Delicious Barbecue Brisket

 Summer is yawning and nudging Autumn to come wrap us up in her colorful cozy quilt. Can you sense it? Although my friends down south are still sweltering in the heat, the weather is beginning to cool here in Ohio. We are sleeping with the windows open more often. The high school band can be heard rehearsing in the distance. School buses make getting to town a sluggish affair. The last vegetables are in from the garden and their green stalks are weary and fading. The bag of charcoal on the porch is empty. I don't know about you, but I am ready to put the garden to bed for the season and I'm just about done grilling outside for awhile. I always love winding the summer down with a barbecue dinner. There is something so gratifying about piling up a plate with barbecue brisket, sweet corn on the cob, sliced tomatoes fresh from the garden (or from the grocery store is just fine), and buttermilk biscuits dripping with butter and honey. I usually top it off with the peach cobbler that I posted about previously. A splendid summer wrap-up.
My dad still makes the best barbecue brisket I have ever eaten. He spends hours smoking the meat on his charcoal grill---always keeping a watchful eye lest his masterpiece be less than spectacular. It is always spectacular. He then slices it, places the tender smokey succulence in a pan, bathes it in just enough barbecue sauce, covers the pan with tin foil and cooks it in the oven for a few more hours. I love his barbecue---I just do not have the skill or patience to replicate it. Long ago, my mother came to my rescue with a fabulous recipe that is just mouth watering. It could never be as good as dad's but it certainly does satisfy the taste buds just fine. The perks to this recipe are that it is simple to throw together and it does not require grilling or smoking the meat beforehand. Love it!
 So, as a "so long to summer", here is my tried and true recipe for barbecue brisket:

Blue Ribbon BBQ Brisket:
4-8lb brisket
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. celery seed
1TBSP onion powder
1 TBSP black pepper
1 TBSP liquid smoke
 2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1-2 Cups of your favorite barbecue sauce
Place brisket in an oven safe pan
Mix all other ingredients--pour over brisket---cover and marinate 6-8 hours or overnight in the refrigerator
Cover with heavy foil and bake at 350 degrees for 3 hours.
Uncover foil for the last 10-15 minutes of cooking time to brown.