no one had brisket. but one vendor was selling rump roast, buy one, get one free. I could hardly pass that up at $6.50 a pound for grass-fed beef. so I picked out two, spent my last dollars, and came home to face my recipes in sorrow. they all were serious: brisket. oh well. I took a deep breath, got out my mortar and pestle, and ignored them while I mushed. 5 days later, I took a huge hunk of delicious meat out of the oven and my children and husband attacked it. ‘defrost that other roast, won’t you?’ I asked my husband and sliced the rest of the cooked one before me.

In the morning, it was gone, and I started another.

Steps

1. In a mortar and pestle, grind the spices to a fine powder.
2. Drain the beef of its juices.
3. Rub all over with the salt, using your fingertips and rubbing well.
4. Rub all over with the spice mixture, re-applying until all the spices have been used.
5. Cover tightly and refrigerate for four days, turning the roast over in the curing pan once.
6. Place the beef in a roasting pan and drizzle with the maple syrup.
7. Turn the oven to 300 degrees and cook for 2½ - 3½ hours, more for a larger cut of meat.
8. Remove, slice thinly, and eat as much as you can before your family sees what you’ve done.