Brisket can be a very intimidating meat. I know. Because, I was terrified of the thing for years! When I realized that I could prepare it in a slow cooker, a gain an instant sense of confidence. Do you really mean to tell me that I can cook a dang brisket in a Crock-pot? Hell yes!
My local meat market only had flat cut brisket available. That’s why the mine may look a bit different from the larger chunk you may be used to. No worries, though. This recipe will work for all cuts of brisket.
Don’t Lose the Fat!
The layer of fat on your brisket may be thick or thin depending on the cut you’re using. I prefer to have a 1/4 inch layer of fat on my brisket. I find that it keeps the meat perfectly juicy without an overload of thick fat covering the meat. But, you never want to trim all of the fat off your brisket. The fat has all of the flavor! I don’t add any additional liquid to my slow cooker. By the time the brisket is complete, you’ll find about 1 1/2 cup of liquid surrounding your meat. It’s all from the fat! It keeps the brisket nice and juice. Not to mention tender!
Rub-A-Dub
Feel free to use your favorite meat rub to make things easier. I used a delicious Applewood Chipotle rub and added about 1 TBS of salt to it as the rub isn’t salty enough for my taste in brisket. However, I do have an incredibly easy and flavorful homemade rub recipe. Very quick to mix up and it’s comprised of spices you probably already have in your spice rack. I’ll include it in the recipe below.
Even Cooking
When slow cooking any cut of beef, you would benefit from allowing it to come to room temperature before cooking. This will result in even cooking. You never want one or two areas of the meat to cook faster than the rest. After applying the rub, I allow the brisket to rest for about 30 minutes before placing it into the slow cooker.
Speaking of placing the brisket in the cooker, make sure you do it fat side up! This will cause all of those juices fat to seep down into the meat while slow cooking. Cool, right?
When your brisket is done, you can place it onto a baking sheet and broil it on center rack for about 5 minutes. This will char it a bit and give you those wonderful burnt ends we enjoy when brisket is barbecued. Or you can just enjoy this tender and juicy brisket as is! Totally up to you.
Another VERY IMPORTANT step is to rest the brisket before slicing! When you are done cooking, wrap the brisket in foil, and allow it to rest at room temperature for 45 minutes to an hour before slicing. This will allow the juices to settle. I know it’s torture to wait. Especially after smelling the goodness! But, trust me, it’ll be worth it.
Crock-Pot Brisket Recipe
Ingredients
- 3-4 lb brisket
- cooking spray
Brisket Spice Rub
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1-2 TBS kosher salt per taste
- 3 TBS smoked paprika
- 2 TBS onion powder
- 2 TBS garlic powder
- 1 TBS Ancho chili powder
- 2 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp oregano
Instructions
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Mix all of the Brisket Spice Rub ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
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Trim the fat side of the brisket until 1/4 inch of fat remains
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Evenly sprinkle the spice rub on all sides of the brisket; gently pat the rub into the meat
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Allow the brisket to rest at room temperature for 30-45 mins
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Spray the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray
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Place the brisket into the slow cooker (Make sure that the fat side of the brisket is facing upward)
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Set the cooker on LOW and cook for 10-12 hours
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Place the brisket on a baking sheet and broil in the oven on the center rack for 3-5 minutes or until the meat is as charred as desired.
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Remove the brisket from the oven and wrap it in foil
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Rest for 45 minutes to an hour before slicing against the grain to serve
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Enjoy!
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