Best Ever Brisket Recipe

The Best Ever Brisket Recipe should yield a brisket that's falling apart tender, juicy and full of good beef flavor.

Cook it properly and it will be that way.

If not you have a dry, tasteless hunk of gristle.

Cooking beef brisket is not hard to do. If it were then it not be such a favorite cut of beef with so many people. Nobody likes to do battle with a big piece of meat and come out the loser.

Beef brisket is a tough cut of beef but it has hidden qualities, like a diamond in the rough.

This recipe guarantees brisket nirvana. It's not so much about the actual spices used, which are interchangeable with others you might like better, but about the cooking technique.

This brisket is baked in an open oven for an hour, then surrounded by beef broth, covered and baked some more. You not only get that tender, juicy beefy flavor but all the pan juices that have developed over several hours. This is sure to become your new family favorite brisket recipe.

Best Ever Brisket Recipe

4 pounds beef brisket - flat piece, called first-cut
1 1/2 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried onion or onion powder
1 tablespoon seasoned salt, such as Lowry's

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a small bowl, mix together the kosher salt and black pepper, the chili powder, brown sugar, garlic and onion and the seasoned salt. Rub this mixture evenly all over the brisket, on both sides, coating all surfaces. Put the beef brisket in a roasting pan and roast, uncovered, for 1 hour.

At the end of 1 hour, reduce the oven temperature to 275F. Take the roasting pan out of the oven and pour the beef broth over the brisket. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil, and put it back in the oven for 4 hours. When it is fork tender, put the brisket on a cutting board and let it rest for about 15 minutes.

Pour the pan juices into a small container and skim the fat from the top. Slice the brisket into long, thin slices, cutting against the grain, then put them on a warmed platter. Pour some of the pan juices over the top and serve the remaining sauce on the side.

Serves 8 to 10

Food For Thought - Mix and match the spices to suit your preferences. Try adding dried oregano and thyme and a bay leaf for a Mediterranean touch. You can also add a little tomato paste to a half cup of red wine and add that with 1 cup of the beef broth.

On Your Own - If there are not enough pan juices left after baking for all your family or guests, combine the pan juices with a cup of barbecue sauce and simmer them for a few moments together and serve it on the side.

Good To Know - Not every family can go through 4 pounds of beef brisket at one sitting - shred the leftovers and save for sandwiches - beef brisket makes excellent BBQ sandwiches on toasted hamburger buns! Especially when made with this Best Ever Brisket Recipe.