“Oven Barbecued” Beef Brisket
Nothing beats a beef brisket barbecued smoked over slow burning coals for a long period of time, but this oven method will get you pretty close.
You may think that "oven barbecued" is an oxymoron, and you would be correct. Barbecue means slow cooking over indirect relatively low heat during a long period of time with intermittent use of smoke, mostly hickory but cherry and apple woods are not uncommon. Barbecue cooked indoors in an oven without smoke isn't technically barbecue.
I grew up on Texas barbecue, which primarily consists of brisket, sausage and chicken. I have lived in Memphis, where pork spare ribs are the rule. I have lived in North Carolina where pork shoulder, or "pulled pork" is the standard barbecue bill of fare. I've also lived in California where they cook a cut of beef from the bottom of the sirloin, referred to as the tri-tip, over an open fire and call that barbecue. It isn't. Technically, that's grilling.
I've also spent a good deal of time on business in St. Louis and Kansas City, where there are arguably some of the best barbecue joints in the US. I used to plan my trips around the ability to conduct business and make a lunch run to Arthur Bryant’s BBQ in KC. It used to be worth it, although I read these days they might be trying to live on their reputation.
But to any barbecue aficionado, these locations represent compass points within the barbecue universe. Each region has its merits, but I have to go back to my roots, which is Texas-style barbecue brisket.
All barbecue babble aside, there just isn't anything finer than a barbecue beef brisket. The problem is that it is a tedious and time consuming task. Tending a fire, regulating the heat and creating the smoke for what could generally be a ten to twelve hour stretch or longer is a lot more time and effort than I'm willing to spend for a meal or two or three. I've done it, and it's fun. But I look for more automation in my advancing years. So, I've spent the better part of three decades trying to perfect an "oven barbecued" beef brisket recipe. This is it and it has gone through countless iterations to get to this point.
You Might Think This Came Out of a Smoker. It Didn’t.
If you're a barbecue snob, I know, this is heresy. You'd say, "There is no way that an oven-cooked brisket can approximate the wonder of a smoke-infused, wood-fired, 'true' barbecued brisket."
Yes, and 25 or 30 years ago, I would have said the same thing. But wisdom comes with age.
I challenge anyone to tell me that this brisket doesn't rival those that come out of a hickory wood smoker. No, you will not get the bona fide "smoke ring" that comes from hours of tending to a fire, but it's the flavor and tenderness of the meat, and even the "bark" - or crust - that closely approximates the taste of true barbecue brisket. And frankly, sometimes the ill-trained and poorly schooled can ruin a good brisket, even in some otherwise respectable barbecue joints.
I use the "packer's cut" of a brisket, which is the whole beef brisket consisting of the two attached muscles referred to as the first cut, or the "flat," and the second cut, called the "point" or the "deckle." The flat is leaner, rectangular in shape and more or less of consistent thickness; the point is fattier, thicker and comes to a rounded point at one end, hence its name.
Grocery store butchers frequently separate the two muscles, trim out much of the fat and sell them separately. The flat is what I call "Jewish Brisket" as it is the preferred cut for Jewish holiday fare or for corned beef. The point, on the other hand, is preferred for smoking and serving as pulled brisket for sandwiches. But I want the whole brisket that comes from the breast of the animal, untrimmed and slow roasted.
One side of the brisket will have a thick (about 1/8") covering of fat, called the "blanket," that isn't to be trimmed. This is what gives the final product its tenderness and flavor. If you have any aversion to eating the fat, trim it away at your dinner plate or as you're slicing and serving it. But otherwise, leave the blanket intact so it can do its job while the meat is roasting. Personally, I think the fat is succulent and delicious, even if my cardiologist would cringe at the thought.
Woody’s Cook-in’ Sauce
After more than three decades and trying a variety of spice rubs and sauces, I've come down to two ready-made products that give me everything I’m looking for. One is called Woody's Cook-in' Sauce that starts the process. Slather this all over the brisket at least two hours prior to cooking and you're giving the meat all that it needs to absorb the flavor and begin to create the delicious crust, the bark, of the brisket.
Stubb’s Moppin’ Sauce
The second product from the Stubb's line of barbecue products is called Stubb’s Moppin' Sauce. This goes on the meat in three applications over the final three hours of cooking. It becomes deliciously caramelized and strengthens the flavor and depth of the bark.
