Mmmmm Brisket

Paula (from The Cookbook Junkie) asked me in the comments section yesterday if my health "issues" were due to a bun in the oven ... well, I'd rather be able to say "yes" then the truth which is at this point I still don't know what the problem is.  Since the end of June I've had varying symptoms -- the worst of which has been debilitating chest pains -- but now is mostly just stomach upset when I eat certain things (but I never know just what will set it off or how badly it will be set off).  I've been to a cardiologist so my heart is fine (thankfully!) and he put me on some acid reflux meds which have really helped.  I go back to him next month and we'll see where we go from there.  So, that's one of the reasons I've been negligent on the blog -- though since feeling better slightly it's easier for me to cook (and post!).  BTW, thanks to everyone who stuck around in my absence ... I appreciate it!

Now on to some food ...

This last week on my Costco trip I picked up a brisket thinking I might use my standard Ina Garten recipe but opted instead to try a new one.   The new one comes from Emeril and is beer braised instead of the tomato braised and I think just about as good as the Ina recipe.  My brother was over for dinner last night too and he said that while they were both different from each other, they were each very good.  One of the things I liked about Emeril's recipe is that you put the vegetables in about an hour before it's done so they have a little more texture to them -- but as my brother said last night also, mushy veggies are good too.

My only changes to the recipe were that I didn't brown the brisket before I put it into the oven, I omitted the tomato paste and doubled the amount of beer and beef broth.  Next time I might even triple the amount of liquid because there wasn't anything left in the pan after I took it out.  (Oh, and I cooked it for about 4 hours.)

Luckily I have leftovers today for lunch (as long as they'll agree with me!)

Emeril's Beer Braised Brisket
(courtesy of Foodtv.com)

4 slices of bacon, chopped
1 (2-pound) beef brisket
Essence, recipe follows
2 large onions, sliced thinly
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (12-ounce) bottle beer (not dark)
1 cup beef broth
2 carrots, cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch-thick pieces
1 boiling potato, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 turnip, cut into 1-inch pieces
Cooked buttered noodles, as accompaniment
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a Dutch oven, cook bacon in 1 tablespoon water over moderate heat until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Pat brisket dry and season with salt, pepper and essence. Brown in bacon fat. Transfer brisket to platter. Add the onions to the Dutch oven and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste. Cook 1 minute more. Add beer, broth, and bacon bits. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer. Braise the brisket, covered, in the oven for 2 to 3 hours. Add carrots, potatoes, and turnips for the last 45 minutes.

Transfer the brisket and vegetables with a slotted spoon to a plate and keep warm, covered. Bring the braising liquid to a boil. Let sauce reduce over high heat until thickened. Season sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper. Slice the brisket and arrange it and the vegetables with the noodles on a platter. Spoon some of the sauce over the brisket and the vegetables, sprinkle the dish of parsley, and serve the remaining sauce separately.  (Note, I didn't have any braising liquid left ... maybe because I cooked it for longer than 3 hours?)

 

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

 

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

Comments

[claire]

Hope all gets better. Does kind of sound like acid reflux or esophageal something. And your brother is right...mushy veggies ARE good!

[paula]

Oh darn, no baby on the way. Well, I myself would probably prefer the acid reflux LOL (I don't think I can handle this baby thing again).

I want those carrots!