Instant Pot Brisket

  

A traditional American brisket recipe with a modern twist: this brisket is cooked in an Instant Pot.

 

Ingredients

4 lb or 5 lb beef brisket

kosher salt

1 ½ cups water

1 ½ cups ketchup

¾ cup dark brown sugar

¾ cup white vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced or pressed

4 yellow onions, coarsely chopped

3 Tbsp cornstarch

 

Cut the brisket in half against the grain to fit it into your Instant Pot. Rub kosher salt all over the brisket.

Hit Sauté on the Instant Pot and adjust to the More or High setting. When it says Hot, sear the brisket for two minutes on each side, or until browned, working one piece at a time. When the brisket is done, press Keep Warm/Cancel, transfer it to a plate, and clean and dry the liner pot.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the water, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, and garlic. In the Instant Pot, place one-half of the brisket, fat-side up, on top of the trivet, and cover with about half of the onions and sauce. Layer the other half of the brisket, fat-side up, on top of the onions in a crisscross pattern. Spread the remaining onions and sauce over the brisket.

Close the lid, then turn the valve to the sealing position and select Manual or Pressure. Cook for seventy-five minutes on High Pressure if you want it super tender and shredding apart, or sixty-five minutes if you want it a little firmer. Allow a 20-minute natural release before performing a quick release. Transfer the brisket halves to a carving board and set aside for 15 minutes to cool. It will shred apart if you carve it into strips before it has finished cooling. While you wait, carefully shave off any excess fat and discard it.

Meanwhile, while the brisket is cooling, make a slurry of cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of cold water. Set aside.

To bring the sauce to a simmer, select Keep Warm/Cancel, then Sauté and adjust to the High or More setting. Stir in the slurry and allow it to simmer for 30 seconds before switching to the Keep Warm setting.   As the brisket cools, the sauce will thicken.

After the brisket has cooled, cut it into strips or chunks with a carving knife, slicing against the grain.

Return the meat slices to the Instant Pot and let them marinate in the sauce for 5-10 minutes, so they stay tender until ready to serve.