Yankee Brisket Pulled Barbeque
Submitted by dorserina
Yankee brisket pulled barbecue makes tender pulled BBQ without a smoker: brisket slow-roasted with liquid smoke, chilled, shredded, then simmered in a homemade tangy-sweet-spicy sauce. A make-ahead crowd-pleaser for sandwiches.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
5 hrsREADY
14 hrsPulled barbecue for folks without a smoker. This brisket gets its smoky flavor from a generous pour of liquid smoke and its tenderness from a long, low, foil-sealed roast in the oven, no special equipment required.
The two-day method is the secret, and it’s worth the wait. Roasting the beef and refrigerating it overnight does two things: the chilled meat shreds cleanly into tidy strands, and the hardened fat lifts right off the pan juices, which then become flavor for the sauce.
The barbecue sauce is built from scratch and properly balanced: tangy from cider vinegar and mustard, sweet from brown sugar and molasses, with cayenne and hot sauce for a kick and ketchup and chili sauce for body.
Simmering the shredded meat in the sauce for an hour is where it all comes together, soaking up flavor while staying moist with a splash of the reserved pan juices.
Pile it onto soft buns for sandwiches, with slaw and pickles, and dinner becomes a feast.
Pro Tips
- Roast and chill the brisket a day ahead; cold meat shreds far more cleanly and the fat lifts right off the juices.
- Save the pan juices to keep the meat moist as it simmers in the sauce; add more if it looks dry.
- Uncover the brisket for the last 30 minutes of roasting to brown the top.
Variations
- Use chuck roast, eye of round, or pork shoulder, as the recipe suggests.
- Adjust the cayenne and hot sauce to set the heat where you like it.
- Spoon it over baked potatoes or nachos instead of buns.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325℉ (160℃).
Put the meat on a rack in a roasting pan, fat side up, and pour the liquid smoke around it. Seal the pan with foil and place it in the oven.
Roast the brisket for 4 hours, or until it is very tender, turning once. Uncover the meat for the last 30 minutes to brown. Remove the meat from the oven and let it cool.
Wrap it in plastic and refrigerate. Pour the pan juices and fat into a glass jar or bowl, cover, and refrigerate.
The next day, remove the meat from the refrigerator and remove any extra fat.
Pull the meat apart into small shreds. Remove the hardened fat from the pan juices.
In a large pot, melt 3 tablespoons of the hardened fat over medium heat, add the onions and sauté until tender.
Add all of the remaining ingredients and 1 cup of the pan juices. Stir well and simmer for 20 minutes over low heat.
Add the pulled meat to the sauce and simmer very slowly, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring frequently. Add more pan juices, or water, if necessary, to keep the meat moist.
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