The unseasonally warm weather made me long for spending time on our back porch on Sunday. And why not smoke a brisket while enjoying the afternoon? This recipe is sufficient for a 10-12 lb. beef brisket.

Dry Rub for Beef Brisket
Mix together thoroughly the following:
1/2 c. paprika
1/4 c. Kosher salt
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. cumin
1/4 c. chili powder
1/4 c. fresh cracked black pepper
2 Tbsp. cayenne pepper

Rub the mixture onto the brisket and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Place on a baking sheet and let marinate refrigerated at least 6 hours or overnight. Remove the meat from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature.

My husband started a fire in the smoker and when the coals were ready, I placed the unwrapped brisket on the grill and closed the lid. I baby-sat the smoker all afternoon. Our smoker is not high tech, so I worked to keep the temperature somewhere between 150-200 degrees, by alternately stoking up the coals and cracking open the lid. I kept that up for about 6 hours until an instant-read thermometer registered an internal temperature of 185 degrees.

Remove the meat from the grill and let rest for 20 minutes before carving the meat against the grain.

What goes better with smoked brisket than potato salad and cole slaw? So I whipped up a batch of both.

Basic Potato Salad
2.5 lbs. red potatoes, cubed
1 sprig fresh rosemary
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. sour cream
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. pickle relish
1/2 onion, diced
1/4 c. green olives, sliced
4 eggs, boiled, peeled and diced
Salt and pepper to taste

Place potatoes, rosemary and garlic in a pot and cover with cold water and add a tsp. of salt. Bring potatoes to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes until done.

Drain potatoes and return to the pot, let sit while mixing together the remaining ingredients. Remove and discard the rosemary sprig. Fold the potatoes into the mixture. It’s great served warm or cold.

I purchased a bag of coleslaw mix and I picked a head of savoy cabbage from the garden. After cleaning and shredding it, I added it to the mix and tossed with dressing.

Here’s an easy recipe for the dressing or use one from the store.

Simple Coleslaw Dressing
3/4 c. mayonnaise
1/3 c. sour cream
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. ground mustard
1/4 tsp. celery salt
Whisk ingredients together.