I love cooking a brisket, especially for a large group. Great favor and relatively cheap. I have smoked them in the past, but it's usually more work then I prefer. I have good luck roasting them in the oven. Here is how I do it.
Again, I usually cook for a large group so I end up getting about a 12-14 pound whole beef brisket from Sam's Club.
Prepping the Brisket:
Trim the thickest of the fat from the meat. You don't want to remove all the fat cap, but you don't want 1/2 inch thick chunks of fat to deal with after cooking.
A whole brisket has 2 muscles: the point & the flat. The flat is the thinner part that runs the length of a whole brisket. I prefer to separate these two pieces of meat to make the cooking time a bit more even. You have to separate them after cooking anyway since the grain of the 2 muscles run in different directions. The point lays on top of the flat. Lay the whole brisket fat side up and it should be pretty obvious where to start separating the muscles. Look at the thick end. You can usually start separating by hand then cut the connective tissue as you go.
If you are not comfortable cutting them apart, cook the brisket whole until the flat gets to the right temp. Then separate the point from the flat (it will be easy). Return the point to the oven and cook until finished.
The Rub:
I've had briskets with peppery rubs on them. I like them that way, but many I cook for don't. Plus since I am doing this in the oven, I'm a little careful of adding too much salt or spicy rubs that would work better if I was smoking the brisket. If I want spice, I get it from the BBQ sauce added at the end. That way everyone gets the level of heat they want.
The all purpose rub I use for beef, pork & chicken is Emeril's Essence. I get mine pre-made in the seasonings section at Sam's Club. Or use his recipe (from foodnetwork.com):
Emeril's Essence - Ingredients:
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Add a liberal amount of the rub to all sides of the brisket. It's a lot of meat, so don't be stingy. on the rub. Like it a bit sweeter rub, add a bit of brown sugar to the Essence.
Roasting the Brisket:
Set oven to 350.
Place the brisket in a roasting pan, fatty side up. I usually place a rack under mine to get the meat off the bottom of the pan, but it's probably not a big deal.
Cook uncovered for an hour.
Add 1 1/2 cups of beef stock and enough water to fill the bottom of the roasting pan about 1/2 an inch. Lower oven temp to 300. Cover the pan tightly with foil and roast for about 2 1/2 hours. Start checking the internal temp of the meat. Pull the brisket out when it reaches an internal temp of 185 degrees. Let it rest for 15- 20 min. Keep in mind the flat and point may not get done at the same time. Total cooking time will be around 3.5 to 4 hours.
Cutting the Brisket:
After all this cooking, you want tender meat. The connective tissue should be broken down, but it's just as important to cut the brisket the right way. Cut across the grain of the meat as thinly as you can... around 1/4 of an inch (not thicker). This will be much easier on the brisket flat. With the point, you can give it a shot, but you will find it will likely pull apart. No big deal, it makes great shredded beef sandwiches. Or chop it up and add to some baked beans.
Preparing the Day Before:
Frankly, I prefer to prepare the brisket the day ahead of time, it makes the timing so much easier should your meat take longer or less time then expected.
After cooking, I refrigerate the flat and point in foil (uncut). Keep a generous amount of the juices from the roasting pan (refrigerate the juices seperatly).
Then to serve, remove the meat from the refrigerator, it will be easier to cut nice and thin (even the point). Place the slices, in a crock pot. Return any extra meat to the refrigerator (leftovers).
Remove the fat from the top of the juices and add a good bit of the roasting juices to the crock pot. You don't need to cover all the meat. It will take an hour or so to reheat. If you want to speed this up. Reheat the juices on the stove, then add to the crockpot with the meat. Flip the meat right before serving so all the meat has been in the juices. This also works well should you overcook the brisket a bit. The juices add a ton of flavor and can restore a bit of moisture should it get a little dry for your tastes.
Serve with BBQ sauce, as brisket sandwiches (plain old white bread works for me) or just as the meat with plenty of good sides.
Most importantly...Enjoy with family and friends.
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