So yeah, about that vegan thing. Well, I never said that I was going totally vegan, just that I was pursuing a vegan lifestyle when appropriate. The beauty of being vegan-ish is that you can break from your normal routine from time to time. I had wanted to make brisket in a crock pot for quite a while and since this recipe involved no dairy, it was a perfect meal to share with my girlfriend. She had mentioned that brisket was something her mom made growing up and it was delicious. Hence, this dish came together.
Slow cooking meats is sort of a white rabbit for me. I don’t get the science behind it but I have had very good results. The concept of taking a high fat content piece of meat and cooking it way beyond the accepted temperature of one of its less fatty counterparts (aka, ribeye, filet) and having a truly delicious and mouthwatering product is something that doesn’t get old for me. I figured with all the stuff in this pot, I could very easily reduce it for a delicious sauce.
Pro-tip: Trust your nose on this one. Depending on your slow cooker, the brisket may be done a bit earlier. I’m not saying dramatically earlier, but if it’s looking / smelling right and there is an hour left, I’d check on it. You don’t want it drying out.
Crock Pot Brisket turns out a wonderfully tender and flavorful brisket. Serve with mashed potatoes for a great meal.
Ingredients
- 1 3-3.5 lb brisket trimmed
- 2 stalks of celery
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 1 tbsp ancho chile powder
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1/2 onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 6 oz dark beer (porter or stout)
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Set a large pot over medium high heat. Season brisket with salt and pepper.
- When hot, add 3 tbsp olive oil and sear brisket, 2 minutes per side until a nice crust is formed.
- When browned, add brisket to the crock pot.
- Slice onion thin and layer over brisket. Crush and chop garlic and add to the crock pot. Whisk remaining ingredients together and add to the crock pot.
- Cook on low for 8 hours.
- Remove from pot and put in a dish to rest before carving.
- Stain liquid and add to a saucepan, Reduce until it coats the back of a spoon.
- Slice brisket across the grain and serve with sauce.
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- All the ingredients
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- Brisket
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- Seared
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- Everything in pot
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- Resting
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- Reducing sauce
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- Gravy
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- Slicing
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- Crock Pot Brisket
