It's all about the BBQ! Part II

After the Big Apple BBQ couple of weeks ago, I have been dying to try out some barbecue recipes.  So when I got a chance to visit my local farmers market this past weekend, I was looking for some ideas.  There I found some organic, grass-fed beef brisket and I was inspired as I remembered the outstanding Hill Country brisket I tasted at the BBQ last weekend.  The Texas-style barbecue beef briskets are traditionally smoked.  Since I don't have a smoker, I thought I should keep it simple and make it in the oven.  I also want to add some Asian flavors to the brisket and a quick no-fuss barbecue sauce.

Beef Brisket with Asian Flavors
4 1/2 lb fresh beef brisket (trimmed but leave about 1/4 inch of fat cap on top to keep the meat moist)
2 cups of beef stock or broth
1 bunch of scallions (cut each piece in half)
12 slices of fresh ginger root

Dry Rub
1/4 cup of Chinese five spice powder*
1/4 cup of cumin
2 tbsp of garlic powder
1 tbsp of kosher salt
1/2 tbsp of fresh cracked pepper

Barbecue sauce
1/2 cup of ketchup
1/2 cup of Hoisin sauce*
1/4 cup of rice vinegar*
1 tbsp of Sriracha chili sauce*

*You can find these ingredients in Asian markets and may also find them in the Asian aisle of your local supermarket.

Combine the first three ingredients of the dry rub recipe thoroughly, and then generously rub the spices onto the beef brisket.  Wrap tightly and refrigerate overnight.  Next day preheat oven to 350.  Before putting the brisket in the oven, season the brisket with salt and pepper.  Put the scallions and ginger on the bottom of the roasting pan, sit the brisket (fat side up) on top of the scallions and ginger slices.  Roast it for 1 hour until it starts to brown.  In the meantime, warm up the stock or broth.  After an hour of roasting, slowly add the warm stock to the pan until the bottom of the pan is covered with the liquid.  Then cover the brisket with foil and lower the heat to 250 and slowly roast it for another 4 hours.  Baste the brisket with the pan liquid every hour and add more liquid if needed.

To prepare the no-fuss barbecue sauce, combine all ingredients and cooked for 15 minute in low to moderately low heat until it thickens and combine well.
  
After roasting the brisket, take the foil off and put the brisket under the boiler for a few minutes to crisp up the fat on top.  This adds a smoky flavor to the spices but be careful not to put it under the boiler too long; otherwise it'll burn.  Take out the brisket then cover with foil and let it rest for at least 30 minutes before slicing it thinly against the grain.  To slice against the grain means if the lines (fiber) of the meat are going one way then you should slice it the other way so you're cutting short of the fiber and the meat are more tender and less chewy.  You should use this technique for tougher cuts of meat such as flank steaks and rump roast.  The brisket can be eaten in a sandwich or by itself top with some barbecue sauce.

It was fun and delicious for my first attempt.  The crust of the brisket had a smoky five-spice flavor and the meat was fork-tenderly moist.  The no-fuss barbecue sauce had a balanced of sweetness, sourness and spiciness.  It definitely is an easy sauce to make, so make extra and keep it in the fridge so you can add it to your grill chicken and shrimp dishes or use it as a marinate!