Combination indoor-outdoor brisket

[howieb]

I made this last week, and it was *fabulous*.

Outdoors:

Smoke the brisket, but only for a few hours to pick up the smoky flavor. I used two small flats totally about 6 pounds, but there's enough sauce in the recipe to support a packer cut, however since much of the recipe is in the pot, the leaner flats work very well. I think the sauce could easily support 10 pounds of meat. If it's really cold and nasty where you live, I'm sure you can skip the smoking step and do the whole thing indoors. Just put some rub on the brisket and sear at high heat, then do the other stuff in the same pan.

Indoors:

3 onions, thinly sliced

1 bulb's worth of garlic cloves, sliced

1 1/2 to 2 inches ginger, minced

A bunch of shitake mushrooms, sliced

1 jalapeno (or more) seeded and chopped

1/4 - 1/2 cup of your favorite rub (to dump in the sauce, 1/4 cup if it is a really salty rub)

2 large cans (I think 32 oz?) chopped tomatoes

2 750ml or 1 1.5 liter bottle of red wine

2 tablespoons canola or olive oil

Saute the onions, garlic and ginger. When the onions are translucent, add the mushrooms and peppers. When these are nicely sauteed (?), add the rub, turn up the heat and add the wine slowly, bringing to a boil. Add the tomato sauce and bring to almost a boil. Taste for heat... after cooking I added some "rooster" sauce, and that was really nice. I think next time I might use more heat up front.

Put the brisket and sauce into an oven safe heavy pot or casserole, and make sure the brisket is covered in sauce. Into the oven for about 6 hours at 250-275. Remove the brisket, slice, and return the the sauce for another hour or more at 275-300. We served this on top of some Israeli couscous, and that was nice. I think it would also work well with potatoes.

Don't ask me about the rub... I made it a while ago and I don't have the measurements. I believe it included salt, brown sugar, paprika, cumin, tumeric, garlic and chipotle. It was originally done for pork, but then I added more sugar to use for salmon.

BTW, the wine was some cheap (I think) wine that my in-laws left with us... Reunite Lambrusco. I'm sure almost any inexpensive barely drinkable red wine would do. Enjoy!

[jiarby]

sounds like pot roast to me!

[Porkchop]

i LOVE pot roast!!!

[howieb]

A pot roast, but a smoky, spicy one!

(not your mother's pot roast)

[Pyro]

Sounds Like a Great Approach

howieb,

It can be called a pot roast, because of the way it is finished (braising) or it can be called BBQ because it was started in the classic manner of BBQ'ed Brisket.

What makes this approach great is that you got all the smoke flavor you could ever get by having it in the cooker for several hours and then, by braising, completed it in an easy to control manner, that helps prevent drying out - the bane of BBQ Brisket. While it would not qualify under KCBS rules, it is still a good way to cook a brisket.

[dub]

I've done similar things to smoked chuck and flat-only briskets.

Did it more often when I cooked on my ECB and got tired off tending the fire every half hour!

There ain't nuttin wrong with eating a few veggies along with your brisket...

Brisky flats are sometimes difficult to Q to completion. Ovens and crock pots need love too!

[Naldo]

I also agree--this is a fantastic idea. Although, I have seen pics of some briskets (one by DJ) that looked incredibly tender and moist just from the KK.

However, if my meat came off the kooker and I was not pleased, a pot would be a great way to "bring it back". Add some chicken or beef broth and cook it down a bit longer.