In the cattle-ranching heartlands of Texas, barbecue usually means beef, not pig, and brisket—which comes from the animal’s lower chest—is hands down the most popular. A little patience and a few hours of smoking or braising transform this relatively tough cut into the most succulent, falling-apart-tender meat you’ll ever eat. Part of the trick is marinating the meat for several hours or even overnight prior to cooking, so be sure to factor in this additional “inactive” prep time. To avoid standing over the grill for six to eight hours, I start the meat on the grill for an infusion of smoky hickory flavor and then let the oven do the rest of the work.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6 to 8

　　One 5- to 6-pound beef brisket

　　1/2 cup Sweet and Salty Dry Rub (recipe follows)

　　2 cups your favorite or West Tennessee Thick and Sticky BBQ Sauce (page 307), plus more for serving

　　1 1/2 cups ketchup

　　One 12-ounce beer

　　3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

　　Juice of 1/2 orange (squeezed half reserved)

　　1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

　　

Sweet and Salty Dry Rub

1/3 cup ground paprika

　　2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

　　2 tablespoons sea salt

　　2 tablespoons unpacked light brown sugar

　　1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

　　1 tablespoon Colman’s dry mustard

　　(makes about 1 cup)

　　

Step 1

Season the brisket all over with the dry rub, place it in a large resealable plastic bag, and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours or overnight.

　　

Step 2

About an hour before cooking the brisket, place 2 cups of hickory wood chips in water and let soak. Combine the barbecue sauce, ketchup, beer, Worcestershire sauce, orange juice, and mustard in a large bowl and stir to mix. Remove the brisket from the refrigerator and pour the barbecue sauce mixture over the meat. Reseal the bag, turn to coat the brisket with sauce, and let sit at room temperature for about 1 hour.

　　

Step 3

Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal or gas grill and let the coals burn to gray ash with a slight red glow. Keep the coals on one side of the grill to create areas of direct and indirect heat (see Know-how, page 151); if using a gas grill, heat just one side on medium. Drain the wood chips and add a handful to the fire.

　　

Step 4

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

　　

Step 5

Remove the brisket from the bag, reserving the marinade, and place on the hottest part of the grill, directly over the coals, to sear, about 5 minutes per side. Move the brisket to the cooler side of the grill, away from the coals. Add the remaining wood chips to the fire, cover, and cook and smoke the meat for another 30 minutes, basting with the marinade and turning several times.

　　

Step 6

Remove the brisket from the grill and transfer to a cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Pour the reserved marinade over the brisket and turn several times to coat.

　　

Step 7

Make sure the brisket is positioned fat side up and add the reserved squeezed orange half .Cover the skillet and cook in the oven, undisturbed, for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until the brisket is fork-tender (see Know-how, page 172).

　　

Step 8

Remove the brisket from the oven, transfer to a platter, and let rest, loosely covered, for about 20 minutes before slicing. Serve warm with additional barbecue sauce, if desired.

　　

Sweet and Salty Dry Rub

Step 9

Combine the paprika, black pepper, salt, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, and mustard in a bowl or resealable plastic bag and stir or shake to thoroughly mix. Use immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

　　

On the Side

Step 10

Serve with Roxy’s Grated Coleslaw (page 260) and Squash Puppies (page 65) or piled high on Kate’s Sweet Potato Refrigerator Rolls (page 66) or crusty

　　

Step 11

bread.

　　

Sara’s Swap

Step 12

In the winter I bypass the grill, pan-sear the meat, and let the oven do all the heavy lifting. Season the brisket all over with the dry rub, place it in a large resealable plastic bag, and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours or overnight. When ready to cook the brisket, preheat the oven to 325°F. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat and add about 2 tablespoons olive oil. Pan-sear the brisket for 4 to 5 minutes per side until brown all over, place in the oven, and proceed with the recipe.

　　Reprinted with permission from Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Soulful, Traditional, Seasonal by Sara Foster. Copyright © 2011 by Sara Foster. Published by Random House. All Rights Reserved.Sara Foster is the owner of Foster's Market, the acclaimed gourmet take-out store/cafés in Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and the author of several cookbooks including The Foster's Market Cookbook, winner of the Best Cookbook Award from the Southeast Booksellers Association. She has appeared numerous times on Martha Stewart Living Television and NBC's Today show. She has also been featured in magazines such as More, House Beautiful, and Southern Living, and is featured regularly in Bon Appétit.