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 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 use Cook's Illustrated recipe for brisket with some personal modifications. I trim ALL the fat off the top 'cuz I don't like the texture of fat at all. I find that browning the meat for 6 minutes per side adds more flavor. I do this recipe in a LC 6-3/4 qt oval and it's perfect. Goes really nice with mashed potatos or over soft polenta. I also prepare this through step 4 and let the whole thing cool, storing it overnight in the fridge. Next day, defat (if any) and throw it in a low oven (300) for an hour or so. It has more flavor the next day. 1 beef brisket, about 3 pounds (CI recomments the point cut trimmed; I use the flat cut trimmed and don't care too much about weight. Typically 4 pounds.) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 3 pounds yellow onions, sliced thin (I also add about a pound or more of mushrooms) 2 tablespoons brown sugar 6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press 1 teaspoon tomato paste 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup dry red wine 1 cup low-sodium beef broth 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth 4 bay leaves 4 springs fresh thyme 1 tablespoon cider vinegar 1- Heat over to 300 degrees and adjust racks so your cooking vessel is somewhat centered in the oven. 2-Sprinkle the brisket generously with salt and pepper to taste. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof Dutch oven over high heat until smoking. Cook the brisket until dark brown on the first side, about 5 minutes. Turn and repeat. Transfer the brisket to a large plate; set aside. 3-Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions, brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Using a wooden spoon, scrapte the browned bits from the pan bottom. Cook, stirring frequently until the onions are softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. (I add the mushrooms at about 7 minutes and cook until their liquid has evaporated.) Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly stir in the wine to dissolve the flour and cook until almost dry, about 1 minute. Stir in the beef broth, chicken broth, bay leaves and thyme. Return the meat to the pot, nestling it in the liquid, and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot, transfer it to the oven and cook until a fork slides easily in and out of the center of the roast, 2-1/2 to 3 hours. 4-Transfer the brisket to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves and thyme from the sauce, stir in the vinegar, and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper to taste. Slice the brisket thinly across the grain, arrange on a warmed platter and spoon some of the sauce over it. Serve, passing the remaining sauce at the table.

Teri here are a couple of dry rub recipes and a general guide of how I do it. Memphis Rub 1/4 cup paprika 1 tablespoon firmly packed dark brown sugar 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons accent (MSG; optional) 1 teaspoon celery salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 to 3 teaspoons cayenne pepper, or to taste 1 teaspoon dry mustard 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon onion powder Combine all the ingredients in a jar, twist the lid on airtight, and shake to mix. Store away from heat or light for up to six months. Makes about 1/2 cup. Enough for 4 to 6 racks of ribs. I've used this on from Sharon also. Here is my favourite rub from Steve Raichlens How to Grill (Sharon) 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup Paprika 3 TBSP coarse pepper 3 TBSP coarse salt 1 TBSP Hickory smoked salt 2 tsp garlic powder 2 tsp onion powder 2 tsp celery seed 1 tsp cayenne Mix well and store in an air tight jar. Okay here goes as I don't have a "recipe" to post. I like to put the dry rub on the night before then wrap in foil or put in a zip bag. I've used a wet marinade too but I don't have an exact recipe so I'll leave that out tonight. I do take it out an hour or so before I put it on the BBQ or smoker. I'm guessing you are using a charcoal grill rather than a smoker here. If you are using wood chuncks or chips in a foil pack be sure and soak them in water for a good 30 minutes or so. Place your meat on the bbq fat side up and maintain a temp around 275. I add wood chuncks about three times during the smoking process....I'd do the same if you are using a foil pack with wood chips in it. I do this for 3 - 3.5 hours. The meat will only take on the smoke flavor during the first few hours of smoking Then I wrap the brisket in heavy foil and continue to cook it for another 3 - 4 hours maintaning a 275 - 300 degree temp. You can finish it in the oven at this point if you want to. The foil keeps the juices in and helps make the meat nice and tender. Remove from the bbq or oven and let it rest in the foil package for at least 30 minutes. Remove the fat cap and slice it across the grain or chop it up and serve with your favorite bbq sauce. We like it both ways...sliced with sauce or chopped on buns with sauce. It does take some time... around seven hours plus but it is so worth it IMHO! Your in for a real treat for sure. Pecan wood is one of my favorites but it is just as good with hickory or mesquite....try all three when time allows and pick your favorite. Let us know how it goes and if you have any more questions just ask or email me through GW. Happy Smokin'!! David