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[Chris__M]

Having cut my brisket into chunks and frozen it, the other day; I have been unexpectedly invited to a friends tomorrow, where heavy hints have been dropped. 

To give you an idea of the size of the bits, this is the brisket when I first froze it - it is now in a zip-loc.

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So I am wondering what the simplest way would be to reheat the brisket so it doesn't dry out. I cut it up to use in (my own) casseroles, so I am thinking it is probably best reheated in a sauce of some kind - either spicy tomato-based or butter/maple syrup.

Suggestions welcome. I did grab 3 bits to experiment with, and have determined the chunks are small enough that I don't have to defrost them ahead of time.

[02ebz06]

Maybe something as simple as beef broth ?

[pmillen]

Yeah, beef broth or consommé.  Some members here have warmed frozen leftovers by dropping the vacuum-packed meat into boiling water.

[Chris__M]

Beef broth seems excellent.

I often vacuum pack, but these are just zip-loc, as I didn't plan to use them all at once.

Cheers, guys.

[jdmessner]

Beef broth would be my choice, but the butter maple syrup combination might make me rethink that. What would your butter to syrup ratio be? 

[Bentley]

Do you like BBQ beef?  That is one way to reheat and sauce at same time.

[Chris__M]

The beef broth works, in that the beef was tender, but I think we may have used too much, as the meat still tasted of beef, but lost much of its smokiness.

Although, as often happens, that was my criticism. Others were scoffing brisket and loving it. I am my most sturdy critic.

It wasn't a problem, because I had had low expectations of that brisket, as it was just what I had at hand, As it happens it was much tastier than I'd expected, and I learned from the process.

The maple/butter is what I used to glaze my turkey joint, but it struck me as delightful. Simply equal parts melted butter to maple syrup, with whatever else you want to throw in. For me that is almost always paprika.

So we had the brisket, some nice sausages I had (called Posh Dogs, a British-styke sausage, but a bit firmer and finer than a normal banger, so great for hot dogs); some burgers and various chicken and lamb kebabs my friend had. Plus salad and potato salad.

It was the first time in ages that I sat in a garden eating with 5 friends, and it was wonderful. Just within our current regulations here, technically as we were from 3 households, we were fine in the garden, but were in breach for the brief time we drank tea indoors. However, we have all been doubly jabbed.   The English restrictions are due to relax further on June 21 (Scotland and Wales have other timetables), but concern about the Delta variant is bringing that in doubt. Fingers crossed.

[Chris__M]

Do you like BBQ beef?  That is one way to reheat and sauce at same time.

I do, and one of the things I am buying semi-regularly at the moment is a particular store's (M&S) "Pit Beans with BBQ Beef". I usually avoid commercial BBQ foods, which are often inauthentic, but this is really good. So that approach came to mind, but I decided I'd want to experiment and learn with that before taking it to friends.

Having said that, I have a small (1.2kg) brined brisket coming on Tuesday, which I intend to try and turn into a kind of pastrami. Also a proper Boston butt, which is difficult to get here. You can get pork shoulder, but it is usually rolled, and even if not will not be the same joint as you all know. This is because British butchers use different cuts to American butchers (and French, for that matter).

As a local butcher explained to me, they are capable of copying the American cuts, but that would affect the other cuts of meat around it, which they also need to sell. So I've found that the best way to get cuts as described in my recipe books is to use a specialist butcher, online. It is not particularly expensive, for a quality product; it just means good planning.

(We have a British cut here, called a "blade" or "blade shoulder" which is the butt with a big roast taken out of the top. That works fine for pulled pork, but usually it is turned into rolled joints, which the butchers love.)

Then at the end of the month, I have a brisket point coming from another online butcher, so I am not going to be hard up for brisket to experiment on.

Apart from (hot) grilling meats, one thing my friends know me for is my pulled pork. It is something I can now do in my sleep, and I am happy with my process. I have never got that practised in brisket, and have said many times I need to buckle down and get it right. So 2021 is going to be the year of the brisket.