Barbecue Brisket Sandwiches

Tender smoked brisket tossed in barbecue sauce on a soft onion bun.

Cooking brisket isn't really a recipe.  It's more of a process.  You rub the brisket all over with a dry rub and cook it for a really long time until it's tender.  My husband loves the process on a Saturday or Sunday (usually during football season) he will prep the meat and let it sit in our smoker all day at about 200 F.  There is something about smoked meat that is just so good and the smell while it's cooking...Wow.

Barbecue Brisket Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 3-4 pound brisket
1/4-1/2 cup dry spice rub (store bought is fine we usually make our own with sea salt, black pepper, red pepper, and garlic powder)
1/2-1 cup barbecue sauce 
onion buns or sandwich bun of your choice

Rub the brisket all over with your favorite spice rub.  Let sit out a room temperature for about an hour then place the brisket straight on the rack of the smoker and walk away.  Check periodically to make sure the temperature doesn't get too high 200 F is the goal.

After 4-5 hours remove the brisket from the smoker and wrap in aluminum foil.  Place the wrapped brisket in a baking pan and put in the oven at 200 F over night (about 8 hours).

The next morning take the brisket out of the oven and put back on the smoker for a few more hours until tender.

Slice the brisket and toss in your favorite barbecue sauce.  Pile on top of an onion bun and enjoy.

*linked to:  much ado about monday, Hearth and Soul, In and Out of the Kitchen, Whimsy Wednesday, Eat Create Party, Freedom Friday, Best of the Weekend, Show Stopper Saturday, Shine a Spotlight Saturday, Saturday Night Fever

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Classic Barbecue Sauce

A sweet and spicy ketchup based sauce that tastes great on just about everything.

I love barbecue.  I think it is very important to know a basic, classic barbecue sauce which can be altered to suite individual tastes.  It is so easy to make home made barbecue sauce that I almost never buy it.  This way I know it tastes just how I like it, and I don't have to worry about too many weird ingredients.  All you need to make your own barbecue sauce is ketchup and some common spices.  This barbecue sauce is simple and a good starting point.  Just add or subtract ingredients to make it your own signature sauce.

Classic Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients:

2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1-2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp dried minced onions
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp mustard
hot sauce, hot pepper, chilli flakes, or cayenne pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and heat over low heat for 10-20 minutes until heated through.

All of these ingredients can be altered to your own preferences.  I like spicy and sweet so I usually add plenty of cayenne, sometimes habanero, and a little extra sugar.

• You can use fresh minced garlic and onion, just saute them (in a little oil) before adding everything else.
• Some places use more mustard.
• In eastern North Carolina  barbecue sauce has little to no ketchup and is mostly vinegar.
• You can add some bourbon.

• Sometimes I add a dash of liquid smoke for a slight smokiness.
• For a change try using different sweeteners like maple syrup or molasses they both add their own flavor.
• Be creative and add fruit purees for new flavors, you probably don't need as much sugar depending on the sweetness of the fruit, maybe less or no ketchup.

I think the reason I love barbecue and barbecue sauce so much is that you can be as creative, or not, as you want.

I hope this inspires you to try making your own barbecue sauce.

Enjoy.

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