Texas-Style Beef Brisket

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon celery salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
• 1 fresh beef brisket (6 pounds)
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 2 bay leaves

Barbecue Sauce:

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

Directions:

1. In a spacious bowl or shallow dish, mix Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, minced garlic, celery salt, pepper, and, if desired, liquid smoke. Cut the brisket in half and coat it with the mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. Transfer the marinated beef to a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker, add beef broth and bay leaves. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the meat is tender.
3. For the barbecue sauce, sauté chopped onion in canola oil until tender. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute. Stir in ketchup, molasses, cider vinegar, chili powder, and ground mustard. Heat through.
4. Remove the brisket from the slow cooker, discard bay leaves. Skim fat from 1 cup of cooking juices, discard the rest. Add the reserved juices to the barbecue sauce.
5. Return the brisket to the slow cooker, top with the sauce mixture. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Thinly slice the beef across the grain and serve with the sauce.

Freezing Texas-Style Beef Brisket:

Place individual portions of sliced brisket in freezer containers, top with barbecue sauce. Cool and freeze. To use, partially thaw in the refrigerator overnight and heat through in a covered saucepan, gently stirring; add broth or water if necessary.

Nutrition Facts (per 6 ounces cooked beef with 1/4 cup sauce):

• Calories: 381
• Fat: 12g (Saturated Fat: 4g)
• Cholesterol: 96mg
• Sodium: 548mg
• Carbohydrate: 18g (Sugars: 14g, Fiber: 1g)
• Protein: 47g