I made my very first attempt at beef brisket last night, and it was a smashing success with the DamFam!  Wooo hooo!  You must be thinking that if beef brisket is enough to get me this fired up, I probably need to either meet some new people or find a different hobby (both could be true).  But really, this recipe is quite good, worth getting excited about, and definitely worth sharing with you.

I’d never had brisket before yesterday, but it’s on sale ($3.79/lb!) so I decided to give it a go.    I don’t think brisket is a cut my mom ever made when we were kids, although we ate a lot of Sunday chuck roasts, which are similar in texture to brisket.  These cuts are also similar in that they need to be cooked low and slooooowwwww.  I’m not gonna lie, you can’t pull this recipe together in 30 minutes or less.  But if you have the luxury of time, you’re gonna love it!  Plus, you won’t believe how incredible your house will smell while it’s in the oven.

We used the brisket as a filling for burritos last night, although that’s not how the original recipe was intended.  But the LaBanderita 10” flour tortillas are on sale so I thought, why not?  We stuffed them full of shredded lettuce (iceberg again, if you must know) and cheese, rolled them up, and called it dinner.  I will definitely do this recipe again this winter — maybe over poblano mashed potatoes?  Mmm.   Now there’s a thought.  Help me remember, will you?

Alongside, we had the DamFam’s favorite black beans (look for the LaPreferida brand, on sale).  The recipe is by chef Rick Bayless, (love him!) and is one of my stand-bys – I always have the ingredients on hand in my pantry.  They’re so much better than plain-old canned refried beans, and not really that much work.

As I mentioned, I braised the brisket in the oven because (and here’s a confession) I’m plum terrified of putting a tough cut of meat like this on the grill for an extended period of time.  I knew I would wreck it, so I felt that the oven was a safer route.  I really need to overcome my fear of the fire sometime – does anyone want to take a grilling class? Call me.

Here are both recipes.  I’m giving you the brisket recipe as it was originally intended.  If you’d like to use it as a filling for burritos, just pick up some tortillas, lettuce, and cheese, and allow your diners to assemble their own at the table.  ENJOY!

BEER BRAISED BRISKET WITH BARBECUE SAUCE

Serves: 5-6

Source:  Adapted from The Best American Recipes 2004-05, Edited by F. McCullough & Molly Stevens, pp. 136-138

Dry Rub & Brisket:

• 2 t. sea salt
• 2 T. firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 T. paprika
• 2 t. chili powder
• 1 t. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 t. onion powder
• 1 t. garlic powder
• 1 – 3 lb. piece beef brisket (on sale, $3.79/lb), blotted dry with paper towels
• 1 bottle of mild beer

BBQ Sauce:

• 1 c. purchased barbecue sauce (I always use KC Masterpiece Original)
• ½ c. purchased salsa (speaking of Rick Bayless, choose one of his Frontera salsas, also on sale for $3.19)
• Hefty splash of cider vinegar (adjust this to your taste)
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Mix the dry rub ingredients together and pat about 3 tablespoons per side into the brisket, rubbing it in with your fingers.  Allow the brisket to sit for a couple of hours (covered) or over night in the fridge.

When ready to cook the brisket, preheat the oven to 325.  Place the brisket into a roasting pan large enough for it to fit flat on the bottom.  Pour the beer around the brisket, cover the pan tightly with foil, and place it in the oven.  Cook for 2 hours at 325, then reduce the oven temperature to 300 and continue cooking for an additional 2 ½ hours (this time is based on 1 ½ hours / pound; if you decide to go with a bigger brisket, then adjust your cook time accordingly).  Remove from the oven.  Transfer meat to a cutting board, tent with foil, and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan.  Bring to a simmer; cook and stir until thickened and flavorful, 5 to 8 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Thinly slice meat across the grain.  Transfer meat to a platter and spoon some of the barbecue sauce over the meat, serving the rest on the side.

COWBOY BEANS

Serves: 5-6

Source:  Mexican Everyday, by Rick Bayless with Deanna Groen Bayless

• 4 slices of thick-cut bacon, chopped (I used two slices, it was fine)
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed
• ½ can fire-roasted tomatoes with chiles (save the other half and freeze it for next time), OR ½ can fire-roasted tomatoes and 1 small can of diced chiles
• 2 – 15 oz. cans of black beans or pinto beans, undrained
• Chopped fresh cilantro, minced – hefty pinch, plus an additional sprig for garnish if desired

In a medium sauce pan, sauté the bacon over medium high heat until browned and crispy.  Add the garlic, sauté for 10 seconds or so.  Immediately add the tomatoes and chiles; cook and stir for 3 minutes.  Add the beans (with their liquid).  Bring to a simmer.  Continue to simmer until beans begin to thicken, about 25 minutes.  (I like to crush mine slightly with a potato masher at this point to achieve a smoother texture, but this is entirely up to you.)  Stir in the chopped cilantro, transfer to a serving dish.  Garnish with cilantro sprigs if desired.

