The meat was seasoned with a blend of salt (3 tsp), pepper (2 tsp), paprika (2 tsp), garlic(2 tsp), thyme(2 tsp) and a pinch of dry mustard. The dry rub sat with the meat for 30-45 minutes. I think the brisket cooked for about 30 minutes over indirect, medium high to high heat. 
Then there was the issue of veggies. I went with one large red onion, 2 green bells, and one each of orange, red and yellow. They were lightly drizzled in olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper. I wrapped them in foil and put them over indirect heat as well. After about 15 minutes, I opened the foil up and moved them over high heat. No rhyme or reason for how I cooked them, I wanted them just about soft and smoky. It worked. Slice the beef thinly, on a bias. Serve with rice, beans, cheese, sour cream, salsa and tortillas. Yum. Speaking of beans...I don't really do much with beans...but in this instance...I sauted a little red onion in olive oil until tender and starting to brown. I added two cans of black beans, drained and rinsed. Season liberally with salt & pepper, oregano and chipotle chili powder. Since the beans were dry, I felt they needed something extra...I had a beer in my hand...glug glug, about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of Corona. Then I stirred in a tablespoon of tomato paste. Cover and simmer until warm. The guests seemed to like them.
Thanks to DancerinDC for the photos.
4 comments:
So delicious! That brisket was very juicy and delicious, and the peppers were just eye-popping.
I enjoyed doing something traditional (barbecue for the 4th) in an nontraditional way.
Smooth move with the beer!
Also it's nice to see you doing something with chipotle powder; I've got a whole jar left (I can't remember the recipe it was bought for, probably an Ingrid recipe?) and need inspiration for working with it!
as for the brisket; Good on you for improvising with the cuts that were available. How big/heavy were the pieces? I had a 9-pound brisket of bison from Gunpowder ranch and at super-low temps it took me 12 hours to cook it ( 9 on the grill, 3 in the oven... it wasn't done until 11 pm and nobody else was hungry by then!).
@Tony: These were fairly small briskets, about 2lbs each. A few guests were vegetarians, so I was able to cut back on the quantity of meat and still have plenty of leftovers.
@Tony: PS...I love the chipotle powder and use it often, but make sure to use it small quantities. The smoky flavor can overwhelm everything else.
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