For a really simple, really satisfying meal, you can’t go wrong with brisket. This super easy, smoky, beer braised bbq beef brisket, flavored with a delicious marinade, couldn’t be any easier! Just pop it in the oven and forget about it!
What is Brisket
Brisket is an inexpensive, boneless cut of beef that is quite tough and requires a long, slow cooking process to break down the collagen in the connective muscle tissues to become tender.
A brisket is made of two sections, the flat and the point. The point is the larger, round end and the flat is the wide flat side.
How to choose a brisket
- A good brisket should have a deep red color with marbling throughout. Marbling refers to the strands of fat that run throughout the brisket. A Brisket with good marbling will have patterns of white swirls and lines throughout, not just in one area.
- A good brisket will have a fat cap that is 1/4″ to 1/3″ thick. The fat cap will keep the beef moist during the cooking process. If the fat cap is too thick, it should be trimmed down to a single even layer.
- Hold the brisket in the center, and if it bends over on each side, it’s a more tender piece of beef. If the brisket is stiff and doesn’t bend, keep looking.
How much brisket to buy
Brisket will shrink a significant amount. Because of this, you should plan on purchasing 1/2 – 3/4 pound per person.
The Marinade
The brisket needs to be marinated overnight. For a 3 pound brisket, in a large bowl, mix together 2 cups beef broth, 2 Tbsp liquid smoke, 1/4 cup worcestershire sauce, 2 Tbsp garlic powder, and 2 Tbsp onion powder.
Add the marinade, along with a brisket liberally seasoned with salt and pepper, in a resealable plastic bag. Turn the bag a few times to insure that the brisket is evenly coated and refrigerate over night or up to 3 days.
How to cook the brisket
Add a can of beer and 5-6 cloves chopped garlic, and a sliced onion to a baking dish. Remove the brisket from the marinade, discard the marinade, and add the brisket to the baking dish.
Be sure to place it fat side up so that it doesn’t dry out during the cooking process. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 275 degrees for 6 hours.
Remove the brisket from the baking dish, cover, and let it rest 15 minutes before slicing.
Slicing the brisket
With a sharp knife, slice the brisket against the grain.
Artzy Foodie Pro Tip: Check out this post at Hey Grill, Hey for a great demonstration of how to properly slice a brisket.
Give it a light brush with your favorite bbq sauce (I’m kind of partial to my homemade bbq sauce) and enjoy!
The end result is a super tender, smoky beer braised brisket that is so worth the wait!
Storage
Store your left over brisket in an air tight container in the refrigerator for 1 week.
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Smoky Beer Braised Brisket
Ingredients
- 3 pound brisket
- salt and pepper
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 Tbsp liquid smoke
- 1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp onion powder
- 1 can beer
- 5-6 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 onion sliced
Instructions
- Liberally salt and pepper the brisket
- Whisk together the beef broth, liquid smoke, worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and onion powder for the marinade
- Add the marinade to a large resealable plastic bag
- Add the brisket, squeeze out the excess air, and seal the bag
- Refrigerate for 24 hours, turning the bag over a few times to make sure the brisket is evenly marinated
- Preheat the oven to 275 degrees
- In a large baking dish, pour in the beer and add the chopped garlic and the sliced onion
- Remove the brisket from the marinade and add to the baking dish
- Discard the marinade
- Cover with aluminum foil
- Bake for 6 hours
- Remove the brisket from the baking dish, cover and let rest 15 minutes
- Slice against the grain and brush with bbq sauce
This brisket is mouthwatering. How could you possibly go wrong with cooking this beautiful piece of meat for 6 hours? It must have been really tender. The marinade itself sounds fabulous.
Thanks, Kristy! It was delicious!