To understand the best way to cook a piece of brisket is to understand the anatomical makeup of the animal that this piece of meat is taken from. Brisket is a type of beef that comes from the chest area of a cow, which we were surprised to learn while researching this barbecue staple do not actually have any sort of collar bone! In addition to being a fascinating piece of trivia, in terms of butchering is that meat from this area is generally tougher as evolutionarily it developed to be able to support an enormous amount of weight in movement, and develops strong collagen fibers that take time and heat to break them down and make them tender- slow roasting in an oven gives us both of those elements.

When considering the flavor of beef brisket, it’s important to choose ingredients that can stand up to the heat that it will take to cook it without burning and becoming bitter and have enough pungency to not be lost with the long cooking time. Inspired by southern Texas barbecue, our Beef Brisket Rub is made with Mesquite smoked flake salt that adds a wood-fired element to the flavor, despite the fact it’s been sitting comfortably indoors in your oven with nary a fly or mosquito in sight. Also in our Beef Brisket rub our other meat rub staples, including mustard powder and demerara sugar. These ingredients help to balance each other flavor wise but also are great building blocks in terms of creating a crust on meat. Though commonly thought to “seal” in juices, in reality searing meat or developing meat crusts helps to contrast the tenderness of the meat within. If you’re a fan of brisket but looking to step outside the conventional realm of seasonings, our Suya Yaji blend is another fantastic blend that tastes incredible on beef but is spicier than the brisket rub.

Makes 10 servings.