Slow Cooking 101: Texas Style Brisket

I’ve just returned from Austin, Texas, where I spent a disproportionate amount of time eating with my good friend Julie. Austin is littered with al fresco fine dining and food truck spots. The whole fried branzini Thai style and Japanese crudo mackerel were possibly some of the finest dishes I’ve ever eaten outside their countries of origin. 

But it was our trip to Salt Lick BBQ in Driftwood to sample “the Texas trinity” – brisket, sausage and ribs – that cemented the recipe for our final week of Slow Cooking 101.

Texas BBQ is known for its rich and smoky flavor which comes from slowly cooking the meat over woodchips and/or pecan shells.

The homemade rub for our slow cooker version includes coffee and chipotle chili for a hint of that smokiness.

The beauty of cooking brisket in your slow cooker is the long cooking time and opportunity for advance prep. I’m out of the house each Tuesday from 7.15am until after 5pm and this brisket can be left to cook ALL day for up to 10 hours. I made the rub, coated the brisket and refrigerated it overnight. I then popped it into a 5 qt slow cooker and set it to cook all day long.

Step 1 Why brisket?

• Timing – I’m away from home 10 hours some days, the cooking time for brisket works.
• Satisfaction – It is one of the tastiest cuts of beef.
• No Fuss Factor – Choose your favorite rub or simply salt, pepper and chili, apply liberally all over and cook.
• Texture – Melt in your mouth.
• Multi Meal yield – A 5-6 qt slow cooker can easily accommodate a 5-6lb brisket if you want a holiday dish or leftovers for another meal.

Step 2 Getting Organized – What do I need?

• Pantry staples – low sodium beef broth and spices
• Fresh – a bag of your favorite mix for coleslaw

Step 3 – Making a Meal

• A simple coleslaw of cabbage, onion with a lime, olive oil dressing
• Rustic mashed potatoes

Step 4 Stocking your Pantry

Ingredients

2 tbsp soft brown sugar
2 tsp coffee, ground
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chipotle chili – (ancho or red chili as a substitute)
1/2 tsp black pepper, ground
2 – 2 1/2 lb brisket
1 onion, sliced into half inch half moons
2 cups beef broth

In a small bowl, mix the sugar, coffee, salt, chili, and pepper. Spoon the mixture over one side of the brisket, turn over and repeat on the other side.

Arrange the sliced onions on the bottom of your slow cooker. Lay the brisket on top of the onions and pour the broth around the meat.

Cover and cook on LOW for 10 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours.

Serve sliced, with a slice or two of braised onion and a spoonful of the juices. Mashed potatoes are welcome to soak it all up. In Austin they added fluffy white bread topped with sesame seeds and bowls of baked beans, but for my weeknight dining this seems a little over the top.

Zen Moment