My husband smoked a brisket, about 6+ hours. He sliced against the grain and it is tough as nails! I have thinly cubed the meat and wonder how to "tenderize" it – maybe in barbecue sauce? Help! What a waste of a piece of meat.

 Sometimes you get a piece of meat that is comfortingly tender but has no flavor. Sometimes you get a piece that has great flavor but is way too tough. Once in a while you get tender meat with great flavor. The flat cut of brisket has less fat and less flavor than the point cut, which is less expensive (because it has more fat), but either can be tough.

We'll tell you what we do when we have something grilled or smoked that is tough, but with you being in Kansas City, we're pretty sure there are zoning laws that forbid it. We cut it in pieces, put it in the food processor, and pulse it until the meat is in very small pieces. Then – just as you suggested – we mix it will some barbecue sauce, and fry it as patties in a little oil, put them on buns, and pretend it's pulled pork or shredded beef (as the case may be).

We're not proud of it. It has nothing to do with real barbecue. But it saves us from throwing out meat that is too tough to eat comfortably.

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