If I can say this without bragging... the best brisket I have ever eaten. I made a paste from 1 large onion, 8 garlic cloves, lemon juice and some other spices and put this mixture all over the brisket which I then wrapped in plastic and refridgerated for 2 days. Friday evening I removed from fridge, brought to room temp and placed in 200° smoker. I allowed it to cook for 1.5 hrs and then began mopping with a sauce I made from lemon juice, water, butter and other seasonings every 45 minutes and flipping over. 12 hours later and 30 minutes prior to completion I mopped with a finishing sauce I created as well. I had 12 people at my house who all said they had never eaten a brisket that tender or tasty. Needless to say I was a wee bit proud;-) It was a long night out there on the patio with an alarm clock and only occasional 10 minute dozes here and there but it was well worth it the next morning when I sampled the first piece. By the way I used mesquite chunks the entire smoke and contrary to popular belief it was not bitter in the least. In fact I have never had bitter smoke flavor on my meat and I attribute this to full open inlet and exhaust every time I smoke.

I think a sweet/sour chili sauce would be good, but to really bring out the smokey flavor I would use a bourbon based sauce. This is one I go to quite often, sometimes I tweak it slightly, other times I make it as written. It all depends on what I have on hand Alexa david's kentucky bourbon brisket sauce Epicurious : The ultimate finishing sauce for your BBQ brisket. This is served as an accompaniment to a spicy BBQ brisket. If your brisket isn't too spicy then reduce the amount of sugar by half. Thin out the sauce with water and cider vinegar to taste. I have yet to find a suitable substitute for quality Kentucky bourbon. 3 tablespoons of canola oil 1 cup finely minced onion 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1/4 cup Kentucky bourbon 1/4 cup water (if needed) 3 tablespoon tomato paste 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce Pan juices from brisket 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional) Saute minced onions in canola oil over med-high heat until just turning color. Add Tomato past and saute for 2 minutes. Add bourbon and stir until evaporated. Reduce heat to low. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 10-20 minutes. I prefer to use this can be used as a thin finishing sauce. Others like it reduced to make it thicker, sweeter, and a whole lot stickier. Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/printerfriendly/DAVIDS-KENTUCKY-BOURBON-BRISKET-SAUCE-50045134#ixzz2GkrbFlr3

I wouldn't cook it at 250 without previously heating it to a higher temp. The chance for it to stay a long time at an unsafe temp are too great. And the amount of salt in a packet of onion soup mix is about the same as 2 teaspoons of salt. Would you pour 2 teaspoons of salt over your meat, then add bbq sauce and roast it? My fingers swell when I eat anything that salty. I put it into a covered roaster, rub with garlic powder, ground mild red chilis or mild chili powder, spread on some tomato paste, about 1/3 of a small can....then pour a bottle of dark beer into the bottom of the roaster, you can add some onion slices to the top too, put on the lid and put it into a 300 oven for about 5 hours...or 325 for 4...or 350 for 3 hours...doesn't matter much...just so it gets hot enough to kill germs....and doesn't cook too fast. If you like a smoky flavor, add a very little bit of liquid smoke...like 1/4 teaspoon. I wrap the cooked meat, and pour off the liquid in the roaster and skim the fat, then slice the cooled meat and reheat in the sauce. It stays in neat slices that way. Linda C

I bet the brisket with prunes on it was a Jewish tzimmes recipe. Here are two brisket recipes I use. The first one, which is much simpler, I got from the lady who runs the kitchen at our synagogue. I often add prunes and/or apricots, and usually potatoes and carrots. The second one is a little bit more work, but it is fantastic. Brisket 5-10 lb. Brisket 2 8-oz. Jars apricot preserves 2 packets dried onion soup 2 T ginger salt, pepper, and garlic ppowder optional: prunes, potatoes (peeled and cut up), and/or carrots (scraped and cut up) Mix jam, soup mix, and ginger in a bowl. Add ¼ cup water. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on the brisket and pour garlic powder on it. Rub sauce mixture all over roasting pan and brisket. Add prunes, potatoes, and/or carrots. Cover tightly and bake 350 for 2 ½ - 3 ½ hours. Remove from pan and slice. Spoon some of the gravy over it. Cover again and bake another 30 minutes before serving. *** BEEF BRISKET WITH MERLOT AND PRUNES 1 4-to 4 1/2-pound flat-cut (also called first-cut) beef brisket, trimmed of most fat 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice (preferably fire-roasted) 1 cup Merlot or other dry red wine 2 pounds onions, sliced 4 medium carrots, peeled, thinly sliced 16 garlic cloves, peeled 1 1/2 cups pitted large prunes (about 8 ounces) 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon prune juice 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 325°F. Pat brisket dry; sprinkle all over with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy extra-large skillet over high heat. Add brisket and cook until deep brown, about 7 minutes per side. Transfer brisket, fat side up, to large roasting pan. Add tomatoes with juice and wine to skillet. Remove from heat, scrape up any browned bits, and pour mixture over brisket. Distribute onions, carrots, and garlic around brisket. Add prunes and thyme; drizzle with 1/2 cup prune juice and 3 tablespoons vinegar. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Place pan over 2 burners and bring to boil. Cover pan with heavy-duty foil; place in oven. Braise brisket until tender, about 3 hours 15 minutes. Uncover and cool 1 hour at room temperature. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover with foil and chill. Bring just to simmer over 2 burners before continuing. Remove brisket from roasting pan, scraping off juices. Place on work surface; cut across grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Spoon off fat from top of pan juices. Place 1 cup vegetables (no prunes) and 1 cup braising liquid from pan into processor and puree. Return puree to pan. Add remaining 1 tablespoon prune juice and 1 teaspoon vinegar to pan. Heat sauce; season with salt and pepper. Overlap brisket slices in 13x9x2- inch glass baking dish. Pour sauce over brisket, separating slices to allow some sauce to flow between. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Rewarm brisket, covered, in 350°F oven for 30 minutes. Sprinkle brisket with parsley; serve. More info: Use a slender metal pin, like a turkey lacer, to check whether the brisket is tender. Insert the pin into the thickest part; if it meets no resistance, the brisket is done.