How to Cook a Brisket in a Bag

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Things You'll Need

  • Knife

  • Paper towels

  • Skillet

  • Olive oil

  • Garlic salt

  • Pepper

  • Brown sugar

  • Roasting pan

  • Beef broth

  • Apple cider vinegar

  • Worcestershire sauce

  • Bourbon (optional)

  • Instant-read thermometer

You don’t need to baste a brisket that cooks in an oven bag.
Image Credit: Polka Dot Images/Polka Dot/Getty Images

There's more than one way to tame a stubborn, cantankerous brisket, but arguably one of the best is to let it blow off steam – literally – in an oven cooking bag. A brisket is cut from the toughest region of a cow, making it a perfect match for a bag that lets the meat baste in its own juices. When the brisket emerges from the oven, a transformation will have taken place, giving you with a tender, juicy and mouth-watering dish.

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Step 1

Cut away the thick fat from the brisket, especially that which may be "hiding" in the back. Leave a thin film of fat on the brisket; it provides some flavor and by the time it's cooked, will have "melted" into the meat.

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Step 2

Rinse the brisket and pat it dry with paper towels. Consider searing it in a skillet to brown the exterior, as the slow cooking it undergoes in the oven makes it tender but not crispy. To prepare the brisket, brush it with olive oil, then season it with a mixture of garlic salt, pepper and a little brown sugar. Searing won't take long; all your brisket needs is about three minutes of medium-high heat on both sides.

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Step 3

Preheat the oven. You can cook your brisket at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about two hours or for a slightly more tender meal, slow cook it at 275 degrees for about four hours.

Step 4

Place the oven cooking bag in a roaster pan and put the brisket inside. To add moisture, flavor and tenderizing punch to the brisket as it cooks, add some beef broth, apple cider vinegar and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. For added kick, add bourbon.

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Step 5

Tie the bag and cut four small holes across the top so the brisket can release steam. Cook the brisket according to your preferred timetable, placing it on the middle rack of the oven. Check the brisket for doneness. It should register an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees F, but you may choose to cook it longer until it becomes nearly melt-in-your-mouth tender.

Tip

Experiment with herbs, seasonings and liquids when you make a brisket in a bag.

Even though oven bags intensify flavors because they seal them in, briskets are a low-risk dish. Despite its tough nature, briskets are surprisingly “forgiving.”

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