Beef Brisket with Spicy BBQ Sauce

Father’s Day and barbeque just go together, don’t they?

Meat. The grill. Barbeque. Those are traditionally MAN things, though I guess it’s kind of silly. Many men are vegetarians. Many women rock the grill. EVERYONE loves barbeque. If you’re a meat-eater, this Beef Brisket with Homemade Spicy BBQ Sauce is amazing! PIN IT. Even though this makes two food posts in a row, I wanted to share it with you… just in time to impress your dad.

Or yourself. 

I’ve never made a brisket before, or a roast of any kind. Hello, EASY. I asked the butcher for 3 pounds of meat, which he trimmed for me. I scored the meat in a criss-cross pattern so extra flavor could get right in there.

I whipped up a super-simple smoky rub, using brown sugar, paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper. I poured a little beef broth into the bottom of a baking dish and placed the meat into his little broth bath.

Next, I poured the rub right on top of the meat and literally rubbed it all around, into the scored cuts, making sure the whole top of the brisket was covered.

Then, I covered the dish tightly with foil, popped it into a 325 degree oven for 3 ½ hours, and forgot about it. That’s IT.

No, really, THAT’S IT. In my three-hour window, I watered plants. I folded a mountain of laundry. I checked on the garden. And I made a fabulous spicy BBQ sauce for the brisket. Here’s what goes into it!

Making homemade BBQ sauce is very simple, too. The food processor and the stove do all of the work! First, I chopped up a jalapeno and a stalk of celery, peeled and quartered an onion, and smashed and peeled 4 cloves of garlic. I brought out the big food processor, and tossed the veggies into it.

Once they were processed, I added a can of crushed tomatoes, some apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, more paprika and chili powder, some Cholula (duh), a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce, and a splash of whiskey. Magical.

I let the food processor whirrrrrrr the mixture into a beautiful, deep rusty orange-colored puree. You can taste the sauce now, but it’s raw– it will taste completely different after some time over the heat!

Into a saucepan it went. On John’s recommendation, I decided to add a bit of molasses for a deeper flavor. And then I let it simmer on the stove for 30-40 minutes.

Every once in a while, I’d check on the brisket to be sure the liquid in the dish hadn’t dried up. If that happens, you can just add a bit more broth. John wandered down more than once, lured by the sweet/spicy/smoky aromas wafting around the kitchen.

Once the sauce had cooked for a half hour or so, I tasted it again. The raw flavor was gone. The heat had brought out the sweetness in the onions and the flavors had combined into a deep, spicy sauce. I added about a tablespoon of honey, just for a touch more earthy sweetness.

The brisket was done. I left John in charge of slicing it up and made a couple of beautiful Caprese salads (to balance out the meat party).

Happy noises came out of his mouth as he sliced up the brisket. It was moist, tender- perfect. I snuck a bite and was surprised at how much of the rub flavor made it into the meat itself. It needed no sauce– but it was going to get some.

For myself, I plated up slices of brisket and spooned BBQ sauce over top of it. John opted to make a brisket sandwich instead. How delish is this?!

The combination of the tender, smoky brisket and the spicy tang of the BBQ sauce is heavenly. Every bite prompted a, “Mmmmmm…..” We devoured every morsel (and finished our salads, though they were an afterthought.)

Even though it doesn’t involve the grill, the BBQ brisket is a perfect Father’s Day meal.  I think the sandwich John made was the way to go! If your Pops is a carnivore like mine, he’ll feel very loved.

Just make sure he eats his salad, too.

**What are YOU making for Father’s Day weekend?** 

Beef Brisket (courtesy Giada de Laurentiis)

You’ll need:

• 3 pounds beef brisket
• 1 ½ cups beef broth

For the rub:

• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the rub ingredients in a small bowl.

Pour the beef broth into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Score the surface of the meat in a criss-cross pattern. Place the meat in the dish with the broth.

Pour the rub over the meat. Rub it into the scored cuts and be sure the whole top of the meat is covered.

Cover the dish tightly with foil and roast for 3 ½ – 4 hours. Check occasionally to be sure there is still liquid in the bottom of the dish. If necessary, add more broth.

Spicy BBQ Sauce

You’ll need:

• 4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
• 1 stick celery, chopped
• 1 onion, peeled and quartered
• One jalapeno, chopped
• 1 14.5 ounce can of crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• A few dashes Worcestershire sauce
• A few dashes of hot sauce (Cholula)
• A dollop of molasses
• A shot of whiskey
• 2 tablespoons honey

In a food processor, combine the garlic, celery, onion, and jalapeno. Pulse to puree. Add the tomatos, vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, paprika, chili powder, salt, Worcestershire sauce, Cholula, whiskey, and molasses. Puree until completely combined and somewhat smooth.

Pour the sauce into a medium saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 30-40 minutes. Stir in the honey and season to taste. Serve with anything or eat with a spoon. YUM!

**Looking for more recipes? Check out the FOOD BLISS link above!**