Brisket is one of the nine beef cuts recognized internationally. It exists in the lower chest area of cows or lamb and is one of the most favorite cut pieces worldwide. It is indeed the healthiest meat and produces good cholesterol.
When brisket is simmered, and for a longer time, it turns magically tender and juicy. Yet the problem is that if brisket is cooked as a whole, it’s hard for most people to finish it in one sitting. This ultimately results in leftovers. Now, after a long BBQ night with friends and family, the leftover brisket is placed in the freezer to be eaten later.
Unfortunately, the wrong reheating techniques make the brisket dry, and eventually, people are forced to throw the meat in the garbage. This, however, can be easily avoided as we are going to discuss some of the best ways to reheat brisket that will maintain its tender and juicy nature of brisket even after reheating. All that is required is a little patience, as it usually takes a short time to reheat correctly.
Table of Contents
How to Store and Freeze Brisket:
The very first thing is how you are going to store the leftover brisket. To keep the brisket for days, you need to store it in a freezer. For a few hours, the fridge is okay. Try to cover the brisket to avoid it getting dry.
If it becomes difficult to store the brisket as a whole, slice the brisket. It’s easy to reheat the sliced brisket. Try to consume the leftover item from the refrigerator in a few days.
How to Reheat Brisket in Oven:
The most productive and best way to reheat the brisket is by the use of an oven. Though it takes a little more time, trust us, it’s completely worth it. Suppose proper steps and precautions are followed, and the oven is allowed to warm up the brisket properly. In that case, the result is outstanding, yummy meat that you can’t stop yourself from eating.
Step 1: Preheat the Oven
Though you are feeling a monster hunger, you have to cope with it. Because preheating is essential to yielding the right taste of brisket, start preheating the oven at 325F. Don’t rush by increasing too much of the temperature as it will completely dry the brisket.
If you are refrigerating, it’s good to place the brisket out of the refrigerator for 10-20 mins before placing it in the oven. If you have set the leftover in the freezer, put the brisket to thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Step 2: Make Sure the Meat is Ready
Before reheating brisket in the oven, make sure to do a little preparation. For that, place the brisket in the cooking pan. If you have juices (apply or any reserved cooking juice), then pour on the brisket. Nicely marinate and place the brisket for a few minutes and place some cuts on the brisket to nicely soak the juice.
Tip: if you don’t have any of the reserved cooking juices, you can also use a cup or two of beef stock or use any barbeque sauce.
Step 3: Use The Foil To Wrap The Meat
Once done, nicely wrap the brisket in one or two foil papers. This will maintain the crispiness, juicy and tenderness of the meat. After you are done with it, the brisket is ready to be sent to the oven.
Step 4: Let It Get Ready And Then Serve
Now, wait till the temperature rises 140-160F. This might take 30 mins to 1 hour, based upon your baking oven and the brisket size. For most accurate results, use a food thermometer to measure the brisket’s temperature accurately and precisely.
Once done, now carefully take out on a flat plate. And slice it if it is not cut. If you make slices once it’s hot, it will not take the right slice shape, and instead, it will break into small fibers. But as you are too hungry to wait for it to cool down, you are welcome to unwrap it and crack it down.
Congratulations! You have successfully reheated the brisket in the oven.
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How to Reheat Brisket in Microwave:
Although it is not the best way. But sometimes we are short of time or don’t have the faculty of a baking oven; in such cases, it’s fine to use the microwave for reheating. For best results, use the slices of brisket instead of using it as a whole. Use the microwave at the lowest possible power to avoid overheating.
Heat the brisket in 30 seconds. After every 30 seconds, check the temperature of the brisket. If more warmth is required, microwave it for another 30 seconds, and so. But make sure to heat it in small intervals to avoid the brisket getting dry. This is another time-friendly yet not the best way to reheat brisket.
How to Reheat Brisket in Smoking Grill:
If you are a grillaholic, then this one is the most enjoyable way of reheating the brisket. This will turn your normal leftover meat into a yummy and delicious reheated smoked brisket.
This one is undoubtedly another right way to utilize the leftover brisket. But try to be careful as you dry it out if not appropriately performed.
