A noon kickoff at home means brunch, and leftover brisket turns eggs Benedict into a game-day plate. Warm the brisket in foil with a splash of broth while you make the sauce. The hollandaise starts in a bowl over simmering water: whisk the yolks with water and lemon until they read 160°F, then whisk in the butter. Poach the eggs until the yolks are firm, which is USDA's rule for eggs. If your crowd wants runny yolks, buy pasteurized eggs in the shell. Runny yolks in regular eggs carry a real risk, and that matters most for kids, older guests and anyone pregnant. Stack it up: muffin, brisket, egg, sauce, a dust of paprika.
Homegating: This one stays home. Plan on about 45 minutes from turning on the oven to plates, and serve it right off the stove. At the lot: We don't make it there. Hollandaise is best within an hour of making it and doesn't hold up in a warm lot, and poaching eggs takes a pot of simmering water. For breakfast at the lot, make ham, egg and cheese sandwiches on the griddle or bring breakfast burritos made ahead.
160°F
Yolks for the hollandaise
FIRM
Yolks, unless the eggs are pasteurized
165°F
Reheated brisket
4
Serves
Ingredients
Brisket and muffins
- 1¼ lb smoked brisket, leftover or from a barbecue counter, sliced about ½ inch thick
- ¼ cup beef broth
- 4 English muffins, split
- 2 tbsp butter, softened, for the muffins
Poached eggs
- 8 large eggs (pasteurized in the shell if you want runny yolks)
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
Hollandaise
- 3 large egg yolks (pasteurized eggs if you'd rather skip the 160°F check)
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 12 tbsp (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted and warm
- ½ tsp kosher salt (Diamond Crystal; ¼ tsp if Morton)
- Pinch of cayenne
To finish
- Smoked paprika
- Barbecue sauce, warmed, for drizzling (optional)
Steps
At home
- Heat the oven to 300°F. Lay the brisket slices on a large sheet of foil, spoon the broth over them and seal the packet. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, until the center of the stack reads 165°F. Leave the packet closed in the turned-off oven until you build.
- Meanwhile, fill a deep 12-inch skillet with 2 inches of water, add the vinegar and bring it to a bare simmer. Set a saucepan with 1 inch of water to a simmer for the hollandaise. Fill an insulated bottle or a small thermos with hot tap water to warm it.
- Make the hollandaise. Whisk the yolks, water and lemon juice in a heatproof bowl. Set it over the saucepan, with the bottom clear of the water, and whisk constantly until it thickens and reads 160°F, 3 to 5 minutes. Take the bowl off the heat and whisk in the warm butter a little at a time until thick and smooth. Whisk in the salt and cayenne. Wash your hands after the raw yolks.
- Pour the water out of the bottle and pour in the hollandaise. Keep it warm, not hot; it splits if it gets too hot. Use it within 1 hour of making it and throw out what's left. Don't chill and reheat it.
- Crack each egg into a small cup and slide 4 of them gently into the simmering water. For firm yolks, poach 6 to 7 minutes, until the whites and yolks are firm; press a yolk with a spoon and it should feel solid. For runny yolks with pasteurized eggs only, poach 3 to 4 minutes, until the whites are set. Lift them out with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel. Ladle some of the hot water into a bowl, slip the first batch in to stay warm, and poach the other 4 the same way.
- While the eggs poach, butter the muffin halves and toast them under the broiler or in a toaster until golden.
- Build each plate: two muffin halves, brisket folded on top, a drizzle of barbecue sauce if you like, a poached egg on each, then a spoonful of hollandaise and a dust of smoked paprika. Serve right away.
- Brisket and muffins sit out no more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F; leftover brisket goes back in the fridge within 2 hours. The hollandaise goes when its hour is up.
Pack for the lot
Can you use store-bought brisket for eggs Benedict?
Yes. Sliced smoked brisket from a barbecue counter or leftovers from your own smoker both work. Reheat it in a sealed foil packet with a splash of broth until it reads 165°F.
Is homemade hollandaise safe?
It is if the yolks are cooked to 160°F or you use pasteurized eggs. Whisk the yolks with water and lemon juice over simmering water until a thermometer reads 160°F, then add the butter. Use it within 1 hour and throw out the rest.
Can I make poached eggs with runny yolks?
USDA says to cook eggs until the whites and yolks are firm. Runny yolks carry a risk of salmonella, and the risk matters most for young kids, older adults, pregnant women and anyone with a weakened immune system. If you want runny yolks, use pasteurized eggs in the shell and poach them 3 to 4 minutes.
How long do you poach an egg for a firm yolk?
About 6 to 7 minutes in barely simmering water. Press the yolk gently with a spoon; it should feel solid.
Can you make brisket eggs Benedict at a tailgate?
We don't. Hollandaise is best within an hour and doesn't hold up in a warm lot, and poaching needs a pot of simmering water. For the lot, make ham, egg and cheese sandwiches on a griddle or bring breakfast burritos made ahead.
Can you make hollandaise ahead of time?
Not by much. Make it last, right before the eggs, keep it warm in a preheated insulated bottle and use it within 1 hour.
Breakfast you can take to the lot: ham, egg and cheese sandwiches and make-ahead breakfast burritos. More for leftover brisket: brisket tacos, brisket nachos and Kansas City burnt ends. Brunch drinks: a Bloody Mary bar or hot chocolate. More homegating: our Thanksgiving homegating menu.
