Crockpot Brisket in BBQ Sauce, take #3

Lorraine wanted me to cook another brisket for our pre-Memorial Day dinner, but wanted me to do something different than the last 2 times.

I hunted through many recipes, but couldn’t find anything that was really different OR that I liked. So I started with the last last recipe and made more tweaks. The Hoisin and oyster sauces were intended to give it more of a Korean BBQ flavor.

This one is a winner!

Crockpot Brisket in BBQ Sauce, take #3

BRISKET:

• 4 lb brisket, fat removed

RUB:

• 2 tsp paprika powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tsp mustard powder
• 1 tsp seasoned salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp Indian chili powder or cayenne

BBQ SAUCE:

• heaping spoonful of minced garlic
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup prepared mustard
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 1/2 cup oyster sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp onion powder
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

The brisket has a huge amount of fat. This time I removed all surface fat and cut out the pockets I could. This reduced a 5-1/2 lb brisket to 4 lbs! In addition to eliminating the large layer of liquid fat in the resulting BBQ sauce, it reduced the size of the brisket so it fit in the crockpot. And it made eating easier.

Mix Rub ingredients. Rub all over brisket. It can be refrigerated up to 24 hours — I left it on the counter for 30 minutes while preparing the BBQ Sauce.

I don’t stock onion powder, so I substituted dried minced onion — I put all rub ingredients in a coffee grinder to grind the onion and mix everything. I often do this even if there is nothing needed grinding, as it mixes the spices very well.

Combine BBQ Sauce ingredients in a slow cooker, stirring to mix well. Add the brisket — if it’s tight squish it down to make it fit.

Changes from Take #2:

• Rub? I adjusted some amounts and left out the brown sugar.
• Ketchup? I mixed equal parts ketchup, prepared mustard, and a mixture of Hoisin sauce and oyster sauce. This gives it more of a Korean BBQ taste.
• Mustard? This time I used Texas Pete mustard sauce. Any prepared mustard can be used.
• Brown Sugar? I eliminated sugar from the rub and (like last time) cut the sugar in half. Everyone liked it less sweet.

I put the cooker on High for 4 hours and then Low for 3 hours, then put it on Warm. An hour before we ate I turned it off and left it covered.

I lifted the brisket onto a cutting board with 2 large spoons and let it rest for 10 minutes. There wasn’t much fat to scrape, so the result was 98% meat.

While the brisket rested I strained the sauce and put into a large saucepan. Brought it to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduced to low for 15 minutes. This reduces and thickens the sauce, and it thickens more as it cools.

Notes:

Next time I’m thinking of eliminating the ketchup and going with 1/2 cup each prepared mustard, Hoisin sauce, and oyster sauce.

As with last time, I saved the sauce and will simmer chicken in it, to produce a BBQ chicken. Last 2 times I did this came out great!