Best 7 Southern Pulled Beef Brisket Recipes

SOUTHERN-STYLE BRISKET

Steps:

• Make the brisket: Combine the chili powder, mustard powder, brown sugar, cayenne, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Rub on the brisket, cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Remove the brisket from the refrigerator about 1 hour before cooking and let sit at room temperature. Soak a few handfuls of mesquite or hickory wood chips in water 30 minutes; drain.
• Preheat a grill to low, then prepare for indirect heat: For a gas grill, turn off the burners on one side; put the wood chips in a smoker box and position under the grate over the heated burners. For a charcoal grill, push the coals to one side; once the temperature registers 200 degrees F (you should be able to hold your hand 5 inches from the coals for 6 seconds), scatter the wood chips on top. Position a drip pan under the grate on the cooler side of the grill.
• Put the brisket fat-side up on the grill above the drip pan. Cover and grill, undisturbed, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 185 degrees F to 200 degrees F, 3 hours, 30 minutes to 5 hours. If using a charcoal grill, leave the vents nearly closed and scatter 6 to 8 unlit charcoal briquettes and a handful of prepared wood chips on top of the lit coals every 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the brisket from the grill, wrap in foil and let rest at least 30 minutes. Pour the drippings from the drip pan into a bowl and let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the barbecue sauce: Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add the chili powder and cook, stirring, until brick red, about 30 seconds. Stir in 1 1/2 cups water, the vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, mustard, allspice and 3/4 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a low simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 45 to 55 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
• Whisk the reserved drippings, then whisk 1 to 2 tablespoons into the barbecue sauce. Thinly slice the brisket against the grain. Serve with the barbecue sauce.
• Dry cast-iron pans thoroughly with paper towels after washing to keep them from rusting.

SLOW-ROASTED BEEF BRISKET

Steps:

• Place brisket, fat side down, in a 13x9-inch baking dish. In a small bowl, mix the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, onion salt, liquid smoke, salt, pepper, and hot pepper sauce and pour it over the brisket. Turn the brisket fat side up and refrigerate, covered, overnight.
• Remove the brisket from the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 300°. Bake fat side up, covered for 4 hours.
• Optional: In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients and spread it over the brisket. Bake uncovered for 15 to 30 minutes longer or until tender.
• Cut diagonally across the grain into thin slices.

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.

SLOW-COOKED PULLED BRISKET

Steps:

• Season the brisket generously with salt and pepper.
• In a large cast iron skillet, over medium high heat, heat the olive oil and, once smoking hot, brown the brisket on all sides until golden brown.
• Transfer the browned brisket to your slow cooker, fat side up.
• Back in the skillet, lower the heat to medium low and add some more olive oil if necessary. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for about 10 minutes or until the onions have caramelized. Transfer to the slow cooker.
• In a medium sized bowl, combine the blended tomatoes, the Worcestershire sauce, the vinegar, the mustard, the brown sugar, the ketchup and the chili powder, whisking everything together until smooth. Pour the sauce into the brisket in the slow cooker.
• Finally, add a whole chipotle pepper to the slow cooker and cover. Cook on low for 9 hours, until the brisket is fork tender.
• Discard the chipotle pepper and take the brisket out of the slow cooker.
• On a cutting board, take the fat out using a serrated knife. Discard the fat.
• Shred the brisket using two forks and bring it back to the slow cooker. Cover and cook for one more hour.
• Serve hot with buns or mashed potatoes.

SOUTHWESTERN PULLED BRISKET SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Season the beef generously with salt and pepper, to taste. Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat just until beginning to smoke. Add the meat and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer the meat to the slow cooker; leave the skillet on the heat.
• Add garlic, onion, chili powder, coriander, and cumin to drippings in the skillet and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add vinegar and boil until it's almost gone, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in water and pour the mixture over the brisket. Crush the tomatoes through your fingers into the slow cooker; add the tomato juices, chipotles, bay leaves, and molasses. Cover the cooker, set it on LOW, and cook the brisket until it pulls apart easily with a fork, about 8 hours.
• To serve, leave the meat in the slow cooker and use 2 forks to pull it apart and stir it evenly into the sauce; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove and discard bay leaves. Pile the meat on sandwich buns and serve with jalapenos. (This is also great rolled up in tortillas.)

PULLED BRISKET SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Cut brisket in half; place in a 5-qt. slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine the water, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, garlic, bouillon, chili powder, mustard, cayenne and garlic salt. Cover and refrigerate 1/2 cup mixture for sauce; pour remaining mixture over beef. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until meat is tender., Remove beef; cool slightly. Skim fat from cooking juices. Shred meat with two forks and return to the slow cooker; heat through., In a small saucepan, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, butter, pepper sauce and reserved water mixture. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 2-3 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Using a slotted spoon, place beef on rolls; drizzle with sauce.

SOUTHERN PULLED BEEF BRISKET

Steps:

• Combine all dry ingredients. Rub over brisket.
• Heat oil over medium heat. Brown meat on both sides, about 10 minutes total.
• Transfer meat to a slow cooker. Add beef broth. Cover and cook on Low until beef pulls apart easily with fork, about 8 hours.
• Remove meat from slow cooker on to serving dish. Pull apart meat with fork. Serve plain or with barbeque sauce of your choice. Great on hamburger buns for a sandwich too.