Slow Cooked Guinness Brisket

Considering that this Slow Cooked Guinness Brisket is one of the most mind-blowing crockpot meals I’ve ever made, it’s a scandalously shocking that I’ve kept it under wraps for so long. Beef that’s slow-cooked in spices, dark beer, brown sugar, tomato paste, mustard, and vinegar is just destined for the Taste Bud Hall of Fame. So, I apologize for keeping it to myself. Chalk it up to functional disorganization and a wee tiny bit of short-term memory lost-and-found.

Where’d I find this recipe? It is inspired by a recipe from The Food Network which came highly recommended by my friend, Tracy. I’ve known Tracy since kindergarten. She was our high school valedictorian; thus, she is rarely wrong.  Besides, we liked the same boy for the entirety of 6th grade (Joe ::sigh::) so clearly we have similar tastes.

But I don’t drink Guinness…

Me either. Lordy, no. Despite the best efforts of my husband and friends, it has taken me 20 years of trying to be able to choke down a light beer — and even then it has to be ice-cold and I have to be really, really thirsty. However, like many kitchenistas, I’m happy to booze it up in recipes, like these saucy chicken burgers with smoky beer cheese sauce or the always popular cheddar onion beer bread. So, while Guinness may never pass my lips, trust that it is perfect for this recipe. When it comes to meat, the more robust the beer, the better!

What is a brisket cut, exactly?

Brisket is one of the tougher cuts of beef, found on the lower front chest of the cow. Apparently cows do not have a collar bone, and so this region carries 60% of the load when the animal is walking or standing. That means well-developed chest muscles, which equals leaner, potentially tougher meat.

The ‘flat cut’ of brisket is the leanest cut (as opposed to the ‘point cut’) and, so, needs a slow-cooking method like a slow cooker to give it time to break down the tough fibers. I think that’s why this recipe works so well. All the aforementioned flavors have all day long to get denser and richer, while the meat gets more and more tender. If your store doesn’t have brisket available, you can select a pot roast cut instead, which is often prepared similarly to a brisket.

Slow cooked Guinness Brisket feeds a crowd

We devoured this Slow Cooked Guinness Brisket for a week (because 5-6 pounds of brisket makes a lot of meat!). You can certainly halve this recipe for fewer people. But I loved the leftovers, and would dream about different ways to have it. Aside from eating it straight from the pot {burp}, we served it up on big, soft rolls. The rich, savory sauce begged for a crunchy/creamy accompaniement, so I whipped up a quick batch of old-fashioned slaw to go with it. We also enjoyed it layered with sweet potato tortilla chips, greens, and slaw.

Perfect. I love this dish!

Since we still have some Guinness bottles hanging around, I think it’s time to visit my grocery store’s butcher again. If you’re thinking this recipe might be for you, Pin it for later!