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.
So delicious! That brisket was very juicy and delicious, and the peppers were just eye-popping.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed doing something traditional (barbecue for the 4th) in an nontraditional way.
Smooth move with the beer!
ReplyDeleteAlso 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.
ReplyDelete@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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