Texas-style beef brisket is traditionally slow cooked in a smoker. Ten to fourteen hours. We don’t have a smoker but we have a slow cooker and a bottle of liquid smoke. They did the trick.
Cook’s notes
The total cooking time for this slow cooker beef brisket BBQ is almost eight hours. And it’s not only in the slow cooker where the beef brisket cooks. That’s just the first part. After the slow cooking, the meat is left to cool. The cooking liquid is reduced, brushed on the meat which then goes into the oven to give the surface a light crust that mimics the texture of traditional beef brisket BBQ.
Tip #1: To prevent the meat from sticking to the bottom of the slow cooker pot, I place a barrier between the ceramic and the meat. I like onion slices for the barrier. They not only prevent scorching; they add moisture and a subtle sweetness too. Not to mention the lovely aroma.
Tip #2: We make our own BBQ sauce by grinding spices and mixing them with seasonings (ingredients are all listed below). If you’d rather not make your own BBQ sauce, you may use bottled sauce from the grocery. I recommend Korean BBQ sauce which has a lovely balance of sweet, salty and tang.
Tip #3: For more about liquid smoke, see What is liquid smoke? Is it safe to use? How is it used?
Slow cooker beef brisket BBQ
Ingredients
- 1.2 to 1.5 kilograms beef brisket (2.6 to 3.3 pounds) in one piece
- 1 large onion peeled and thinly sliced
For the smoky barbecue sauce
- 3 tablespoons rock salt
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon celery salt
- 1 tablespoon ground mustard
- 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon coarsely ground white pepper
- 3 tablespoons smoky paprika
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon ginger powder
- ½ cup spicy grainy mustard
- ½ cup tomato ketchup
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 cup ginger ale
- ¾ to 1 tablespoon liquid smoke the amount depends on the actual weight of the brisket
Instructions
- Spread the onion slices to completely cover the bottom of the slow cooker bowl.
- Rinse the brisket, pat dry with paper towels and lay on top of the onion slices.
- Place the rock salt, thyme, oregano and basil in a spice grinder or food processor. Process until powdered.
- In a mixing bowl, mix together the processed salt and herbs with the rest of the ingredients for the sauce until the salt and sugar are dissolved.
- Pour the sauce over the meat.
- Set the slow cooker on LOW and cook the brisket for 7 and ½ hours.
- Remove the bowl from the cooker and let the brisket cool slowly to room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Line a baking tray with foil and spray with oil. Alternatively, line the tray with non-stick baking paper or a silicone mat.
- Lift the brisket and lay on the prepared baking tray.
- Strain the sauce into a sauce pan. Boil, uncovered, until reduced to the consistency of syrup. DO NOT wait until too thick; it thickens as it cools.
- Brush the reduced sauce on every exposed surface of the brisket.
- Bake the beef brisket at 400F for about 10 minutes or until the sauce is lightly caramelized.
- Transfer the brisket to a cutting board, slice and serve with the remaining sauce on the side.
Tempura-style crispy green beans