Cooking Beef Brisket for Valentine's Day Meal

     Everyone likes to go out and eat for special events, birthdays, and holidays but since Valentine's Day is on Wednesday this year, it might be more convenient, and less crowded, to stay at home and enjoy a home-cooked meal. As beef producers we eat a lot of our own beef and one of the easiest meals to prepare is a delicious steak, baked potato and salad and it is one of my favorites. There is nothing wrong with relying on that gold standard and having a steak this Valentine's Day.

     I would like to suggest cooking beef brisket, it is really just as easy as steak but takes a little planning and preparation beginning Monday evening. This is my modified version of the Smoked Texas Beef Brisket recipe that I found in "The Healthy Beef Cookbook"  published by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, written by Chef Richard Chamberlain and Betsy Hornick.  This is not the common smoked brisket, which is a delicious favorite of mine, but brisket that you can either cook in a slow cooker, on stove top, or in the oven.
    Follow the link to learn more about the beef brisket cut from the Beef Checkoff program  "Beef. It's What's For Dinner."
https://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/cuts/cut/2477/brisket-flat-half

Photo credit to Beef Checkoff website "Beef. It's What's For Dinner"

     If you want to serve this on Valentine's Day, you need to purchase a 2.5 to 3 pound boneless flat cut beef brisket, NOT corned beef brisket. These are usually sold in vacuum packages and can range from 2 to 8 pounds. A 2.5 to 3 pound brisket should fit into a large slow cooker or stock pot and make 6 to 8 servings.
     The original recipe calls for a list of ingredients for a dry rub. Since I did not have all of the ingredients in my pantry the first time I cooked this several years ago, I used McCormick's Grill Masters Steak Rub, which includes everything in the recipe.

Ingredients:
     1    2.5 to 3 pound boneless flat cut beef brisket
     1    package McCormick's Grill Masters Steak Rub
     1    beer
           Plastic wrap
   
     Two nights before you plan to serve, take the brisket out of the original package and cover both sides with McCormick's Steak Rub. That is simple enough although it may be a messy process. Now wrap the brisket tightly in plastic wrap. It will normally take about 4 or 5 long strips of plastic wrap to cover the brisket entirely. Place the brisket back into the refrigerator for 24 hours.
     If you plan to cook the brisket in a slow cooker you can now remove  the plastic wrap from the brisket and brown the brisket in a skillet  in olive oil. I like to use an iron skillet.  I brown both sides very well, then place the brisket fat side up into the slow cooker and add 1 cup of beer. Turn the cooker on low and cook until the following afternoon, remove the brisket at dinner time, slice and serve! You can either place brisket in slow cooker the night before, near bedtime, or place in slow cooker early morning of the day you plan to serve.
     If you will be home on the day you plan to serve the brisket you can cook it in a stock pot on the stove top or in the oven. You will also need to brown as stated above, then place the brisket into a stock pot fat side up and add 1 cup of beer. You have the choice of cooking on the stove top at a very low heat for 4 hours, keeping the lid on the stock pot because you won't have to add liquid or stir, or you can place the stock pot in the oven at 250 degrees and cook for 4 hours. Remove, slice and serve.
     Brisket is excellent served as a sandwich or sliced and served as the entrée with your favorite sides.

Photo credit to Beef Checkoff. This looks like the brisket from this recipe, only with added BBQ sauce. 

For more information on braising and slow cooking different cuts of beef check out the following link https://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/cooking/braising-pot-roasting-slow-cooking