Bar-B-Que Pulled Brisket

A Roast is something that can turn out to be magical or just disastrous. If it's undercooked, the meat will be tough and if its overcooked, the meat will be tough. I personally hate tough meats. It's one of the reasons that roast intimated me so much. Usually a roast is quite expensive and thereby makes it even more tragic when it fails. I decided to take a much more fail-safe route when choosing my meat and also my method of cooking. Brisket is a cheap meat, but once cooked for the right amount of time it transforms into a succulent, tender, fall-off-the-bone piece of Heaven! I've heard so many stories about failed roasts, so I figured I would cook the Brisket the only way I know it will not fail-in the slow cooker! Ten hours later, I had the most juicy, spicy, meaty dinner I could ever want.

This recipe has a lot of ingredients but most of them are spices and can be easily substituted. I found the outline of this recipe online and swapped out a bunch of ingredients for the ones I had in my fridge and pantry and the results were spectacular. Feel free to swap out and make it your own. Also, something I would recommend is to go with a bigger piece of meat than you think you may need. I used a 3 pounder and only had leftovers once... We are two people. So if you are making this for a lot of people, I suggest you double up. Let's get cooking!

Bar-B-Que Pulled Brisket

3 Lb. Brisket

2 Carrots, cut into large pieces

2 Celery, cut into large pieces

6 Garlic Cloves

Sauce-

1 Small Onion, chopped small

3/4 Cup Ketchup

1/4 Cup Sriracha Chili Sauce

1/4 Cup Soy Sauce

1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar 

3 Tbs. Apple Cider Vinegar 

1 Tsp. Garlic Powder

1 Tsp. Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

1/2 Cup Water

Dry Rub-

1 Tbs. Dark Brown Sugar

1 Tbs. Cumin

1 Tbs. Paprika (smoked or hot)

1 Tbs. Sweet Paprika

1 Tsp. Aleppo Pepper or Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

1 Tsp. Chili Powder

1 Tsp. Garlic Powder

1 Tsp. Onion Powder

1 Tbs. Salt

1 Tsp. Black Pepper

Spray the inside of your Slow Cooker with non-stick spray or line with plastic liner. Combine all of the ingredients for the sauce and place at the bottom of the slow cooker. Turn it on to the Low setting. Start to heat up a large, heavy bottom pan on Medium Heat. Mix together all Dry Rub ingredients in a small bowl. Rub all over the Brisket. Using tongs, place the brisket into the hot pan and sear on both sides for about 4 minutes or until there is a nice crust on the meat. Do not burn the spices! Once seared, remove from pan and place into the slow cooker. Add the Carrot, Celery and Garlic Cloves. The Brisket should be covered with liquid at least half way. If not, add some more water. Cover and cook on low for about 10 hours. You will know the meat is ready if you try to remove it and it breaks apart. Once cooked, you can either slice or pull the meat and return to the sauce. Enjoy!