Beef Brisket Crowd Pleaser

There's nothing like a big hunk of roasted beef to inspire awe in a hungry crowd.

This brisket is nothing like my roast beef though. Brisket is among the toughest parts of beef and only by cooking it low and slow that it gets impossibly tender. On the other hand, I prefer only prime cuts for my roast beef and roast it until just medium rare. The differences do not stop there.

Seasoning roast beef is quite a delicate affair. Just salt, pepper, olive oil, and some choice herbs does the trick for roast beef. This ensures that I do not muck up the natural flavors of top quality beef. For brisket, one can go wild with the spices. I make sure that I get a good crust of dry rub clinging on to the brisket before I fire up the oven. I make my own dry rub but any good barbecue dry rub that you get in the supermarket will work.

Brisket also has a tendency to dry up, that is what the addition of liquids is for. Essentially braising, this breaks down the tough connective tissues that holds up the brisket, a step that is absolutely unnecessary in roast beef. Sauce-wise, I will never dare serve prime rib roast beef with barbecue sauce, but it tastes great with brisket.

Oven Roasted Beef Brisket

Ingredients

3 kilos beef brisket

Dry Rub:
1 tablespoon paprika
3 tablespoons chili powder
4 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoon garlic powder
2 tablespoon onion powder
2 tablespoon ground black pepper
1.5 tablespoons dry mustard
2 bay leaves, crushed
4 tablespoons muscovado sugar

1/2 cup hot water
1/3 Knorr beef broth cube

Directions

Combine ingredients for dry rub in a small bowl. Season the brisket on both sides with the rub and leave in the refrigerator overnight to marinate.

Take out the seasoned brisket from the ref to and place in a roasting pan at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. When the oven reaches the desired temperature roast brisket, uncovered, for 1 hour.

Dissolve beef broth cube in hot water.

After 1 hour, take out brisket from the oven and transfer to a pan lined with a double layer of aluminum foil, enough to cover the brisket. Pour in beef broth around the brisket. Fold together the ends of the aluminum foil to seal in the brisket tightly. Lower oven to 250 degrees and return brisket to continue cooking for 9 hours, or until fork-tender.

Serve with barbecue sauce or demiglace gravy made from the juices saved from the roasting pan.