Brisket with strawberry/guajillo bbq sauce

Strawberries are in season! While I enjoy them just as they are and in desserts, I see no reason that they should be excluded from the main course or the joy of summer barbeque. Yesterday, when the bacon was done and the mash was resting, I headed to my local butcher shop and picked up a five pound beef brisket. The first thing I did was to give it a dry rub with salt, brown sugar, guajillo chile powder, paprika, garlic powder, dry mustard, savory and probably a few more things I forgot (I love doing improvised dry rubs). I then smoked the brisket, using hickory, the same way I did the bacon.



While it was smoking I worked on my first strawberry-based barbeque sauce:

1 quart fresh, local strawberries
1/2 cup guajillo chile powder
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tbsp. blackstrap molasses
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp dry mustard
Salt and fresh ground black pepper

I threw all of this in my Vita-Mix and made a smooth puree.

After a few hour of smoking I placed the brisket in a foil pan with about a cup or two of the sauce and covered tightly with foil.





I let it cook gently over the waning fire for about an hour. It was good right off of the grill but once it was chilled over night, sliced thinly and served with some of the reserved sauce it was spectacular. The strawberry flavor was distinct but not at all out of place. Strawberries aren't just for dessert anymore.



If you would like to enter you strawberry recipe in the strawberry moon contest click here.