These two products, along with a simple braising liquid using beer, vinegar and liquid smoke, and a couple of Texas-1015 sweet onions, are all you need - besides time - to produce the best non-barbecue barbecued beef brisket you can get without tending to a hickory fire all day long.
Stubb’s Legendary Bar-B-Q Sauce
Like any good Texas barbecue, the barbecue sauce goes on after the brisket is served. I’ve tried them all. I’ve even made a bunch of them. After more than three decades, Stubb’s is the best commercially prepared barbecue sauce on the market. It is spicy and minimally sweet, so it’s not for everyone. But I’ve found my match and am done searching.
A typical Packer’s Cut of Beef Brisket is generally 12-16 pounds, but 18-20 pounds isn’t out of the ordinary. Generally, I am more concerned about the size of my brisket than I am with its weight because I want it to fit fully in my roasting pan, which is 12” x 16”, so I generally shoot for a 10-12 pound brisket. You should plan on 50-60 minutes per pound.
A Final Note About Leftovers
And unless you’re feeding about twenty people for dinner, you’re going to have some. But brisket freezes well. Cut meal-sized portions of brisket and put in the freezer while the meat is still warm. Wrap it tightly in aluminum foil and then into a freezer zip-lock bag being sure to squeeze out as much air as possible.
When you’re ready for some brisket down the road, thaw the meat in its existing wrappings. When thawed, remove the aluminum foil, cut the brisket down to serving-size slices in a baking or casserole dish with sliced fresh tomatoes and sliced yellow or sweet onions in-between each slice of meat. You can drizzle a little Stubb’s Moppin' Sauce or even some barbecue sauce over the top. Cover and put in a 350°F oven for an hour or until the meat is warmed through. The sliced tomatoes and onions will wilt and their water content will keep the brisket from getting dried out as it comes back to temperature. They also are a delicious accompaniment.
"Oven Barbecued" Beef Brisket
Ingredients
- 10-12 lb untrimmed "packers cut" beef brisket
- 2 tbsp lemon pepper (like, Mrs. Dash)
- 1/2 jar Woody's Cook-in' Sauce
- 1/4 cup liquid smoke (like, Colgin or Stubb's)
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 12-oz beers (any kind will do)
- 1/2 bottle Stubb's Moppin’ Sauce
- 2 sweet onions, sliced in rings (like Vidalia or Texas 1015)
- non-stick cooking spray (like, Pam)
Instructions
- Plan on an hour per pound in altitudes above 5,000 feet above sea level, or 50 minutes per pound if you're closer to sea level. Preheat your oven to 350°F degrees. If you live above 5,000 feet, pre-heat the oven to 365°F degrees.
- Take your brisket out of the refrigerator two hours before you're ready to cook it. Remove it from its Cryovac packaging, dry it off with paper towels, then season with the lemon pepper.
- Slather on liberal amounts of Woody's Cook-in' Sauce over all surfaces of the meat: top, bottom and sides.
- Spray your roasting pan with the non-stick cooking spray. Layer your onion rings in the bottom of pan. Place the brisket on top of onions, fat (or blanket) side up.
- Mix the liquid smoke, vinegar and beer. Pour this liquid mixture in the roasting pan around the brisket.
- Lay heavy duty aluminum foil on top of the roasting pan and create a tight fit.
- With three hours left to cook the brisket, remove the pan from the oven and take off the foil, being careful to avoid steaming your fingers.
- Lower the oven heat by 25 degrees. Baste the exposed surface of the meat with Stubb's Moppin' Sauce. Return the brisket to the oven uncovered for an hour.
- Baste again with two hours left to go, and then with one hour left to go. You will notice that the sauce has caramelized to a dark mahogany color and that a crust - or bark - has formed over the blanket.
- When the brisket is done, remove it from the pan to a cutting board and cover with foil. Let the brisket rest for 15 - 20 minutes before carving. Discard the braising liquid and all remnants from the roasting pan.
- Cut thick slices across the grain and serve along side your chosen BBQ Sauce. Start from side of the brisket with the the highest spot and you'll be slicing across both the point and the flat of the meat.
