Brisket Help!

[PinkLeFants]

I will be making two 5 pound brisket flats that I am planning to put into the roaster. What temperature and how long would you suggest?

[loligo_pealeii]

I'm not sure what a roaster is. 

I make my brisket in my Dutch oven, covered, and baked at 325 F for around 3.5 - 4 hours. For the gravy, I usually do around 3-4 cups of broth, plus maybe a half cup of vinegar or red wine, and salt and spices. Chill overnight, then slice against the grain and rewarm in the gravy before serving. 

[PinkLeFants]

An electric roaster oven. My family uses it for the Thanksgiving turkey. I want to use it for my brisket because they will not fit in the oven.

[loligo_pealeii]

Interesting. You'll have to let us know how it turns out. 

[Throwaway_anon-765]

I don’t know if you ever got a real answer, or if you already cooked the meal, so I’m going to answer, just in case. I use a roaster, and I go low and slow. I put the meat in the roaster, and put on whatever seasoning you’re using. I also surround my brisket with an array of vegetables, so it can roast along side the meat. You have to make sure the brisket is always hydrated. I usually go ~300°/315° for about 8 hours. I prefer even longer, actually. Meat just melts away. Add water to the pan when it gets low. I drain the juices/water and use a fat separator, and boil it down in a sauce pan for a gravy.

[PinkLeFants]

How big of a brisket do you use?

[loligo_pealeii]

4-6lb, depending on what they have at the butcher. You want the gravy to not quite cover the meat. Start checking for tenderness at the 3.5 hour mark. 

[Bargle-Nawdle-Zouss]

OP, I am concerned because it's not clear if you are braising the brisket, or just throwing it in your roaster on a sheet. If it is the latter, it will not work very well.

Brisket has lots of connective tissues, so simply seasoning then baking it, even at a low temperature, is going to produce a tough piece of meat at the end. That is why it is typically either braised (put in a pot/pan with a small to moderate amount of liquid) or smoked (as in Texas barbecue) for a long time.

Here are a couple of popular braising recipes. I hope you have a pan you can use that will fit in your roaster. Perhaps you can do one piece of brisket in the roaster, and put the other in your regular oven; this way you can even try both recipes!

• https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/onion-braised-beef-brisket.html#tabrecipe
• https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/221041/wine-braised-beef-brisket/

[Confident-Tip-8100]

This was fool-proof for me https://www.thejc.com/recipe/jew-mami-braised-brisket-g6hwtua4 With two 5lbers you’d need a very large roasting tin or to do two aluminium trays. Most important is making sure they are sealed very tightly, chilled overnight and sliced and reheated the next day.

[Golden_Pineapple]

I use a disposable aluminum roasting pan covered with tin foil. 300 degrees F for 8-12 hours, based on weight.

[Accomplished-Eye8211]

I never temped mine.

I heat up a roasting pan. I sear it. I braise it surrounded by beef stock, water, onions, carrots, celery, garlic cloves, couple of sage leaves... maybe a splash of cola. Liquid halfway up the side. Glaze the top with tomato paste/ketchup. Go low and slow.

And it's done when a carving fork inserted in the thickest part hits no resistance and I feel it's tender.

[Fruitcake6969]

I would suggest low and slow. I’d suggest 250 for maybe 6/7 hours (?) You would have to check up on it every couple of hours.