Beer-Barbecued Brisket

Happy Memorial Day!  As we kick off summer, I'd be remiss in not sharing an awesome BBQ recipe!  Before we start, I'm a Southerner, so let me tell you a little about BBQ.  This is a style of cooking, not a cookout.  A few things BBQ is:  pulled pork, brisket, and tangy chicken.  A few things BBQ is not:  hamburgers, hotdogs, and a backyard party that features a grill.  Now that we have that out of the way, let's get to the food!  Get ready, this one is time-consuming, but it's so worth it.  Enjoy...and have a wonderful summer!

1 5-6 pound beef brisket

1/2 cup sweet and salty dry rub (recipe follows)

2 cups of your favorite BBQ sauce, plus more for serving (I like Smokey Joe's and Kansas City BBQ sauces)

1 1/2 cups ketchup

one 12-ounce beer

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

juice of 1/2 an orange (save the squeezed half)

1 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Season the brisket all over with the dry rub, place in a large resealable plastic bag, and refrigerate 4-6 hours or overnight.

Combine the barbecue sauce, ketchup, beer, Worcestershire sauce, orange juice, and mustard in a large bowl and stir to mix.  Remove the brisket from the 'fridge and pour the barbecue sauce mixture over the meat.  Reseal the bag, turn to coat the brisket all over, nad let sit at room temperature for about 1 hour.

Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal or gas grill.  For charcoal, keep the coals on one side of the grill.  For gas, keep one side on medium heat.  You want areas of direct and indirect heat!  Also preheat your oven to 325.

Remove the brisket from the bag, reserving the marinade, and place on the hottest part of the grill, directly over the coals, and sear 5 minutes per side.  Move the brisket to the cooler side of the grill, cover, and cook for another 30 minutes, basting the meat with the reserved marinade and turning several times.

Remove the brisket from the grill and transfer to a cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet with a tight lid.  Pour the reserved marinade over the brisket and turn several times to coat.  Ensure the meat is positioned fat side up and add the reserved squeezed orange juice half.  Cover the skillet and cook in the oven, undisturbed, for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until fork-tender.

Remove from the oven, transfer the meat to a platter and let rest, loosely covered, about 20 minutes before slicing.  Serve warm with additional barbecue sauce.

Serves 6-8.

For the dry rub:

1/3 cup ground paprika

2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons unpacked brown sugar

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon dry mustard

Combine all ingredients and stir to combine well.  Use immediately or store in an air-tight container for up to 1 month.

Makes about 1 cup rub.

Recipe adapted from Southern Kitchen, by Sara Foster.