Italian Beef Brisket

1 Sprinkle the brisket generously with salt and pepper. 2 Make the rub: In a small bowl, combine the cumin, coriander, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, dried basil, 2/3 of the olive oil and 2/3 of the minced garlic. Rub the brisket thoroughly on all sides with the rub and allow it to come to room temperature. 3 Build a very small fire in one side of a covered grill, as close to the side as possible, using about enough charcoal to fill half of a shoe box. Place the brisket on the grill on the side away from the fire so that none of the meat is directly over the flame. Put the lid on the cooker, pull up a chair, and grab the cooler. This is where a person learns about the Zen of Barbecue. You have to keep the fire going steadily, but very quietly. If youve got a thermometer on your covered grill, you want to keep the temperature between 180? and 220F (82? and 105?C). Remember, "slow and low is the way to go." You have to figure out your own personal refueling policy. The one I like is one handful of coals or wood chunks to every beer. This goes on for 8 to 10 hours, or however long you can make it, the longer the better. Dont be scared by the darkening of the exterior of the brisket-it should be super-dark, and thats my personal favorite part. To check for doneness: Stick a large fork directly down into the brisket, perpendicular to the grill surface, and try to pick it up. If you cant because the brisket wont hold the fork, then its done. 4 While the brisket is cooking, make the sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the remaining oil until hot but not smoking. Add the onions and saute, stirring frequently, for 7 to 9 minutes, or until browned. Add the remaining garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, mustard, red wine vinegar, and balsamic vinegar, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour; the sauce will thicken. 5 In a food processor or blender, puree the sauce until smooth. Stir in the basil and salt and pepper to taste and set aside. 6 Upon completion, pull the brisket off the grill, trim off the excess fat, and slice it thin. Serve with the sauce on the side. Posted to bbq-digest by John & Linda Mitchell <linjon@sbt.infi.net> on Apr 13, 1999,