To suffocate, to deprive of oxygen or to suppress are meanings of smothered. If you relate more closely to food terms than to oxygen deprivation or constraints, smothered means covered with gravy or a thick sauce. If the latter grabs your attention more so than the former, welcome to my world. Let’s get going with some Smothered Beef Brisket.
Ordinarily I smother with gravy. Today, I smothered with a barbecue-y type sauce. Either way, smother is very good. Smother makes tougher cuts of meats melt-in-your mouth tender.
I cooked the brisket for about 3 1/2 hours until the sauce had evaporated to the point that it clung to the meat. If braising is more your style , double the amount of the sauce ingredients before cooking. That will ensure that plenty of liquid remains.
The determining factors regarding which method to choose depend largely on personal preference and intended use for the brisket. If shredding is your ultimate goal, braising is probably your answer. If a firmer texture is desired for slicing, consider smothering and allow the moisture to evaporate from the sauce. Also, for shredding, you may want to cook the meat about an hour longer.
There are a couple of options for a dipping sauce to serve along the brisket that’s cooked using the smothered method. The vegetables and fruit that covered the bottom of the roasting pan make a fine sauce if pureed and reconstituted with the liquid of your choice. Or, you can strain braising liquid and reduce until thick.
You can always grab a bottle of commercially prepared BBQ sauce, too. That’s what I did tonight. There’s no shame in that. No shame at all.
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Beef Brisket – Syrup and Biscuits
Smothered Beef Brisket
2 flat cut beef briskets
2 tablespoons homemade seasoning mix
3 large sweet onions, peeled and sliced in half rings
8 carrots, chopped
5 to 6 stalks of celery, chopped including tops
1 apple, cut in eights
2 lemons, sliced
2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup yellow mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 strip bacon, uncooked
Rub seasoning mix all over briskets and store in refrigerator overnight.
The next day, make a bed of prepared fruit and vegetables in a large roasting pan. Put the briskets, fat side up, in the bed and cover with a blanket of sauce that is made by combining tomato sauce, brown sugar, mustard and Worcestershire.
Place a strip of bacon atop the blanket of sauce on each brisket. Do this just because. Bacon needs no reason.
Cook for about 3 1/2 hours at 325 degrees until the liquid in the sauce has evaporated and the meat is very tender. If the sauce is getting too brown before the meat is as tender as you would like., add a little water to the pan and cover.
Smothered (Recipe: Smothered Beef Brisket)
Ingredients
- Smothered Beef Brisket
- 2 flat cut beef briskets
- 2 tablespoons homemade seasoning mix
- 3 large sweet onions peeled and sliced in half rings
- 8 carrots chopped
- 5 to 6 stalks of celery chopped including tops
- 1 apple cut in eights
- 2 lemons sliced
- 2 15 ounce cans tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 strip bacon uncooked
Instructions
- Rub seasoning mix all over briskets and store in refrigerator overnight.
- The next day, make a bed of prepared fruit and vegetables in a large roasting pan. Put the briskets in the bed and cover with a blanket of sauce that is made by combining tomato sauce, brown sugar, mustard and Worcestershire.
- Place a strip of bacon atop the blanket of sauce on each brisket. Do this just because. Bacon needs no reason.
- Cook for about 3 1/2 hours at 325 degrees until the liquid in the sauce has evaporated and the meat is very tender. If the sauce is getting too brown before the meat is as tender as you would like., add a little water to the pan and cover.
cindy says
This looks yummy! I love smothering too and sometimes enjoy the ‘sauce’ even more than the meat! Will have to try this one.
Jackie Garvin says
I hope you enjoy it, Cindy. If you want to use the cooking liquid for a dipping sauce, you might want to add some liquid.
sandradavisalltheway says
Wow, Jackie, this looks like a winner at my house!! I’m fixin’ to get all the stuff to make it this week! (I just read your FB post!) What about fittin’ to? That’s the real lazy way of saying it! .. I’m fittin’ to go..haha
Jackie Garvin says
Sandra,
I was fixin’ to tell you I was thinking about the Davis family when I made this. I figured the Texas part of the family would love beef brisket. 🙂
Mmilt says
What temperature do you cook it at? Or did I miss it?
Jackie Garvin says
You didn’t miss it! I just added it in – 325 degrees. Thanks for bringing that to my attention. 🙂
sandradavisalltheway says
You are so right! I hope ya’ll are doing good! The fun never ends with all of your delicious recipes and stories, you always keep them coming. Thank you Jackie.
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
Ohhhh smother me! I haven’t had brisket for way too long and this looks magical!
Jackie Garvin says
Enjoy, Maureen!
Joyce Looney says
Does this need to be covered while in the oven?
Jackie Garvin says
Joyce,
I don’t cover it. That’s the reason I put bacon on the top to add some extra fat, as well as flavor, as it cooks to keep it from getting dry. If you use a covered Dutch oven, you can start off using the cover and then remove about halfway through the cooking process.
Joyce Looney says
Ok…thank you so much!
Vanessa says
Do you cover the brisket?
Jackie Garvin says
Vanessa,
I smother the brisket with the sauce and leave it uncovered so the sauce can bake into it. Much like smoking the meat, if it’s cooked low and slow, it will tenderize without being converted.
Rebecca says
Can you do this in a slow cooker? How long on low?
Adel says
Can it be cook by using slow cooker? If so, how many hours?