What should you do with all that leftover brisket? So many people avoid making brisket because their family isn’t large enough to tackle a full brisket. I mean, who is? In this post I’m going to teach you how to freeze and re-heat your brisket. The dirty little secret about leftover brisket…it tastes better than fresh brisket off the smoker! We’re also going to give you some great recipe ideas to use with your leftover brisket. Once I learned how to store leftover brisket it changed my life! I started putting it in everything, and believe me – everything tastes better with brisket!
How to Freeze and Re-heat Leftover Brisket
I like to cut my brisket into 1 inch by 1 inch cubes before freezing. I do this because this is generally the size I need the meat to be for most of the recipes I use. You can leave the brisket whole if you want, it re-heats just the same.
I also like to portion out the remaining brisket into about 2 cup portion sizes. You can always re-heat 2 portions if you need to, you can’t go the other way.
Put your brisket into vacuum sealed packs (I love my FoodSaver!) or freezer ziplock bags if you don’t have a vacuum sealer. Place in your freezer and you’re set!
To re-heat brisket I like to use two different methods: 1) Sous Vide and 2) Slow heat in the oven. They both work amazing and (in my opinion) make your brisket taste even better than fresh off the smoker.
Reheating Brisket Using the Sous Vide Method
“Sous Vide” (pronounced Sue Vide) is a fancy french term that means cooking food in heated water that is vacuum sealed in a pouch or ziploc bag. It works great for brisket because it helps the meat retain all the moisture, and it reheats slowly helping to retain the tenderness of your slow smoked meat.
Sous vide is very easy to do. All you need is a pot or pan, some water, and an oven. If you want to get fancy, there are sous vide machines that bring your water to exactly the right temperature. Have no fear, I’ll show you how to do it the cheap way; Here’s how to do it:
Preheat your oven to 225 degrees F. Choose one of your pots or pans large enough that will allow your frozen brisket to fully submerge in water.
Fill your pot/pan with hot water and place the frozen vacuum sealed brisket inside. IMPORTANT – make sure you do not un-seal your vacuum packed meat (or don’t open your ziplock bag if you are using bags). You want your meat to remain sealed during the entire cooking process.
Put your pot/pan in your oven and cook at 225 for 2-3 hours. Don’t be afraid to grab your brisket pouch and check if it’s thawed.
This step is optional, but I highly recommend. Once thawed and ready to eat, crank up your oven (or even your smoker) to 450 degrees F. Place the brisket in a baking pan and put in the oven for 1-3 minutes. Keep an eye on your brisket that you don’t over cook or dry out, but this flash cook will give you that crispy outside bark…mmmmm!
One main reason I cube my leftover brisket is because I always start eating the “flat” (skinny side) of the brisket which leaves leftovers from the “point” (thick fattier side). Meat from the point is what you use to make burnt ends. These are phenomenal, and I will include a recipe below. If you decide to go with burnt ends, skip the flash cook step and go right to pan frying.
Re-heating Brisket Using Slow Heat in an Oven
This method is very similar to the sous vide method, just forget the water. The brisket does lose a little bit of moisture, but it still tastes phenomenal. Here are the steps:
Run your vacuum sealed pack of brisket under warm water to try to start thawing your brisket. Try to break the cubes of brisket apart (if you can’t get some apart, no worries you can break them up later).
Pre-heat your oven to 225 degrees F. Remove brisket from vacuum sealed packaging.
Place the frozen chunks of brisket in a metal or ceramic baking tin (I usually use a pie tin or a bread tin). Put your brisket in the oven and slow cook for 1.5-2.5 hours.
Check it every 30 minutes to make sure it’s not overcooking. Also break apart brisket pieces that are still frozen together as they thaw. If they’re not broken apart they will stay frozen.
No need to flash cook these as they will already develop a nice bark from the slow cook. Enjoy!
