Crockpot Brisket in BBQ Sauce

I have never cooked a brisket before now. Nope, I have no idea why. It just was not on the agenda.

That deficiency has been fixed. I purchased a brisket and searched for a crockpot recipe, as I’m working from home this week and needed a recipe that required no attention.

This one caught my attention!

Crockpot Brisket in BBQ Sauce

• BRISKET:
• 4 lb brisket
• RUB:
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp paprika powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• BBQ SAUCE:
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1-1/2 cups ketchup
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp mustard powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Mix Rub ingredients. Rub all over brisket. At this point the brisket can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.

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

I put the cooker on High for 4 hours and then Low for 3 hours. An hour before we ate I turned it off and left it covered. [The original recipe said to put the cooker on Low, and a 3 lb brisket takes 8 hours, a 4 lb brisket takes 10 hours.]

Pour the sauce into a saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium high heat and reduce until it thickens to a syrup consistency (it thickens more as it cools). This takes about 15 minutes.

Remove brisket to a cutting board and slice thinly across the grain. [I let it rest 10 minutes, then sliced it and covered until the sauce was ready.]

Notes:

Brisket: I goofed and purchased a cured brisket for corned beef. This came out fine anyway, although next time I’m buying uncured.

Vinegar: I only had 1/3 cup cider vinegar, so I added enough rice wine vinegar to make the 1/2 cup, and it came out just right. Eric & I like vinegar and it could have used a touch more, while Lorraine doesn’t care for vinegar but loved the dish. Using 1/4 cup cider vinegar and 1/4 cup rice wine or white vinegar might be a happy medium.

Cayenne: The recipe called for 1 tsp cayenne, but I toned it down as too spicy bother’s Lorraine’s stomach. I added 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, and may increase that to 1/2 tsp next time.

Onion Powder: I didn’t have onion powder, but had dehydrated onion flakes. I put the rub in a rotary coffee grinder and it mixed well.

The original recipe said:

Meanwhile, drizzle brisket with oil then roast in a 400 F oven for 15 minutes until brown spots appear. Remove then baste generously with Sauce, then return to oven for 5 minutes. Remove and baste again, then return to oven for 5 – 10 minutes until it caramelises.

I didn’t bother, it was delicious as-is.