Smoky BBQ Brisket (Oven Method)

• Prep20 min
• Cook5 h 30 min
• Total8 h
• Serves10

Ingredients

Brisket and rub

• 2.3 kg beef brisket flat, with a 6 mm (1/4 in) layer of fat (5 lb)
• 20 g whole black peppercorns (2 tbsp)
• 20 g kosher salt (about 1 1/2 tbsp)
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 15 g yellow mustard (1 tbsp)
• 120 g beef broth (1/2 cup)
• 1 tsp liquid smoke, optional

Barbecue sauce

• 100 g yellow onion, in pieces (1 small)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 15 g vegetable oil (1 tbsp)
• 300 g ketchup (1 1/4 cups)
• 80 g apple cider vinegar (1/3 cup)
• 60 g light brown sugar (1/4 cup packed)
• 20 g molasses (1 tbsp)
• 15 g Worcestershire sauce (1 tbsp)
• 10 g yellow mustard (2 tsp)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 60 g water (1/4 cup)

To serve

• Soft white sandwich bread
• Dill pickle slices
• 1 white onion, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Place the peppercorns in the clean, dry mixing bowl and mill 6 sec/speed 7, until coarsely cracked. Add the salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder and onion powder and mix 5 sec/speed 4.
2. Pat the brisket dry, rub it all over with a thin layer of mustard and coat it generously with the rub. Let it rest uncovered 1 hour at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge.
3. Preheat the oven to 140°C (275°F). Set the brisket fat side up on a rack in a roasting pan and roast it uncovered for about 3 hours, until a dark crust forms and the center reaches 74°C (165°F).
4. Lay the brisket on two overlapping long sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil, pour the broth and liquid smoke over it and wrap it tightly. Return it to the oven for 2 to 3 hours more, until it reaches 93-96°C (200-205°F) and a skewer slides in like butter.
5. Let the brisket rest, still wrapped, for 1 hour in the turned-off oven or in an empty cooler lined with towels.
6. Meanwhile, place the onion and garlic for the sauce in the mixing bowl and chop 5 sec/speed 5. Scrape down the sides, add the oil and sauté 3 min/120°C (250°F)/speed 1.
7. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients, place the simmering basket on the lid instead of the measuring cup and cook 15 min/100°C (212°F)/speed 2. Put the measuring cup back in place and blend 20 sec/speed 5-8, increasing speed gradually, until smooth.
8. Unwrap the brisket over the pan to catch the juices. Slice it against the grain, about as thick as a pencil, and drizzle the slices with the juices.
9. Serve on butcher paper or a board with white bread, pickles, onion and the barbecue sauce on the side.

Tips

• Have a smoker or a charcoal grill? Smoke the rubbed brisket at 120°C (250°F) over oak or hickory until it reaches 74°C (165°F), then wrap it and finish it in the smoker or the oven as in step 4. Leave out the liquid smoke.
• Every brisket is different, so go by temperature and tenderness, not the clock. If it is not tender at 96°C (205°F), give it 30 more minutes wrapped.
• The barbecue sauce keeps 2 weeks in a jar in the fridge.
• Leftovers keep 4 days in the fridge. Reheat the slices wrapped in foil with a splash of broth in the oven at 160°C (325°F), or chop them for sandwiches and tacos.