Adapting a Favourite Recipe
No one understands adapting better than we RVers. We’ve learned to expect the unexpected. Our plans can change suddenly with a flat tire, engine problems, an unexpected detour, bad weather, an awning ripped off by the wind, or a fluid leak while travelling down a busy highway.
Just as the RV lifestyle is all about adapting to circumstances, COVID-19 clipped many snowbirds’ wings and forced them to return to Canada earlier than expected. It meant adjusting our lives to protect ourselves and everyone around us by self-isolating and physical distancing. It meant interacting with family and friends through social media platforms like FaceTime and Zoom.
Recipes can also be adapted when cooking equipment or ingredients are not available. We originally created this recipe on a smoker for our BBQ cookbook but have adapted it for the oven.
(Makes 4 to 6 servings)
Ingredients
- 3 pounds (1.36 kg) beef brisket
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) salt
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) coarsely ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) cayenne pepper
- Canola oil, for rubbing on beef
- 1 cup (250 ml) beef broth
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon (15 ml) black pepper
Directions
- Trim excess exterior fat from the brisket, leaving about a ¼-inch thick layer of fat on the top. Rinse the meat and pat dry with paper towels.
- Combine the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl to create a rub.
- Place the brisket in a resealable container. Rub canola oil lightly over the brisket.
- Sprinkle the rub over the entire brisket. Massage the rub into the meat. Cover tightly.
- Refrigerate for about 12 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 250° F (121° C).
- Place the brisket on a rack in a roasting pan, fat side up. Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil.
- Cook for about one hour per pound or until the internal temperature of the meat registers 150° F (65.5° C) on an instant-read thermometer.
- While the brisket is in the oven, mix the beef broth, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and pepper in a bowl.
- Remove the brisket from the oven. Do not shut off the oven.
- Lift the brisket from the roasting pan. Remove the rack from the roasting pan. Place the brisket back into the roasting pan. Pour the beef broth mixture over the meat. Tightly seal the roasting pan with foil.
- Return the roasting pan to the oven and continue cooking at 250° F (121° C) for about 2 hours or until the internal temperature of the meat registers 205° F (96° C) on an instant-read thermometer.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Do not remove the foil cover. Set the pan on a heat resistant surface for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Transfer the meat to a cutting board.
- Just before serving, slice the brisket against the grain to the thickness of a pencil. Do not slice until ready to serve to prevent the brisket from drying out.
- Place the sliced brisket on a platter and drizzle with the broth. Slice only the amount needed. Refrigerate leftover brisket and slice thinly against the grain for sandwiches.
Note: Total time from putting a three-pound brisket in the oven to eating is about 6 hours
