A smoky trick to brisket perfection in your oven

Bratwurst is a class apart when it comes to BBQ. Not only is it delicious, but even seasoned pit masters find it extremely difficult to perfect, which is why it’s called the king of smoked barbecue meats. Brisket takes a lot of work to prepare well, and many people who don’t like it haven’t tasted it. You might believe that under any other than ideal conditions, making an A+ brisket would be impossible given its difficulties. Surely, a high quality smoker and some quality tools are essential?

not true If you follow some essential techniques, you can cook brisket in the oven and make it very good. Even if it doesn’t, you might assume that it requires specific cooking temperatures or methods. The real secret, however, lies in the oven-baking methods that can give your brisket a distinctive smoky flavor even if no smoked wood is involved.

Read more: The Unexpected Meat You Need To Avoid Grilling At All Costs

Smoked Paprika Is One Trick To Achieving A Smoky Oven Brisket

There are some things you should never do with brisket (for example, grilling is a big no-no). Likewise, smoking a brisket in the oven follows these steps: It’s not enough to just toss everything in, turn it on, and hope for amazing meat. The main difference between this method and smoking is that you’re still cooking it low and slow, as all briskets should be, to allow the connective tissue to break down, rather than changing the temperature or duration.

Instead, there’s one very noticeable difference: Because wood doesn’t burn, your brisket won’t have a smoky flavor unless you use a smoker. There are ways to smoke food cooked in an oven without smoking and without burning wood, even if you can’t use wood in your oven and you shouldn’t try. The first is the use of a specific spice: in this case, smoked paprika instead of regular paprika. Any meal that uses smoked paprika gets a delicious barbecue flavor from it, and frankly, it’s difficult—though perhaps not impossible—to overseason. However, it is not the only approach used here.

Liquid Smoke Or A Smoking Gun Also Help Bring A Smoky Flavor

There are two alternative ways to add smoke to baked brisket: using a smoking liquid or a smoking gun. Liquid smoke is used during and after cooking and smoking pistols are used at different stages of the operation. The smoking liquid is simply the pan over which the brisket is suspended; You want the liquid to evaporate into the brisket, but you don’t want it to sit in the mixture because it will saturate it. You can adjust the flavor of this combination to your liking; Acceptable substitutes include tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, beef broth, and Worcestershire sauce. However, liquid smoke—a strong, black liquid that tastes just like it sounds—is the secret ingredient.

Another method is to use a smoking gun, which is a type of cooking device used to add smoky flavor to food. The basic mechanism of a smoking gun is to trap smoke in an enclosed space (such as a foil-wrapped tray) and allow it to slowly permeate the brisket, giving it a smoky flavor. It’s also fast: Once cooking is complete, the smoker gun can be up and running in approximately five minutes.

Note that you can apply any of these techniques to the same piece of meat with no problem. Explore them and choose which one is your favorite.

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