I have struggled with cooking brisket for a number of years. I do not believe I am alone. Everywhere I go, people talk about brisket, the best and most juicy, moist brisket. It is described as perfectly cooked and knock-dead delicious. I try it and am always disappointed. Sometimes there is some good flavor, sometimes a bit of juiciness, and sometimes there is absolutely nothing right about it. To make matters ten times worse, my brisket stands right in line with the masses of mediocrity. And that upsets me.
Every now and again, I muster up the moxie to buy a brisket and cook it. I try different methods, marinades, techniques, and temperatures. I might as well just eat sawdust. Yet, I finally realized an important fact. I was just cooking brisket to cook it, not to make great brisket—and I needed a purpose for the brisket. Well, I found a purpose. I needed an idiot-proof method to cook brisket. I had to have it, no choice, no failure allowed. The result, a brisket I am proud of.
One brisket
Pickled jalapeños and their juice
Mustard
Ketchup
Soy sauce
Purée the jalapeños, mustard, ketchup, and soy sauce to get a paste. Rub liberally on the brisket; any leftover can be saved for sauce. Wrap the brisket in a triple layer of plastic wrap and place on a sheet pan in a 250-degree oven for eight hours. Let cool, then refrigerate overnight. Unwrap the brisket, discard any visible fat, mix the meat drippings with the leftover paste, and warm for sauce. Slice the brisket thick and then grill to warm through. Eat.
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