West Virginia Oven Barbecued Brisket
  By Harry E. Moran II
  Sauce and rub recipes by Daryl Haid

Choose a 4 to 6 pound brisket. Remove most of the fat cap and
large streaks of fat, since the brisket is to be oven cooked, not grilled.
Prepare the rub. The recipe given is for 4 pounds of meat. Increase the
quantities to the size of brisket to be prepared. Place the brisket on a
sheet of heavy aluminum foil large enough to wrap the entire brisket.
Apply the rub generously over all surfaces of the brisket. Wrap in the
foil, seal,  and place it in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours, but preferably
48 hours. When ready to cook, bring the brisket out of the refrigerator
and let it sit until room temperature. While waiting, pre-heat the oven
to 250 degrees and obtain a covered baking dish or pan of sufficient size. Place a shallow rack in the bottom of the dish or pan to allow at least a half
inch of drainage below the rack. This is to prevent the meat from "boiling" instead of roasting. Pour 1/2 to 3/4 cup of beef broth or bullion into the
pan. Unwrap the brisket and place fat side up in a baking dish or pan. Place the cover on the dish or pan and place it into the 250 degree oven. Roast for seven hours. Around two hours before the brisket is due to come out, prepare the barbecue sauce. The recipe shown is enough for four pounds of meat. I always make more than the minimum, so bring the recipe up by 50% or more for extra sauce. After the brisket has roasted for six hours, remove it from the oven, uncover and baste heavily with barbecue sauce. Return it to the oven for another hour or until done. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Slice the brisket across the grain and coat with additional sauce so it seeps between the slices. In most briskets, the grain in the meat is diagonal. Serve immediately.

 

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