nice brown crust on both sides. Lay the vegetables all around the brisket and pour the rosemary paste over the whole thing. Add the wine and tomatoes; toss in the parsley and bay leaves. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and transfer to the oven. Bake for about 3 to 4 hours, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices, until the beef is fork tender.
• Remove the brisket to a cutting board and let it rest for 15 minutes. Scoop the vegetables out of the roasting pan and onto a platter, cover to keep warm. Pour out some of the excess fat, and put the roasting pan with the pan juices on the stove over medium-high heat. Boil and stir for 5 minutes until the sauce is reduced by 1/2. (If you want a thicker sauce, mix 1 tablespoon of flour with 2 tablespoons of wine or water and blend into the gravy).
• Slice the brisket across the grain (the muscle lines) at a slight diagonal. Serve with potato pancakes.
• Using a box grater or food processor, coarsely grate the potatoes and onions. Put the grated potatoes and onions together in cheesecloth or a tea towel and twist it to squeeze out the excess liquid. Put the dry potatoes and onions in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the egg whites and chives to bind the mixture together.
• Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and coat with 1/4-inch of oil. For each pancake, take about 2 tablespoons of the potato mixture and drop into the hot oil; gently flatten with a spatula so they fry up thin and crispy. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden. Remove to paper towels to drain; season with salt while the potato pancakes are still hot. Continue frying, adding more oil as needed, until all of the mixture is used up. Serve immediately with apple sauce, if desired.