20 Best Leftover Brisket Recipes - The Three Snackateers (2024)

FAQs

What to do with tough leftover brisket? ›

As for what to do now I would put all the brisket in an oven dish with a lid, put in some stock to about 2/3 of the way up and then braise it for at least 3 hours at about 145°C. Braise it until it starts to get tender, then braise it for a bit longer.

Importance of Marbling

The fat melts as it cooks, infusing the brisket with incredible moisture and flavor. Marbling enhances brisket by naturally tenderizing the muscle fibers during low and slow cooking. For those dedicated to their brisket game, the main thing to remember is prioritizing marbling is key.

USDA recommends using cooked beef within 3 to 4 days, kept refrigerated (40°F or less). Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth. USDA recommends using cooked leftovers within 3 to 4 days.

Moisture is key to reheating brisket, so you'll need to add some liquid to keep it from drying out. Reserved cooking juices, beef broth, and barbecue sauce are popular for reheating brisket. Other liquids that add flavor and moisture include apple juice, beer, and water.

Reheat it in a moist environment: One of the easiest ways to soften a dry brisket is to reheat it in a moist environment. You can do this by placing the brisket in a covered dish with a small amount of beef broth, water, or tomato sauce. Cover the dish with foil and bake it in the oven until it is heated through.

That means that they smoke the brisket with a medium temperature, then on a very high temperature for a short period and then steam it for the last 10 degrees over a very long period of time.

The term “Texas Crutch” refers to a wrapping process used to speed up the brisket cooking process and push through the infamous “stall” that makes smoking a brisket so challenging. It was most likely a technique and term used on the competition circuit.

Add Moisture

After two or four hours of cooking, you can lightly spray your brisket with water, hot sauce, apple cider vinegar, or apple juice. You can do this every 30 minutes or every hour, based on preference.

Wet rubs are fantastic when you are cooking low and slow – again, brisket and pulled pork.

Can I eat brisket after 6 days in the fridge? ›

Storing Fresh Brisket

A fresh brisket will be fine in the coldest part of your refrigerator (35 to 40 F) for up to five days before cooking and up to eight days if your refrigerator section is kept at a temperature lower than 34 F.

After cooking the brisket and letting it rest, slice the brisket across the grain and arrange in a baking dish or disposable foil pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and refrigerate. To reheat, spritz the meat with apple juice or low-sodium beef broth and add 1/8″ of the same liquid to the bottom of the pan.

Because corned beef comes from brisket, a tough cut of meat. You need its connective tissue to break down so you can have tender results. Some like to braise their corned beef in an all-water liquid, with various spices and salt; others add beer to the mix to further tenderize the meat.

Purchase a whole fresh beef brisket (not corned) or 2 center-cut pieces. Oven-braise the brisket up to 2 days ahead; chill meat and pan juices separately. To serve, slice meat and reheat in sauce.

Wrapped and Back on the Smoker

Place the brisket back in the smoker, this time with the flat facing the heat source. This will help the brisket cook more evenly, and now that the meat is protected, you can expose the flat to a little more heat.