Make a dry rub by combining chili powder, sea salt, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, brown sugar, dry mustard, and crushed bay leaves in a bowl. Stir and mix well. Season the brisket on both sides with the rub, using it all. Place the brisket, fat side up, in a roasting pan and roast, uncovered for 1 hour in preheaded oven at 350 degrees.

Take the roasting pan out of the oven and add the beef broth to the sides of the pan - you don''t want to rinse off any of the rub. Lower the oven to 300 degrees, cover pan tightly with foil and cook an additional 3 1/2 hours for a five pound brisket. Add about 1/2 hour for every additional pound over five pounds.

You can cook it longer to get it very, very tender, but I usually don''t. If you want to cook it longer, reduce the heat to 200 degrees and let it cook for a few more hours. Trim off most of the fat, slice the brisket and pour some juice over it before serving. If you''re going to freeze some of the brisket, freeze some of the juice with it. This smells incredible while it''s cooking and you won''t be able to wait to serve it!