If you are living somewhere near Texas, you probably know that briskets are one of their prized recipes. Being able to stay there for a couple of months, I was baptized to how they create smoked briskets. The smoking skills of the pitmasters there are so great that they even humbled my esteemed cooking skills.
But of course, all of those experiences are proving grounds that honed me in the area of smoking briskets. Currently, I am under the impression that my briskets are from the being amateur. I am not self-praising myself. It is just that when I compared the taste of my previous briskets to what I can accomplish today, they are far really different.
However, despite all these improvements, the smoked briskets that I create are susceptible to drying out quickly. I am pretty sure that you are all aware of this situation, especially after you have sliced the meat. Well, you don’t want this happen and just let the brisket spoil. You have to learn how to reheat brisket because the latter is expensive in the first place.
As far as I know, a pound of brisket cost around $8 to $9. By this price tag alone, the last thing that I want to see is for the meat to get spoiled and wasted. Fortunately, reheating it will save you from such dreary predicament. But of course, just like other things, it requires the correct process so that you can attain the right results.
How to Reheat Brisket: Methods to Follow
There are essential steps that you should heed for you to get the best results out of the reheating process. I have listed them here and the only thing you have to do is to follow them!
Preservation
The first step of reheating brisket is knowing how to preserve it. Any leftovers that can’t be preserved properly are bound to be ruined. Even if you know the right procedure for reheating the meat, it still doesn’t matter if the latter are past edible already. It is crucial that you can preserve the meat properly if you are planning to reheat it. Otherwise, you are just wasting time and money here.
Ideally, the best way you can sustain the quality of the leftovers is by putting them in airtight containers like Ziploc bags and Tupperware storages. The idea here is to ensure that the meat will have minimal interaction with air and other elements. Air is the primary cause of oxidation, which causes the food to spoil quickly. When storing on a Ziploc container, make sure that you squeeze the air out first before closing.
After the brisket leftovers are already inside the container, you can already store them in your refrigerator. At this point, you should also know how long the briskets will last if you store them in your fridge or freezer. Storing the container in your fridge will allow you to keep the meat fresh for 2 to 3 days. Meanwhile, freezing them can ensure the quality and safety of the brisket for a week.
If you want to thaw the frozen brisket, don’t do it on your kitchen counter. Instead, do it on your refrigerator. This would save the meat from possible elements that can cause food spoilage. Specifically, you should thaw the meat two days before you are going to reheat it.
Also, don’t forget to save the juice of the brisket. The juice that is generated from smoking is essential in the reheating process. It can ensure that the brisket would remain moist and juicy after you have reheated it.
Reheating Through Oven
You can reheat the brisket in your oven. Although some will disapprove of this, this approach is actually effective. You just have to know the right parameters to make the meat safe, fresh, and tasty.
The first thing you need to do is to preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. While it is happening, place the brisket on an oven-safe aluminum tray. Next, pour the meat juice that you got from whatever smoker you have used. Whether it is an electric smoker or charcoal smoker, it doesn’t really matter. As long as the juice is there, you are already good.
After you poured the juice, cover the container with an oven-safe aluminum foil. Make sure that you can tightly seal the edges of the tray to ensure the heat can’t escape. Once done, you can already place the tray in the oven. The reheating time should last around 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of the brisket. Alternatively, you can remove the meat from the oven once its internal temperature goes down to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Reheating Through Microwave
If you don’t have access to ovens but have a reliable microwave by your side, then this approach is the right one for you. Microwaves are still capable of reheating any meat, such as pulled pork (how to reheat pulled pork) and tri-tip (how to reheat tritip). Just like ovens, you just have to know the right procedure to make the reheating successful.
When reheating through microwave, there is no actual need to remove the brisket from the Ziploc bag or any airtight containers that you have used. Just make sure that they have venting ports on their lids for the heat to have a passageway to work through. Of course, you should not forget to add the juice to the container to ensure the juiciness of the meat.
Before you insert the meat in the microwave, let me give you one important reminder. If you don’t want your brisket to be overcooked, you have to reduce the output of your microwave down to 20%. After this, you can already put the brisket inside.
Specifically, you should reheat the meat under 30 seconds intervals. Every after 30 seconds, you have to check the temperature of the meat. Depending on the size of the meat, this process could take around one to three minutes. Just use your cooking intuition so that you can achieve your desired results.
Conclusion
These are the known procedures on how to reheat brisket. Just follow the steps that I have listed so that you can rejuvenate the quality of the brisket like it is newly made. By then, you will realize that there is no point in wasting meat if you know how to deal with leftovers. Of course, it is both practical and beneficial for you!
Among the methods, the microwave can produce the fastest results. However, you can always resort to your oven if you don’t have a microwave in your home. If done properly, any of these methods can revive the original taste and juiciness of the smoked brisket.