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.

Who knew that brisket, of all things, could make people fight? At our house, a big brisket meal makes us pretty mellow. We even have a song that goes, "Oh, it's good to be a dog on yontif,* 'cause on yontif, a dog gets brisket." * Yiddish for holiday I'm not a food scientist or a chef or a cookbook writer or anything else special, food-wise. But I am a genuine Jewish mother. And I figure it's about time that one waded into this. I've made a lot of briskets. Very many briskets. And I've eaten many many many briskets, cooked all different ways, including smoked brisket, which was indeed very good. But that doesn't mean it's always the flavor you are going for, even if it were possible to say that it's somehow objectively superior to braising or roasting. To me, that argument is as silly as trying to prove that fried chicken is definitively, universally, always better than oven-roasted. Anyway, even if I do think one way is better, sometimes I don't want it to taste "better," I want it to taste like "home." I've always made mine in the oven, sometimes starting it on the cooktop. Here are two recipes we like a lot, one simple and old-fashioned and using onion soup and jam, one more fancy. We never get any complaints, and, the song notwithstanding, there isn't always any left for the dog. Brisket 5-10 lb. Brisket 2 8-oz. Jars apricot preserves 2 packets dried onion soup 2 T ginger salt, pepper, and garlic powder Mix jam, soup mix, and ginger in a bowl. Add 1/4 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. Cover tightly and bake 350 for 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 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. 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.

Thank you so much mama - I haven't a clue yet on what I want for cabinets, counters and flooring etc. Still going through quite a bit with insurance and haven't given enough thought yet as to what I want. This whole thing is a bit overwhelming. I'll be keeping your pm, with your great info and post back when I actually know what direction I'll be going in. Parking in Everett isn't a problem but Charlestown sure is! If it's not to much trouble - could also let me know who your friend used in Charlestown and designer in Melrose? Thanks again - I really appreciate it This post was edited by jancy on Sun, Mar 10, 13 at 23:39

I agree, there's a difference in tender and falling apart. I've had brisket that comes apart in long shreds, but is still tough and chewy. Because I raise my own grass fed beef, there's no fat to speak of on the brisket, so I cook it in an enameled dutch oven for 6-8 hours or wrap it in foil and bake in a roasting pan for that time. My favorite brisket is actually a recipe from Carol/dishesdone, she posted it here years ago. I don't like beer, so I use root beer or gingerale, the kids like the sweetness anyway. Favorite Brisket 1 4-pound beef brisket kosher salt pepper 2 onions, thinly sliced into half moons (I use 3 large onions) 1/2 cup ketchup 1/2 cup prepared chile sauce (Heinz Chile Sauce - I use the whole bottle) 3 tablespoons brown sugar (I use a bit more) 6 cloves garlic, minced 1 12-ounce bottle beer Salt and pepper both sides of the meat. Place beef in a roasting pan. Cover with onion. Combine ketchup, chile sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and beer. Pour mixture over meat. Cover securely with foil. Bake at 300 degrees F for 4 hours or more until tender. Remove the meat from the pan, and puree the gravy with an immersion blender to thicken it up. Slice the meat against the grain, and return it to the gravy! Tastes even better the next day. Freezes well! I Sometimes I just puree half the onions because we like the onions. and most of the time I never even bother to puree it at all. It's great no matter how you do the gravy. Annie