Forget The Slow Cooker, Cook Brisket Like This For A Flavorful Bite

Slow cookers can be the hero of your galley when used to make flavorful Carolina pulled pork sliders, but some foods are best kept away from the appliance. For example, putting a whole chicken in a slow cooker is a recipe for subpar poultry that will have you wishing you had baked it in the oven. And according to Jorge Thomas, the founder of Swaledale Butchers, brisket is another protein that should steer clear of a slow cooker.

"For me, brisket is best smoked low and slow," Thomas said. Well, that sounds like brisket has slow cooker written all over it, but Thomas highlighted that the different methods of cooking with minimal heat over a long period of time can vary wildly. A slow cooker is simply going to fall flat when it comes to arguably the finest part of a brisket.

Referring to smoking low and slow, Thomas said, "That's where you get bark, smoke, and properly rendered fat. A slow cooker will make it soft, but it won't give you that." So, what's the best option for folks who don't have a smoker or don't want to commit that much time to preparing dinner?

"If you don't have a smoker, I'd rather braise brisket in the oven than put it in a slow cooker," Thomas said. "Season it well, brown it properly, then cook it slowly in a covered dish with onions, garlic, stock or wine, and a few herbs." Braising brisket shaves hours off the cook time, as smoking demands 6 to 11 hours total (not including prep time) while braising can be accomplished in about 3 hours. Still, there is one mistake you'll need to avoid for meat that you're proud of.

If you have your heart set on using a slow cooker, it's best to opt for what some refer to as the "poor man's brisket" (chuck roast). Smoking brisket is ideal, but braising it properly will produce a more respectable piece of meat compared to what a slow cooker would do to it — "properly" being the key word. Thomas noted that one simple blunder can ruin all your efforts to get the closest approximation to a smoked brisket.

"Don't drown it. The liquid should come partway up the meat," Thomas said. "The drawback is obvious: Braising gives you tenderness, not bark." You're relying on that initial browning to initiate the Maillard reaction and mimic the tasty bark that makes brisket so appealing, but soaking it in a flavorful braising base is sure to destroy any chance of that happening. Typically, two-thirds of the meat's surface should not be sitting in liquid. "So, get good color on the meat at the start, don't swamp it with liquid, and reduce the sauce at the end," Thomas summarized.

You're saving tons of time braising a brisket rather than smoking it, but it still takes a while. Before you start wondering if there are any clever hacks out there that could reduce the time it takes to braise the meat, Thomas had one last piece of advice to offer that throws cold water on that idea. "Brisket needs patience. Rush it and you'll get tough brisket."