New England Maple Coffee Brisket

I love brisket. Smoked, braised, or stewed I will eat it. It’s a cut of meat that lends itself to creativity and I rarely make it the same way twice! Using my grandmother’s basic brisket cooking method, I substituted my own flavors for a New England Winter Brisket. For the brisket I used granulated maple sugar, ground roast dark coffee and salt and pepper. While the brisket slowly cooked for a few hours I made a homemade mustard-maple barbecue sauce to top it off. This is best prepared the day before you want to serve.

New England Maple-Coffee Brisket
Serving varies depending on size of brisket

Ingredients

2-4 pound brisket, some fat trimmed (Note, brisket can shrink by up to half it’s weight when cooked)
1/4 cup granulated maple sugar
1/4 cup finely ground dark roast coffee
1 tablespoon kosher salt (to taste)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper (to taste)
1/4 cup beef broth (increase amount slightly for larger brisket)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a small bowl mix together maple sugar, coffee, salt and pepper
Place brisket on a large piece of foil (large enough to wrap meat in)
Sprinkle 1/2 of the rub on top and massage into meat, turn the brisket over and repeat on the other side
Sprinkle beef broth on top and wrap tightly
Place wrapped meat in a large roasting pan
Roast for 2 hours
Remove the pan from oven and take brisket out of the foil, placing it on a large platter, tenting with foil, and let rest for about 30 minutes
Wrap in new foil and refrigerate
Drain any juices from the original foil and the platter into a container, refrigerate

On Serving Day:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Slice brisket into 1/8 inch slices, being sure to cut against the grain (short fibers = more tender meat)
Place meat into a roasting pan or casserole with either the gravy or barbecue sauce
Cook for 20-30 minutes before serving

Maple Mustard Barbecue Sauce
Makes 3-4 cups of sauce

Ingredients

2 cups of tomato ketchup
3/4 cup Dark Maple Syrup
1/4 cup prepared Dijon mustard
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons dried mustard powder

Instructions

In a large saucepan, heat ketchup over medium-high heat (wear an apron – it bubbles!)
Whisk in the remaining ingredients, bring to a bubble and then lower heat
Simmer for approximately 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until well combined and slightly thickened