How to Cook a 1.5 lb Beef Brisket in an Oven

For serious barbecuers, a small brisket is 4 lbs. One pound is minuscule.

Brisket is a cut of beef that lends itself to long, slow cooking at low temperatures. Brisket recipes come in two styles: slow-smoked Texas-style and long braise. A 1 1/2 lb. brisket is too small to smoke -- the brisket might dry out before it has time to tenderize. The best bet for a very small brisket -- a full brisket for Texas barbecue might weigh 15 lbs. -- is to braise it.

Things You'll Need

• 1.5 lb. brisket
• Spice rub
• Cast iron skillet
• Neutral oil, such as canola oil
• Large white onion, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced or two tbsp. garlic powder
• 1 qt. beef broth

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to about 300 degrees. Trim whatever fat is on the exterior of the brisket.

2. Season the brisket. Dust the brisket with the spices. Let it sit refrigerated for an hour or so.

3. Sear the brisket on all sides in a hot, cast iron skillet coated with oil. Do this quickly. You don't want heat to penetrate deep into the meat, but a good sear will prevent juice from escaping as the brisket roasts in the oven. Remove from heat.

4. Pour half of the beef stock into the skillet. Add onions and garlic. Cover with foil.

5. Put the brisket in the oven and lower heat to 250. Roast 45 minutes to one hour, then check every 20 minutes until the brisket is fork-tender. Add stock if it has evaporated significantly. Let the brisket rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing. Slice across the grain.

Tips & Warnings

• There are plenty of commercially available brisket rubs. A mixture of salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder goes well with brisket, as does a Chinese five spice mixture.

References

• Texas Beef Council: Baked Beef Brisket
• Dr. of BBQ: Brisket Tips
• HEB: Cooking a Texas Worthy Brisket