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Something I am not clear about - did you marinate the brisket and then cook it "dry," or did you cook it with some of the marinade or another liquid? I do brisket a LOT and it's something that needs to be cooked slowly, WITH moisture in the pan. Braising as opposed to baking. I believe that short ribs are the same, as I've never seen a recipe for them that gets done quickly or dry.

Here are two ways that I cook brisket:
1) Put in pan, sprinkle on onion soup, add a bottle of cocktail sauce (optional), pour in can of beer. Bake at 325(F) for a long time until it falls apart. Roughly mid-morning until dinner time.
2) Put in pan. Add around some scrubbed, sliced carrots (not thin slices or they disappear - more like chunks) and/or sweet potatoes and a lot of prunes. Pour in about a cup of red wine or so. Bake as above. You might need ot add a bit more wine. I've also used cider vinegar for this one.
3) Put in pan. Spread over a bunch of chopped canned tomatoes with juice. Add some chopped onion, a few hot peppers, and some more onion. Bake as above.
A note: If you don't mind using disposable stuff, my mother (who learned the first recipe as a young bride and passed it down) would line the pan with huge sheets of foil and then close them over the meat and accessories before putting it into the oven. You can also cook the brisket in a crockpot if it is small enough.

As for short ribs, most of the recipes I've used include a braise, tomato or red wine, and a long, slow cooking. It sounds like the meat is technically cooked but not really "done" when you have been taking it out. Pick a rainy afternoon and try a long braise and see what a difference it makes.

As for the already-cooked meat, I am pretty sure you can put it back in and cook it for a longer period, see if that helps. Meat should NEVER bounce (the occasional meatball being the exception).

There are some great tips on this thread! Another super easy way to cook brisket:

Slice 2 medium white onions into rings, saute in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil until crisp-tender, add about 1/2 cup Heinz Chili Sauce and a couple of tablespoons of apple cider. Season your brisket with some pepper, cover it with the onion mixture and wrap tightly in a couple of layers of aluminum foil. But the brisket in a roasting pan and cook in the oven at 325 degrees for at least 5 hours/until fork-tender.

I slice this and serve with garlic mashed potatoes and broccoli rabe with lemon and butter.

I braise my brisket in a cast iron Dutch oven. I usually season it with some Montreal Steak seasoning, add a little meat tenderizer, and score the fat side with a sharp knife. Then I brown it, fat side down for a few minutes, turn it over so the fat side is up.Add a cup or so of beef broth or red wide, cover tightly, and cook at 350 for a minimum of 3 1/2 hours. It comes out tender and tasty!

Remember it's like sex : low and slow,the longer the better.

If you live at altitude, it will take longer for the collagen in the meat to break down. I live at 4,500 ft. and usually have to extend recommended braising times by about 1/2 (so if it says to braise for 3 hours, I have to do it for 4.5 hours at least).

Q "If that's the way to go, what are these two hour recipes about?"

A Hacks having the nerve to think they are actual cooks.

I am less familiar with brisket. I have only eaten it prepared two ways. Either it was slow smoked with a dry rub for many, many hours over very low heat, or the brisket was marinated in corned beef spices and then slowly braised in the oven. Low temps and long cook times are crucial in breaking down fat and cartilege in brisket.

For short ribs I am a little more experienced. They are also a cut that takes longer cooking times to fully realize their potential. Batali has a shortrib recipe called Brasato al Barolo that is outstanding.

http://www.mariobatali.com/recipes_shortribs.cfm

I have a friend that cooks them like this.

"lemongrass (1 whole stalk chopped)
ginger (1 large hand, chunked)
yellow onions (2 small-to-medium rough-chopped)
carrots (2 or 3 skin on, cut in 2-3" pieces)
juice oranges (2 quartered, peels on)
garlic (whole head split in half, skin on)
thai bird chilies (9+ depending on how many ribs..usually 9-12 peppers chopped)
green onions (bout 2 bunches, whites only)

soy (low sodium)
tamari (low sodium)
mirin
sesame oil (toasted)
beef stock (my own from the freezer)
oj (most citrus juice works..the other day i had a bottle of bolthouse mango-lemonade and i tossed that in and it was fan-fucking-tastic)
honey (bout 1/2c)
sesame seeds (black & toasted white)
shichimi togarashi

after the ribs are cooked & removed from the gunk in the dutch oven, i do the usual strain and reduction (by 50%) of the liquid and add one more shot of honey (usually orange blossom or clover..about 1/4c) and the sesame seeds and then toss the ribs back in..and the DO goes back into the oven at 350 for about 40 min turning the meat every 10 min to coat evenly and glaze. serve over short grain/sushi rice with reserved braised carrots and top w/sliced green onions..."

I haven't tried that recipe but just from her description and the ingredients I know it would be delicious.

Marie's Blue Cheese although we mostly go with oil and vinegar.

I make my own - saves a lot of money - no waste and I can adjust the type to fit the rest of the meal. Bottled dressings seem to go rancid fast and then they are awful!

I have several kinds of vinegar and can vary my "sauce" when I mix it. Use good oil and "taste".

Marie's blue cheese is the best and I always have that in the refrig..I have to try Marie's blue cheese vinigrette..While I make my own Italian dressing, I do Good Season's every so often and add my own stuff to it...

I have always loved Marie's blue cheese, and NOW they came out with Marie's Blue Cheese VINIGRETTE!!! It is simply AWESOME!!!

Garlic Expressions is terrific, and it is also a wonderful marinade.

I go for the easy stuff. Leftovers, (Chinese is especially good!) whatever chips/cookies/crackers are around... Things that don't need prep. I'm too lazy to put ice cream in a bowl late at night!