Beef brisket is quite a demanding piece of meat. You know what we mean. There are not many quick recipes for this piece of meat. You have to bake it slowly and gradually to get that delicious reward in the end: soft, tender, and juicy meat.
The problem with BBQ briskets is that you always have a significant amount of leftovers, even when you have fed all your family members well.
If you have ever tried to heat a pork or beef brisket, you know that in the blink of an eye, they turn into laborious and dry stone. Just like with the original roast, you have to be wise and patient to get that juicy and soft beef.
We promise that with a few real tips, you can have an equally delicious lunch for your family, even with leftovers.
Reheating Beef Brisket In An Oven
Once again, the oven proves to be the best friend of reheating. Indeed, you will achieve the best results with the help of the oven by slowly heating the beef. You will manage to preserve its juiciness and softness. So, whenever you have the chance, we suggest you opt for an oven.
Step 1: Preheat the Oven to 325 °F
As we said earlier, patience is the key to success for warming up a brisket. Do not succumb to the temptation to increase the temperature because the meat will dry out and become difficult to chew. Set the temperature to 325 degrees and let it heat up.
Step 2: Prepare the Meat, Moist it and Wrap it in a Foil
First, allow the meat to rest at room temperature. If you put the meat directly from the refrigerator to reheat, you run the risk that the colder parts remain insufficiently warmed.
Preferably, set aside for 20 minutes and let the meat temper. Then, place it in a baking tray and add to it the baking sauce you have. Cover everything well with aluminum foil to retain moisture. You can even put two layers of foil to be extra sure.
Step 3: Bake for 20 Minutes to One Hour
The reheating time will depend on whether your smoked brisket is already sliced or you are reheating the whole piece.
If you have sliced beef, the time will be approximately 20 minutes to half an hour. If you heat the entire piece, you will likely need 45 minutes and even an hour, depending on the size of the brisket.
In any case, if you have a thermometer, you can easily check if the meat is ready. It should have a temperature of 160 degrees when sufficiently heated.
Reheating Brisket With Sous Vide Method
Sous vide is a technique that perfectly preserves the moisture and juiciness of the meat you are heating. The downside is that it really takes a long time, and you have to be patient until the right temperature is reached.
So, if you are planning a fast warm-up, forget about sous vide. Otherwise, there are sous vide devices, and the process is much easier if you have one. But if you don’t have a machine and want to try the technique, a plain pot of water will do the trick.
Step 1: Let your Brisket Rest at Room Temperature
It is important to let your meat rest for a while at room temperature in order to achieve even heating. Also, if you have frozen your brisket, first, you have to defrost it, let it temper a bit, and then start reheating.
Step 2: Heat up the Water
Fill your sous vide machine or ordinary pot with water and let it heat up to 150 to160 degrees. Water should never be boiled. The water temperature should be maintained throughout the heating time.
Step 3: Seal up the Brisket in a Vacuum Bag
Vacuum-seal the plastic bag that you have placed your brisket in. You can add some gravy if you desire, but the sous vide technique will preserve moisture even without extra sauce.
The plastic bag must be of good quality and durable, so that, it does not burst during the heating process. The water must never come into contact with the meat.
Step 4: Put the Meat to Heat in Water
Put the meat in warm water and let it heat up. The brisket will be ready when it reaches the water temperature, which is 160 degrees. The time length itself will depend on how big the pieces are.
The process will be speeded up significantly if you cut the beef into slices first before putting it in the bag. You can also separate them into multiple bags if you have a lot of meat. After the meat is heated, take it out of the bag and serve.
FAQs
Can I reheat brisket in a microwave?
Sorry to disappoint you, but the result will not be good if you choose to nuke the brisket. The microwave will inevitably dry out the meat and make it unchewable. So, if you want a juicy beef, you have to take enough time to reheat it. There are no good quick solutions in this case.
Can I reheat the brisket in a slow cooker?
Yes, a slow cooker is a good way to reheat a brisket. The good thing is that you can put the meat to heat up and carelessly leave it without paying much attention. The bad thing is that it will take 4 hours to warm up your beef. We advise you to add sauces to the meat during the process, to preserve the juiciness of the meat.
How do you store brisket leftovers?
If you want to consume them in the next two or three days, you can put brisket leftovers in the refrigerator. If you plan to eat them in just a few weeks, be sure to freeze them. The advice is to put a whole piece of meat in the fridge or freezer if you have the chance. That way, you will preserve the juiciness better.
Be sure to separately keep the sauce you have as well because you will need it for reheating.
Conclusion
As you could read in our tips, unfortunately, there are no quick methods for reheating smoked brisket. Therefore, we advise you to give yourself enough time to prepare a quality lunch from the leftover beef you have. One of the more reliable and faster ways is using the oven, and you will surely get great results. This way, the meat will be delicious and juicy.
Tanja is great lover of healthy eating and lifestyle, she has been editing TV series about nutrition and health for years. She also engaged in food production in the family business, mainly focused on fruit processing without destroying vitamins and minerals. She believes that quality nutrition is one of the key ingredients of a happy and healthy life.
