GBA

I actually did something a bit similar with a brisket I did recently. It wasn't exactly braising - not sure exacty how well that would turn out, especially since, at least as far as I'm concerned, good bbq shouldn't need much sauce. I was trying a high-heat session and as I ony have a cheap offset and not a fancy water smoker I wrapped the brisket (along with a little liquid) for part of the smoke so as not to dry it out. So far I've tried this technique twice and it's worked quite well both times. I've done ribs, pork, chicken and whathaveyou a number of times but have generally avoided brisket as a traditional low & slow takes a long, long time - this past smoke it took me about 5-6 hours (plus and hours rest) for a 13 or so pound packers brisket (that's the full point and flat). Basically you smoke it at around 325 until it hit's 160 at which point you wrap in foil (I double wrap to be safe) with a little liquid and put back in (I used beef broth, but beer or something else with a complimentary flavor) - you only need about a cup as it's just to keep the air moist. Stick it back in until the brisket hits 180 then unwrap and put back in the smoker until it hits 190. This last part is basically to re-crisp the bark. Reserve any liquid in the foil, separate the fat and reduce by about half or so and you'll have a really nice sauce. Depending on what sort of rub you used and your taste it may need some heat added, and it will be thin, but this actually works quite well to penetrate the beef and keep it moist (especially with leftovers) but not overwhelm it like a thicker KC type sauce would. This past session I actually wrapped the brisked in foil and a towel for about an hour after I took it off as I had other stuff to finish up. It stayed plenty hot and crisp. In fact there was a great deal of variety in the meat from nice crispy burt ends from the end of the flat to an almost too fall apart point. Also, a site that has helped me a lot in the past is http://www.amazingribs.com. While I didn't get the idea above from him, it does have a ton of useful info.

I have two recommendations that I don't think I've seen in this thread (though I may be wrong) - one each for a beginner and for someone just looking to be inspired. Tom Colicchio's "Think Like a Chef" - which I still use if for nothing else than for time temp advise (or would if I hadn't recently loaned it to a friend who's just learning to appreciate food not to mention trying to learn to cook). I find the chapter breakdown by basic techniques (sautéing, braising, etc) rather than ingredient to be particularly helpful. Paul Bertolli’s "Cooking by Hand" - It may "just" be Italian and it can be rather Thomas Keller in-depth (in other words complicated and/or requiring equipment not in an average home kitchen) but if you're willing to put in the time and effort it's a great resource for making things such as pasta, sausage/cured meat, or vinegar. If nothing else it's an excellent read if you're inspired by someone who truly seems to enjoy food and the process of cooking even if his obviously superior ability and knowledge can be rather daunting without the pretty pictures from a Keller book.