I have a complicated relationship with red meat.
I like it, in small amounts. Give me a smash burger or spaghetti and meatballs, and I’m all about it. But give me a nice steak, and I’m not really that interested.
Don’t think I’m crazy, but I’m just not big on large pieces of meat. We also didn’t grow up eating steak on special occasions. I remember the occasional steak salad, which I liked (along with carne asada tacos), but I just don’t get excited about red meat. I also can’t eat too much of it without getting an upset stomach.
And although we grew up eating plenty of bbq chicken, pulled pork and beef, I wasn’t exposed to much brisket.
And then a few years ago, a recipe for my great Aunt Mag’s brisket came into my email inbox. Just in case you were curious, Aunt Mag is one of the cutest, sweetest people. We used to play with our Kentucky cousins in her basement and she even nicknamed me “the pocketbook baby” for how much I traveled as a newborn.
I think I immediately saved and printed the recipe, and put it on my to-cook list.
Last summer, I finally made it, and I’m about to make it again for my husband’s 30th birthday this week. It really surprised me, and I couldn’t get enough of it!
It needs quite a few hours in the oven to cook, but the dry rub is super simple and so is the homemade bbq sauce that you whip together to cook with it at the end.
Often with meat, simple flavors and cooking methods are best. And Aunt Mag’s brisket is no exception.
Aunt Mag’s Brisket
For a classic Southern brisket with your own homemade barbecue sauce, dig into this slow-cooked, made-for-summer recipe.
Ingredients
- 3.5-4.5 lbs. brisket
- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp. dry mustard
- 1/8 tsp. pepper
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 cup ketchup
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbs. brown sugar
- 2 tbs. barbecue sauce
Instructions
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Combine nutmeg, mustard, pepper and garlic powder and rub all over brisket. Wrap dry-rubbed brisket in three layers of aluminum foil and bake on a sheet tray or in a large 9x13” glass Pyrex for 3.5 hours at 325 F.
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When baked, drain, remove foil and remove all fat by scraping with the edge of a sharp knife, then refrigerate for an hour or two, until cool.
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Next, slice into 1/4” slices and make sauce by combining ketchup, water, Worcestershire, brown sugar and barbecue sauce and stirring to mix together. Place brisket slices in 9x13” and pour sauce over meat, making sure you get it between each slice.
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Bake covered in foil for 1 hour at 325 F. You can cook for a bit longer to make it even more tender, if you wish.
