14 Delicious Leftover Brisket Recipes (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.

Texas Crutch Method: The Texas crutch method involves wrapping the brisket tightly in foil or butcher paper during the cooking process. This helps retain moisture and speeds up the cooking time, resulting in a tender and flavorful brisket.

Wrap whole or sliced leftover brisket and its juices in aluminum foil and store in a ziptop bag or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days, according to the USDA. 1 Whole pieces retain moisture better than slices, so wait until after reheating to slice the meat if possible.

Wrap your brisket in 2 layers of aluminum foil. Place the wrapped brisket in a baking pan. Add a cup of reserved cooking juices to the pan to keep the brisket moist. Cover the pan with foil and place it in the smoker or grill.

The temperature of the meat begins to rise again -- which you want because brisket gets more tender the longer you cook it.

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.

Rubs and Marinades

Common go-to rubs include seasonings like garlic, herbs, and spices. Just be sure to take it easy on the rub so that your brisket doesn't come out too salty. If you plan to mop or baste your brisket while smoking, be sure to coordinate the flavors properly with your rub.

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

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.

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

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.

Pre-sliced brisket can be reheated in the oven just like larger pieces of beef, but do it at about 375-degrees. You can even use a glass pan and cover the pan with aluminum foil to make clean-up easy. Only reheat for 15 to 20 minutes to avoid drying out the meat.

The brisket already loses enough moisture from water loss through steam and fat lost on the cutting block.

Brisket contains a lot of connective tissue, which can make it tough. The type of connective tissue in brisket is called collagen. Cook the meat quickly and you get tough, dry meat. Cook a brisket slowly, with some liquid, and the collagen turns into gelatin.

STEAM your corned beef in a steamer pot over boiling water for 2 to 3 hours and the result will be meltingly tender and with a full flavor. Enough of the salt and flavor does leach into the cooking water to cook the cabbage and potatoes perfectly as well.

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.

And because the brisket can't “sweat” itself cool, the higher temperature will be able to break down that collagen faster than a lower temp would. You still need to cook your brisket to about 203°F (95°C), but there is a good chance it won't be completely tender by the time you get there.