Oven Smoked Brisket

I joined a local organic meat share and received several cuts of beef that I had never prepared before. Brisket is one of my favorites, but I had no idea how to prepare it in my own kitchen... without a smoker. I tried several "oven smoked" recipes (faux-b-que) and I found this one. It is my absolute favorite. And with the quality of meat, it is the start of one of the very best meals. It does take a long time, but it is also (bonus!) one of the easiest brisket recipes I found. I hope you enjoy! Here's the link to the recipe I used: http://www.unclejerryskitchen.com/recipes/oven-smoked-beef-brisket/

I used a 2 lb brisket, though the recipe calls for a 4-6 lb. I decided to stick with the suggested measurements for the remaining ingredients even though my brisket was smaller.

1 Tbsp molasses (I used molasses, but if I didn't have them, I would have substituted honey)

1 tsp liquid smoke (this seemed like a very small amount of liquid smoke based on other recipes I've used. The brisket turned out great, but I plan to at least double this amount the next time I make this)

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1-2 Tbsp chipotle sauce, or the liquid from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (I omitted this because my husband doesn't like spicy things AT ALL.)

Preheat oven to 225 degrees.

If your brisket is frozen, thaw it out. Rinse and pat dry. Put it on a large sheet of aluminum foil to prepare for baking.

Mix the marinade ingredients. Let mixed marinade sit for at least five minutes.

With brisket fat side down, brush on the marinade. Turn beef over and brush/pour remaining marinade over beef.

With the fat side remaining up, wrap tightly in foil. As you can see from the first picture, my original piece of foil wasn't quite big enough so I wrapped a second piece around the top. Since the recipe said "tightly" I wanted to try to prevent air from escaping easily.

Bake for 8-9 hours. Unwrap and enjoy. I suggest dipping in your favorite barbeque sauce (which helps make up for the faux-b-que.) The "juice"/drippings are delicious! You can use them to make a gravy or just as-is poured over bread or baked or mashed potatoes.

Even though I had a two pound brisket, I still baked for 8 hours. It was beautifully perfect and SO delicious. It might have been okay it eat sooner, but I'm happy I waited.