The process of preparing brisket can be slow and tedious, but at the end of it all, it is definitely worth the effort. The tender and juicy meat makes up for all the hard work and if you’ve done a good job, the flavorful meat just melts in your mouth.
However, what happens when you can’t eat all of that meat? You may be hesitant to learn how to reheat brisket because you’re worried about how it may turn into jerky or may lose all of its juices. Lucky for you, we have a few tricks that could allow you to prepare your leftovers in a manner that they would seem fresh off the smoker.
How to Reheat Brisket In an Oven
With only a few precautionary measures, reheating briskets in an oven can be a great solution for too many leftovers. Here’s what you need to do:
Step 1
First off, it is never alright to blast your leftover briskets with high heat. Instead, it helps to seal in the juicy flavors to first preheat the oven to about 325 degrees Fahrenheit. You see, a high temperature tends to suck the moisture out of brisket and, therefore, would result in chewy and tough meat.
Step 2
While your oven preheats, get the leftover brisket out of the fridge and place it on a baking sheet before letting it sit at room temperature for 20- to 30-minutes. Doing so will ensure that your meat reheats evenly, and you wouldn’t have to worry about an unpleasant cold center.
Before you pop your brisket into the oven, make sure you add some extra juices. This is also why it is a good idea to save leftover juices from your cookout. However, if you have no choice, you can always improvise with a cup of beef broth.
Step 3
Next, place your brisket inside a double layer of aluminum foil and make sure that it is sealed by crimping the foil around the edges of the pan. Also, double check for tight seals and no holes before finally popping it into the oven.
Ideally, it takes about an hour for an entire brisket to cook. For a brisket that is cut-up, try to cut it for about 20-minutes or so. Once it has warmed up, go ahead and enjoy your perfectly moist and reheated meal!
How to Reheat Brisket In a Smoker
Using a smoker or a grill to reheat brisket helps produce very similar results to an oven. The only difference between the two is the time it would take to get your meal ready. Of course, there are a few tricks that you can help shave some time off the whole process.
Step 1
First things first, defrost your meat thoroughly to a room temperature and then heat your grill to about 225 degrees Fahrenheit. In order to make sure that you don’t end up blasting your brisket with too much heat, try to use a 2-zone setup.
For those of you who don’t know what a 2-zone setup is, this is when you place your charcoal and heat on one end, with your meat on the other side.
Step 2
With your cooking setup ready, wrap your meat in some aluminum foil and then place it in the ‘cool zone’ of your 2-zone setup. Next, let your brisket heat up until it has reached 155 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 3
Once the brisket reaches the correct temperature, unwrap it and slowly move it towards the direct heat zone for about 5 to 10 minutes. You may also use your cooking thermometer to check whether the brisket is at 160 degrees Fahrenheit before you serve.
Note: If you are reheating your brisket on a gas-powered grill, we recommend setting it to a medium temperature for optimal cooking.
How to Reheat Brisket In the ‘Sous Vide Method’
Wondering what a ‘sous vide’ is? Well, this is a tool that allows you to give your brisket a bath and heat it up without cooking it. Sure, this method takes a lot more time than smoking it or cooking it in an oven, but if you brisket often, you’re probably already accustomed to waiting. Here’s what you need to do:
Step 1
First, let your brisket sit outside the fridge for about 20- to 30-minutes to let it reach room temperature. Next, place it into a vacuum-sealed bag.
Step 2
Now fill the sous vide bath with enough water to cover it completely and set the tool to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Now let your meat simmer in a nice warm bath.
Step 3
Next, when your brisket has reached the same temperature as the water, it will finally be ready to eat. The only downside to this process is that it could take about 5-hours to get to this point.
You can always speed up this process to just 10 minutes, by slicing up your brisket into ½-inch pieces. If you prefer thicker slices, say about 2-inches thick, you could get a meal ready within 2-hours.
Avoid Microwaving Your Brisket
Sure, it can get the job done pretty quickly, but doing so will result in dried-out meat. You see, a microwave works by turning a food’s water molecules into steam. Therefore, microwaving a juicy brisket will just make rubbery and dry. Microwaving may allow you to prepare a quick meal, but it isn’t really worth it at the end of the day.
Now that you know how to reheat brisket using a smoker, oven, and the sous vous method, it is time for you to pick which option suits you best. So which is it going to be?
Happy cooking!
