Combine the rub, lime juice, Madeira, and olive oil in a blender.
Process until it becomes a smooth paste. Or combine the ingredients
in a small nonreactive bowl and stir into a paste. Scrape the paste
from the blender or bowl. With your hands lightly oiled, rub the
paste into the brisket, coating both sides well. Cover the brisket
with clear food wrap and marinate for a minimum of 36 hours in the
refrigerator. Remove the brisket from the refrigerator and let it
sit at room temperature (for about 1 hour) before you begin to
cook.
To cook outdoors:
Use a covered kettle grill or water smoker. In a kettle grill,
indriectly cook the brisket over a water pan containing a basting
liquid of water, orange juice, wine, or something similar for about
2 hours per pound, refreshing the coals with damp smoking chips
every couple of hours. The brisket should have a dark crust when
finished. If you are using a water smoker, follow the
manufacturer's instructions. Remove the brisket from the grill and
let it stand for 10 minutes before slicing.
To cook indoors:
Preheat the oven to 200 F. Put the brisket in a roasting pan and
place in the center of the oven. Roast for 2 hours per pound,
undisturbed. Remove the brisket from the roasting pan and let stand
for 10 minutes before slicing. If you like, combine the pan juices
with some warm barbecue sauce for serving.
To serve, slice the brisket across the grain. Place overlapping
slices on a large platter, drizzle with barbecue sauce and garnish
with grilled red onions rings.
Yield: 10 to 12 servings.
Author's note: The trick behind a perfectly moist beef brisket is
slow, even heat or smoke. If you have a water smoker and access to
mesquite chips or hard wood, Texas beef brisket takes on added
depth. But you can get nice results indoors with your own oven. The
Texas Dry Rub becomes the basis of a smoky, savory paste. Serve the
brisket with your favorite barbecue sauce, a side of coleslaw and a
garnish of sliced, grilled red onions.
Note from me: I used this recipe on a 3-1/4 lb eye of round roast
and let it marinate in the refrigerator for 72 hours. It was
delicious! The rub was very hot, so I rubbed it off the roast
before slicing so there was no overkill on heat. We served two
sauces on the side: homemade BBQ sauce and horseradish sauce. Great
with baked beans and homegrown tomato salad!
