Beef – Brisket – Slow Cook – Very Tender (Pull-Apart)

This guide shows how to cook brisket by slow cook. The times and temperatures below are the published figures for this cut, and they are a sensible starting point for planning your meal. Your own weight, thickness and equipment will move the time up or down, so the calculator is the quickest way to adjust them.

Times and temperatures

Total cooking time

8 hours

Cooking temperature

90°C (195°F)

Target internal temperature

88°C

Published cut weight

2000 g

How to cook it

Keep the lid on for the whole cook, because each peek adds around fifteen minutes. Large joints are done when the meat gives easily to a fork, so treat the time as a guide and check for tenderness.

Take the brisket out of the fridge about thirty minutes before cooking if you can, pat it dry and season it just before it goes on the heat. When the time is nearly up, check the thickest part with a thermometer. Then rest the meat for several minutes under loose foil so the juices settle before you carve or serve.

Food safety

Always use a clean food thermometer in the thickest part of the meat, away from bone. Chicken and pork must be cooked right through, with no pink meat and clear juices. Wash your hands, boards and knives after handling raw meat, and never wash raw chicken, as splashing spreads bacteria. Leftovers should cool quickly, go in the fridge within two hours and be eaten within two days.

Related guides

• Chicken – Whole Chicken – Roasting
• Chicken – Whole Chicken – Baking
• Chicken – Whole Chicken – Grilling
• Chicken – Breast (Bone-In, Skin-On) – Roasting
• Chicken – Thigh (Bone-In, Skin-On) – Air Frying
• Chicken – Drumstick – Searing/Pan-Frying
• Beef – Ribeye Steak – Frying – Medium-Rare
• Beef – Sirloin Steak – Grilling – Medium-Well