Strategy for an indoor "cookout"

[Jaymes]

My apologies for not laying out the full set of restrictions in the original post.

No pork.

You can use most of these "barbecue cheating" methods on brisket as well.

But, most important, don't forget the red & white checkerboard tablecloth. And maybe a mini bale of hay and a small scarecrow stuck into it on the buffet table. A few fall leaves scattered about. And some of those blue splatter porcelain utensils.

The right decor will give any meal an outdoorsy, picnic feel.

[Fat Guy]

Ooh. Good idea. Any thoughts on an oven recipe for a barbecue-ish brisket?

[Panaderia Canadiense]

If you use a nice, slow oven and pre-marinade your brisket in something barbecue-y like tamarind and tomato sauce with beer, it should be very easy to get a BBQ-style result, especially if you finish it with the torch as suggested above.

[Jaymes]

Ooh. Good idea. Any thoughts on an oven recipe for a barbecue-ish brisket?

You know, I currently live in Texas, in the heart of barbecue brisket country, so I haven't had to make it myself in my oven for a very long time.

I remember doing similar "outdoor theme" barbecue dinners (including one in the middle of a 40-below Alaska winter) years back. They turned out great. But I was involved in what I called "competitive entertaining" in those days, and nothing was too much trouble to be sure our squadron had the best parties.

I don't remember exactly which recipe/method I used, but I'm sure the folks here have some terrific suggestions.

And PS - Don't forget a selection of bandanas to pass out to your guests.

[Lisa Shock]

What about homemade ice cream for dessert?

[Allura]

We've been baking hot dogs lately. Not as good as grilling, but better than boiling.

[andiesenji]

I grill things nicely on my Cuisinart Griddler. I have friends who live in a Century City high rise apartment with no balcony and who often have indoor picnics.

They have two of the largest George Foreman grills - like this - they put them on a table under a window in which they have a reversible window fan that will exhaust any smoke.

One is used for meats the other for veggies because they have vegetarian guests.

There is always fried chicken with the various sides, potato, pasta and bean salads.

Kebabs can be cooked in the oven.

Fish also can be breaded and baked in the oven, instead of frying.

Pita filled with meat or chicken, fish and vegetables finished with yogurt sauce.

little pasties filled with savory and/or sweet stuff - empanadas.

Local cookouts almost always include tamales, with or without chili.

[Chris Hennes]

Fat Guy, what did you end up doing?

[Fat Guy]

I'm still in the early planning stages on this.

[Chris Hennes]

Oh, I see. Well, brisket in the oven is among the easier things to cook. Basically just pick a dry rub you like, wrap it up in foil so it cooks at 100% humidity, and let it cook until it's done to your liking (I suggest a 225°F oven and target 200°F internal temp -- an all-day cook). I like to make a quick sauce based on the drippings, since there is so much of it.

[Fat Guy]

Brisket in the oven is a great idea and I think it will be the centerpiece of this endeavor. I've pretty much only ever cooked brisket by braising. My mother actually uses the foil technique, though her dry rub is Lipton's onion-soup mix (which works pretty well but doesn't have much of a barbecue-type flavor). I'm wondering whether I should consider a little Liquid Smoke in this application. I've never worked with Liquid Smoke but it strikes me as a useful product for this sort of thing.

[onrushpam]

I've done brisket in the oven many, many times. Liquid Smoke works. The president of the college where I worked many years ago was a born-and-bred true Texas woman. She gave me this formula:

2T Liquid Smoke

2 t granulated garlic

1 t onion powder

2 t pepper

2 t celery salt

2 t Worcestershire sauce

Mix into a paste and rub on brisket

Wrap in foil and refrigerate overnight

Bake 6 hours @ 225 degrees

Cool and slice

If desired, drizzle with your favorite BBQ sauce, rewrap and bake 1 hour @ 250 degrees.

I honestly don't like BBQ sauce on it. So,I just rewarm in its own juices. And, I usually open up the foil so I get a bit of crispier parts on the outside.

This is for a smallish piece of brisket, not a whole one. You'd need to adjust for a whole huge one. And, you may need to trim some of the fat. This isn't designed for one with the whole fat left on. We don't get the whole real deal in our groceries.

[Fat Guy]

Thank you. Those directions will be an excellent starting point. If the weather here cools down a bit and the range-hood repair guy actually shows up on Wednesday, I may experiment later next week.

[Chris Hennes]

Another effective strategy is to give it a really good sear in a pan before popping it into the oven, but that might defeat your desired smoke-alarm-free cook-in. I like leave the fat cap on, use a fork to poke holes in it, sear both sides, then bake it fat-side-up. I guess you could add a dry rub after the sear, but I haven't tried that.