If you’re unfamiliar with the whole premise of the show, Spongebob works the grill at the Krusty Krab, where he takes great pride in his job as a fry cook, flipping burgers with his favorite spatula all day long.  A recurring theme throughout the series is the evil Plankton’s quest for the Krabby Patty secret formula, which of course, is never divulged.

Well, here’s what a Krabby Patty would taste like if I ran the Krusty Krab!

These burgers are made from the ahi tuna steaks that are on sale this week.  The recipe, which I originally saw a year ago in Fine Cooking, has spicy Thai flavors and a sweet and salty dipping sauce.  One note about the sauce:  it’s PUNGENT.  Truthfully, I didn’t like it at first, but it definitely grew on me.  Here’s a suggestion:  if you make the sauce and you think it’s too strong, put a little mayonnaise in a small mixing bowl.  Add the dipping sauce by the tablespoon until you get the flavor and consistency that you like (for me it was about 3 tablespoons, plus a little extra chili garlic sauce).

Also, it’s pretty important that you use your tuna rather quickly after you buy it; I mean, don’t let it sit around in your fridge for days on end.  These burgers are best served medium-rare on the inside, so keep it fresh.  Trust me.  And don’t over cook them or they will be dry, and dry tuna is no good!  We had basmati rice and steamed asparagus, which were good sides.

By the way, do you think the residents of Bikini Bottom would balk at my tuna version of Krabby Patties?  It might present an ethical issue for them, now that I think about it…because, after all, most of the Krusty Krab’s customers are FISH…maybe I should re-think my ingredients.

In the meantime, enjoy!

FRESH AHI TUNA BURGERS WITH GINGER & CILANTRO

Serves:  4

Source:  Fine Cooking Magazine, August/September 2008 issue, p.48.

For the Tuna Burgers:

• 1 lb. fresh ahi tuna steaks
• 2 T. chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 T. finely chopped scallion
• 2 T. mayonnaise
• 1 t. minced ginger
• 1 t. chili garlic sauce (find this in the Asian aisle; I like the Lee Kum Kee brand)
• Salt & black pepper
• 2 T. cooking oil

For the Dipping Sauce:

• ¼ c. fresh lime juice
• 2 ½ T. sugar
• 2 T. fish sauce
• 1 ½ t. rice vinegar
• Pinch of finely chopped cilantro
• 1 t. chili garlic sauce

With a very sharp knife, chop the tuna in to ¼” dice.  Alternately, cut the tuna into chunks and pulse in a food processor until just chopped (about 4 quick pulses).  Don’t over-process.  Gently stir in the cilantro, scallion, mayonnaise, ginger, chili garlic sauce, ¾ t. salt, and ¼ t. black pepper.  Shape the tuna mixture into 4 equal 1”-thick patties.  Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 20 minutes and up to 4 hours.

Meanwhile, make the sauce:  combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Let stand at least 30 minutes before serving to let the flavors blend.

Heat the oil in a 12” skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook the tuna burgers until nicely browned on both sides but still pink in the center, 2-4 minutes total.  Serve with the Thai-Style Dipping Sauce.

I have plumb gone off the berry deep end, it’s plain to see.

But  I’ll tell you a little secret and I hope it doesn’t get me in a heap o’ trouble… (come closer…,closer…, that’s it, I’m whispering, you see – shh!) :  I know people who know stuff, and blueberries AREN’T going to be on special next week, so we’ll be chatting about something else instead when the new ad comes out!

But for now, if you’ll indulge me and my blueberry obsession one more time, I have the burning desire to share this simple sauce recipe with you!  It’s so unbelieveably easy, quick, and delicious that you’ll want to ladle it all over anything you can think of!  Springing to mind are my personal favorites: pound cake (on SALE this week, as pictured), angel food, pancakes, shortcakes, ice cream, frozen yogurt, even vanilla Tofutti, for heavens sake!

Double it, freeze it in little containers, and save it for a berry-less season.  Certainly, this pretty sauce is elegant enough for entertaining, and down home enough for pancakes the morning after.

No need to thank me.  I live for this stuff.

BLUEBERRY SAUCE

Serves:  Many!  Makes roughly 3 cups.

• 2 pints fresh blueberries, washed and picked over
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 2 t. cornstarch (plus an additional 1 t. dissolved in 1 t. water, if needed)
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 c. water
• A little splash of vanilla, optional
• A little squeeze of lemon juice, also optional

Place all of the ingredients (except the vanilla and/or lemon juice) in a small saucepan over a medium-low flame.  Stir to combine ingredients well.  Bring berry mixture up to a bubble and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.  Berries will burst and the sauce will thicken.  If you’d like a thicker sauce, stir in the cornstarch/water mixture and simmer until desired consistency.  Taste sauce and add the vanilla, if desired.  If sauce is too sweet, balance the flavors with a little squeeze of lemon juice.

Cool sauce slightly; then serve or cover and refrigerate for later use.