Step 1: Get The Right Tools
First, get a smoker grill that has two zones/levels.
Step 2: Marination
Meanwhile, wrap the thaw brisket in foil with the marination (as discussed above).
Step 3: Preheating
Now, preheat the smoking grill. Once done, place the cold brisket’s slice on the stern area/zone of the smoking grill.
Step 4: Unwrap the Brisket
Once it’s a little done, unwrap it and place it directly on the hotter side. Place the brisket on the hotter side for ten minutes on a low-medium flame. Keep flipping sides, so they are nicely grilled from both sides.
How to Reheat Brisket in the Steam:
The moisture is a crucial thing to determine the taste of brisket. No one likes a dried and jerky brisket. One way to maintain the moisture of the brisket is to use a large cooking pot. Inside that pot, place a steaming basket that has plenty of holes inside.
Once the pan is heated, turn the flame to low and place the brisket on a steaming basket. Stop the flame and serve the brisket once it reaches 140 degrees. This won’t make your brisket crispy but will surely make it hot and moist.
Pros and Cons of Reheating Brisket:
These are a few of the advantages and features that we achieve once we perform reheating with these techniques.
- Time Taken:
The time taken is the time required to perform the steps and reheat the brisket. Oven performs the most time taking reheating. Yet the result of the stove is the best.
Microwave, steam, and smoking grill take comparatively less time than the baking oven. But saving time always doesn’t produce excellent results. The brisket is much juicier if reheated slowly. Fast reheating may turn it into a dry piece of meat.
Cost:
Though the baking oven requires electric expense, it yields the best-reheated brisket. However, most of the users don’t have the facility of the baking oven in their homes. In that case, the quick reheating in the microwave will yield a fantastic result. However, the grill method of reheating is no less either. In general, the most time and cost-consuming practice have the best taste.
The cheapest ways are reheating by steam or grilling.
- Universality:
Baking your brisket is a little complex and less used method as it requires more patience, time, and cost.
Microwave and grilling are some of the economic methods and are comparatively less complicated and less time taking.
- Best Results:
However, some human beings have a lot of patience and can wait for the meal to get adequately reheated. These people prioritize the quality of reheated food over any other thing.
For people like this type, using a baking oven with the recipe mentioned above will make the brisket as warm, juicy, tender, and delicious as it was the very first time.
Best Way to Reheat Brisket Compared:
| Time Taken | Cost Spent | Best Results | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baking Oven | Poor | Highest | Best Taste |
| Microwave | Short | Medium | Normal |
| Grilling | Short | Least | Good |
| Steaming | Medium | Least | Satisfactory |
Secret Tips for Reheating Brisket Properly:
- Try Using A Vacuum Zip Lock To Store Leftover Brisket:
The vacuum zip lock eliminates the danger of bacteria invasion in food. Also, the proper seal will allow storing of brisket for a longer time.
- Tray the Brisket after Taking Out Of the Freezer:
Instead of directly placing the frozen brisket into the baking oven or throwing it right onto the grill, defrost the brisket for 20-30 minutes. This helps the reheating of brisket yield good results.
- Monitor Temperature of the Brisket Using Food Tempo Meter:
The temperature of the brisket needs continuous monitoring. Use a food thermometer to monitor the brisket’s temperature so that you may take it out at the right time and avoid overheating.
- Apply Juices Before Reheating Brisket:
Always use leftover juices or beef stock and nicely marinate the brisket. Upon margination, then wrap the brisket with foil paper.
Conclusion:
Towards the end of this article, we discussed the best ways to reheat brisket. The included methods were the use of the baking oven, microwave, steam, and grill pan. All methods do their jobs, yet they differ in time, cost, universality, and taste.
The general rule of thumb is the slower you cook the brisket, the tastier it is. The fast reheating will make the brisket dry. The best way to reheat brisket slices is to use the baking oven. This will make it as juicy and tender as before. Microwave did save time, but it requires sliced brisket, and the taste too is just fine.
The grill is another good option as it reheats smoked brisket and gives a better taste.
