Pressure Cooker “BBQ” Brisket

Inspired by this picture of a decadent BBQ Brisket Macaroni & Cheese Burger, tweeted out yesterday by @FoodPorn, which, while it looks like an orgasm in food form, few of us could actually take down in a single seating, I went to the internet to find the recipe so I could surprise my husband with this culinary monstrosity.

But, lo and behold, there was no credit for the photo, and no linked recipe.  What’s a Food-a-holic to do?  Careful deconstruction of the photo and reconstruction using my favorite recipes for the parts, of course!

So, obviously there is a pile of gorgeous, juicy BBQ’d Brisket piled on top of what looks like a lightly toasted brioche bun.  I see some beautiful, but not overly gooey macaroni and cheese and a hint of coleslaw spilling out the side, but what I am not seeing is a burger patty.  Hmmm.

After carefully considering my options I went to my recipe file to start on the main ingredient:  the BBQ Brisket.  Because I am still essentially confined to my bed or a recliner with my leg elevated from my surgery 10 days ago, manning the BBQ is out of the question, so plan B is immediately enacted: Pull the pressure cooker out of the cupboard!

Lucky for me (and hopefully for you!), Emeril Lagasse has recipes adapted for using the pressure cooker on his website, and brisket happens to be one of them!

Emeril’s Fastest BBQ Brisket

• 4 1/2 pounds beef brisket, trimmed and quartered
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, sliced
• One 12-ounce bottle lager beer
• 1 cup your favorite barbecue sauce
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• Brioche or slider buns for serving
• your favorite coleslaw for serving (we’ll be using my recipe for coleslaw: Lisa’s Kicked Up Memphis Coleslaw)

• Place the brisket in a large bowl, add the Worcestershire sauce, paprika, mustard, chili powder, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and toss. Let the brisket marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature.
• When ready to cook, season the beef with the salt.
• Set a 6-quart pressure cooker to the “browning” program. When it is hot, add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and brown the beef in batches. As it is browned, transfer the beef to a baking sheet and set aside.
• When all the brisket is browned, add the onion and garlic to the pressure cooker and cook for 6 minutes, or until the onion is soft and slightly translucent. Return the beef to the pressure cooker and add the beer, barbecue sauce, and brown sugar. Close and lock the lid, and set to “high pressure” for 1 1/2 hours.
• Open the pressure release valve, allow the steam to escape, and carefully unlock and open the lid. Transfer the beef to a baking sheet, and when it is cool enough to handle, thinly slice it across the grain.
• Set the pressure cooker to the “simmer” program. Return the beef and any accumulated juices to the cooker and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Serve the brisket on slider buns, topped with the coleslaw.
• The brisket can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

If you are going to also add macaroni and cheese, as in the photo above and like I am, I will be using my recipe for Fired-Up Mac & Cheese.

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