I like to slow cook my brisket throughout the day. You CAN overcook brisket, and I usually do a little bit. When beef brisket is cooked properly and the slicing begins, the look reminds me of roast beef. It stays together fairly well. I cook mine a bit longer so that it falls apart a little more. Drying out really isn't an issue because I leave the massive chunk of fat on the top.
Texas Brisket Recipe:
Go here for the original recipe
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
- One 3-4 lb brisket
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried sage, crumbled
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne pepper)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Your favorite BBQ sauce (I used Stubbs)
Preheat over to 250F
Mix the spices in a bowl, set aside. Mince the garlic and rub it all over the brisket, follow with the spice rub. Wrap your brisket up tightly with aluminum foil, fat side up. Place the brisket in a pan (juices will leak out) and slide it into the oven. Leave it for 5-8 hours depending on the meat, check the temperature after 5 though. The brisket should be around 185-195F.
I would also like to mention that it's pretty important to use new, higher quality spices. If you grab the chili powder and paprika that you've had for 6 years, then your brisket will taste old and disgusting. If the chili powder and paprika are high quality, then you are probably safe to go lower quality on the rest.
We always hear that it is important to cut across the grain, but if the meat is fall apart tender, you might want to consider cutting with the grain. We tried that last night (even though you can't see it in the picture, there are several slices that I pushed together) and it worked fine. The brisket was still easy to eat and it held together better. But when in doubt, cut across the grain.
I steamed the corn. Easy, done! The cheesy potatoes are easy and don't require a recipe. I boil enough potatoes for 2-3 people, drain, mash them up, add a bunch of cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup or so of sour cream, s/p and milk. Done! As you can see, this is a great meal for a busy day.
Now it's time for the herb bread. I'll be honest -- I was NOT doing cartwheels over this recipe. I followed it pretty close, even though I had strong doubts. I like to stay with the original recipe as often as I can, especially when it comes to bread. My husband and I agreed that the onion flavor is WAY too strong. Cut the onion by at least half, maybe more. Other than that, the bread is great. The consistency is wonderful -- moist, soft, with a flaky crust. Here is the original recipe, and here is my future version:
Herb Bread Recipe:
- 1 cup of warm milk (70-80F)
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons of butter, softened
- Recipe calls for 1/4 cup of dried minced onion, decrease by AT LEAST half or more
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon of dried marjoram
- 1/2 teaspoon of dried basil
- 3 1/2 cups bread flour
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
(Remember to put them in the order suggested for your machine)
I placed the mixture into the machine, selected basic, medium crust color, 1.5 loaf size. Check after 5 minutes to see if it needs more flour or liquid.
I think this bread will become croutons for a salad and breadcrumbs for a meatloaf. I buy unbleached (chemical free) flour, which costs a tiny bit more than bleached, so it's even more painful to waste.
Oh yes, and we DID get a green veggie in. We had a salad with garden fresh tomatoes. YUM!
2 comments:
Yum!!!
You have a very lucky husband!
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