Does cooking a beef brisket sound like a lot of work to you? It really isn’t!
This versatile meat is easy to find in Edmonton and can be cooked in many delicious, quick, and simple ways.
From family dinners to special holidays, D’Arcy’s Meat Market has the brisket you need to impress your guests as well as your tastebuds!
If you’re curious about this cut of beef, keep reading to learn more about brisket and how you can use it to create flavourful and impressive meals.
What is Brisket?
Between the rising popularity of BBQ restaurants, cooking shows on TV, and gourmet food at home, beef brisket has become more commonplace these days.
The term “brisket” can actually represent a few distinct food items made out of beef cut from the cow’s chest.
While tougher than most cuts, brisket is generally available in two different boneless cuts or brined in salt and sold as corned beef:
- Flat Half: (also known as “thin cut,” “flat cut,” “first cut,” and “center cut”) This cut of brisket is leaner and more expensive.
- Point Half: (also known as “front cut,” “point cut,” “thick cut,” or “nose cut”) Point half brisket is fattier, less expensive, but often more flavourful of the cuts.
- Corned Beef Brisket: This type of brisket is injected with salt brine and is popular as deli or sandwich meat.
Where Do I Get Beef Brisket in Edmonton?
Beef brisket is readily available at many local butchers in Edmonton!
At Darcy’s Meat Market, our AAA Alberta beef is wet-aged between 14-40 days to enhance the quality of the meat and eliminate the need for mechanical tenderizing. This produces a more tender brisket when properly cooked!
Our briskets are high-quality and affordable, making them the perfect cut of meat to enhance your meals and impress your friends.
You can check out our selection of beef brisket online or come visit our store for more information.
How Do I Serve Beef Brisket?
Depending on how familiar you are with the cut, preparing a brisket can seem like an intimidating process.
Luckily, you only have to keep two words in mind when serving a beef brisket: Slow and Low!
Brisket is best when cooked over low heat over a long period of time, most of which can be unattended.
Before we get into some amazing beef brisket recipes, check out these cooking methods and preparations:
Slow Cooker or Crockpot
The old stand by! Slow cookers keep food at a very accurate, low heat and can be left alone for hours. The combined effect produces an incredibly tender and flavourful result.
Even better? Brisket is almost impossible to overcook!
Oven
Beef brisket can also be cooked in the oven and customized to any taste.
Combine your favourite chopped vegetables, two or three complementary spices, and enough liquid to cover the brisket in a deep pan.
Roast for a few hours until tender and serve sliced to rave reviews!
Stovetop
You can cook your brisket on your stovetop over even heat in a deep, heavy pan such as a Dutch oven.
First, sear or brown the beef before adding and caramelizing some vegetables. Top with wine, broth, or water, and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for a few hours.
Once the brisket is finished, you can reserve the liquid and reduce it into a delicious sauce.
Smoked
If you’re ambitious and own a smoker, you probably already know the process. However, if you don’t have a smoker, you can still enjoy smoked brisket!
Place a tray of wood chips over one element in your BBQ or oven. Dry rub your brisket with spices and place it off the heat, allowing it to cook in the smoke for a couple of hours.
Make sure you do your research! There’s a reason BBQ pitmasters spend their lifetimes perfecting the art of smoking a brisket.
Corned Beef
Even though corned beef is widely available prepackaged or pre-made, you can brine your own brisket.
A longer process that preserves the meat with salt, corning produces a flavourful and long-lasting brisket used in many traditional recipes.
Brisket Cooking Tips
Let your brisket stand after cooking to the desired tenderness. Use your sharpest knife and slice against the grain to produce thin and even portions.
Leftover brisket is perfect for sandwiches and keeps well in the freezer.
Easy Brisket Recipes
Now that you know how to cook a brisket let’s look at some delicious recipes you can make to take your meal to the next level!
Pulled Firecracker Brisket
This baked beef brisket is tender, sweet, and smoky with a chili kick! You can serve it on top of baked potatoes or in warm wraps.
Slow Cooker Borscht
Borscht is an Eastern European soup that uses beets as the main ingredient but can be “beefed” up with a beautiful brisket, sauerkraut, and other delicious ingredients!
Layered Brisket Dinner With Tangy Mustard Sauce
Using your slow cooker, you can easily make a full meal out of brisket by layering it with seasoned red potatoes and baby carrots. A tangy mustard sauce rounds out this recipe perfectly!
Brisket Burgers
This fast and easy recipe uses minced brisket to create rich and savoury patties. Add some cheddar, slaw, and comeback sauce, and you have yourself a burger!
What’s comeback sauce? It’s a Mississippi chili mayonnaise that makes the perfect tangy sauce.
Leftover Brisket Recipes
The great thing about preparing a beef brisket is that you can maximize your efforts by using leftovers for more delicious meals!
Here are some ideas:
- Grilled cheese sandwiches
- Breakfast hash
- Quesadillas
- Shepherd's pie
- Tacos
- Stroganoff
- Chili
- Empanadas
- Pizza
Ready to Braise a Brisket Like a Boss?
If you’re ready to braise like a boss, come on into D’Arcy’s Meat Market. We provide only the highest quality and freshest beef cut to your specifications!
We are more than happy to offer guidance, recipes, and even our favourite BBQ sauce to help you master the perfect beef brisket.