How to Barbecue a Brisket With Coca-Cola
A cut of beef taken specifically from the animal's breast and shank, brisket is a relatively tough piece of meat. But with a good marinade and a slow-and-steady cooking process, the once-tough meat becomes tender, juicy and full of flavor. Rather than just enjoying your Coca-Cola as a refreshing beverage with your brisket, use the fizzy soda to tenderize your meat. Barbecuing a brisket with a Coca-Cola marinade is simple and gives your dish flavor, moisture and a hint of subtle sweetness.
Step 1
Rinse your brisket under running cool water for several seconds and transfer it to a plate or cutting board.
Step 2
Trim the fatty areas if desired. In most cases, you'll want to trim the two large wedges of fat on the brisket. However, do not trim off the fat cap, as it provides the meat with moisture and flavor as it cooks. Or, cook the untrimmed brisket and remove the fat before serving it.
Step 3
Transfer your brisket to a disposable aluminum-baking dish. The dish should be deep enough for the entire brisket to be covered by the marinade. When arranging the brisket in the pan, the fat side should face up.
Step 4
Sprinkle or rub the desired seasonings onto the meat. Ideas include instant onion-soup mix, garlic salt, minced garlic, rosemary or paprika. Rub the seasoning into all sides of the meat.
Step 5
Mix 1 liter of Coca-Cola with 8 oz. of tomato sauce or ketchup.
Step 6
Pour the Coca-Cola mixture into the pan, smothering the brisket as you pour. The Coca-Cola marinade should cover the entire brisket. Depending on the width and size of your brisket, you might need to add additional marinade.
Step 7
Preheat your grill before adding the brisket. To help the collagen in the brisket break down properly, cook it at a low temperature for a long period of time. Ideally, maintain an internal grill temperature of about 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 8
Place the aluminum baking dish on the grill rack and barbecue the brisket at approximately 250 degrees Fahrenheit with the lid closed. Avoid lifting the grill lid while the brisket is cooking, as an open lid allows heat to escape. Instead, check the internal temperature of the grill by sticking an instant-read thermometer through the vent at the top of the grill lid.
Step 9
Barbecue the brisket for about three hours. Then, remove the baking dish from the grill.
Step 10
Wrap the brisket in aluminum foil. If desired, spoon a small amount of the Coca-Cola marinade into the aluminum foil before wrapping it up. Put the foil-wrapped brisket directly onto the grill rack and continue cooking it for one to two hours.
Step 11
Remove the brisket from the heat and allow it to remain in the aluminum foil for at least one to two hours before serving it. As the brisket cooks, its juices are released and gather inside the foil. Allowing the brisket to sit in the foil allows some of this juice to absorb back into the meat.
Step 12
Cut the fat cap off the top of the brisket. If necessary, remove additional fat deposits. Slice your brisket across the grain before serving it. Avoid cutting in the same direction of the grain, as this results in a tougher texture. If your meat came out a bit too tough, cut slices a bit thinner than usual. On the other hand, cut the slices thicker than usual if the meat is too tender.
Things You'll Need
Brisket
Cool water
Plate
Cutting board
Disposable baking dish, deep
Sharp knife
Seasonings, such as onion soup mix, herbs, garlic, salt, pepper
1 liter Coca-Cola
8 oz. tomato sauce or ketchup
Instant-read thermometer
Aluminum foil