As you can tell, neither of these options involve your smoker. I’ve tried re-heating in the smoker, but it has always ended up dried out and flavorless. If you use the two methods above, you will not be disappointed!
My Favorite Leftover Brisket Recipes
Before you get to the leftovers, here is our Perfect Brisket Recipe. It will not disappoint:
As I promised, here is my favorite Burnt Ends recipe.
I love me some smoked bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers. Recently I included shredded brisket into the filling, and it was AMAZING. I will add this recipe to the blog in the future. So look for it!
Slice Leftover Brisket and Freeze in a Single Layer
For easier brisket freezing and reheating, slice the brisket and freeze it in a single layer. This will give you brisket “popsicles” that you can then move to a freezer bag or container for long-term storage.
Slice Leftover Brisket and Freeze in a Single Layer
For easier brisket freezing and reheating, slice the brisket and freeze it in a single layer. This will give you brisket “popsicles” that you can then move to a freezer bag or container for long-term storage.
To moisten the meat, give it a marinade in some warm beef broth, and make sure to add broth when reheating. Another option is to use the meat in dishes where it can soak up a rich sauce. Add the cooked beef to Slow-Cooker Brisket Chili or Chicken-and-Brisket Brunswick Stew, where the juiciness isn't as necessary.
USDA recommends using cooked beef within 3 to 4 days, kept refrigerated (40°F or less). Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth. USDA recommends using cooked leftovers within 3 to 4 days.
Cooked brisket without liquid or gravy will last longer in the fridge (up to four days) but less time in the freezer (up to two months). If the brisket is stored in the gravy, it may be refrigerated up to two days and frozen up to three months.
Set the temperature to a low heat, around 225°F to 250°F (107°C to 121°C), and cook the brisket slowly. You can wrap it in foil or use a roasting pan with a lid to help retain moisture. Slow Cooker Method: Using a slow cooker is a convenient and hands-off method.
Far better than letting your brisket sit for a minimum of 15 minutes is refrigerating it overnight and slicing it cold. This will produce beautiful thin slices in a way that slicing the ever-so-slightly-rested, semi-warm, soft brisket never can – if not sliced cold brisket often shreds.
Once the pieces of brisket have cooled, they can be packaged for refrigeration overnight or as needed. If you have airtight plastic containers in the right size, you can use those to store the brisket. Wrap the brisket first in plastic wrap to provide further protection against drying out.
I like to prepare the brisket the day before I serve it, then put it in the refrigerator overnight. This saves prep time on the following day, and the flavors deepen overnight, which makes it taste even better.
Dry Brine: After seasoning thoroughly, place that smoked beef brisket in the fridge uncovered overnight. That dry brine is key to drying out the outside layer of the brisket to get an amazing bark.
This includes all cooked leftovers, [chopped] fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products." On hotter days, this time frame is even shorter. "If the temperature is 90 degrees or above, foods should be [refrigerated] after only one hour," says Beauchamp.
In the refrigerator or freezer? According to the USDA FSIS, cooked meat can be refrigerated safely for 3-4 days. For storage longer than four days, cooked meat should be frozen. For leftovers that will be eaten within four days, use Ziploc bags, wide, heavy-duty aluminum foil, or plastic storage containers.
Its plentiful supply of connective collagen cooks away to gelatin, leaving the muscle soft and toothsome. It's common practice in many restaurants to prepare one or more whole briskets ahead of time, then store them overnight for slicing and use.
I put my briskets in a turkey bag with marinade for a day or two in the fridge before cooking. I also inject the flat with marinade right before it goes on the smoker. I swab with mustard, season with rub, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Let sit over night in fridge.
Refrigerate meat and poultry within 2 hours of removing it from a smoker. Cut the meat or poultry into smaller portions or slices, place it in shallow containers, cover, and refrigerate. Use it within 4 days or freeze for later use.
Introduction: My name is Mrs. Angelic Larkin, I am a cute, charming, funny, determined, inexpensive, joyous, cheerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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