Mom's Slow Roasted Brisket

Meat falls into two categories for me. Tender cuts that should be cooked quickly to char a little on the outside and still stay rare and juicy on the inside, and tougher cuts that need a long time on the stovetop or in the oven to become tender. Brisket most definitely falls into category two. With its thick layer of fat on top, cooked long and low, there is no more succulent cut of beef. 

Almost the whole while that my husband and I were dating and for our first year of marriage, he worked offshore. That meant five weeks away working and then five weeks at home. Whenever he got back, we had a family get-together since everyone wanted to see him again. My mother almost invariably made her slow roasted brisket. In fact, it became kind of a joke, because if Simon was home again, we must be having brisket. Fortunately, he loved it. Her recipe was simple. Cover the brisket with onion powder, salt and pepper and roast, covered first with foil and then the lid of your roaster, until tender. Of course, the time varied with the size of the brisket but you were looking at a minimum of three or four hours.

When this week’s Sunday Supper theme of Man Food was posted, I knew what I wanted to make but brisket is difficult to find overseas. Butchers just seem to divide the cow up differently. I was delighted when I got a lead on the elusive cut from fellow food bloggers in Dubai. My husband and I were out running errands and I mentioned the possibility in passing to him since we were in the neighborhood of the butcher. I wish you could see how his eyes lit up. The good news was that they had one whole brisket. The bad news was that you had to buy the whole thing. I’m talking about seven kilos or almost 15 1/2 pounds of meat. That’s a lot of beef! Keep in mind that our children no longer live at home. But dear husband looked so full of hope that I found myself taking out a second mortgage and buying that brisket. (Just kidding about the mortgage. It was crazy expensive, but he’s worth it!)

I don’t have onion powder so I used fresh onions and to try to replicate the pungent sharpness of the powder, I added lots of garlic as well. It ended up tasting very much like my mom’s brisket and we were delighted. As for the copious leftovers, I’ve got a few ideas you might like to try and I’ll add those after the recipe. And if you are looking for Man Food ideas for Fathers' Day, be sure to scroll down to the bottom for a spectacular list of recipes.

Ingredients
1 whole brisket (about 15.4 lbs or 7kgs)
20 cloves or about 100g garlic
2 medium or about 300g onions
2 tablespoons flakey sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
Olive oil

Method
Take your brisket out of the refrigerator and let it warm up till it’s almost room temperature. Take any plastic wrap off and dry it thoroughly with paper towels.

Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C.

Put all your seasoning ingredients into a food processor and process until they become a rough paste.

Put the brisket in your large roaster (preferably one with a tight fitting lid), fat side down. Spread half the paste all over the meat and give it a good drizzle of olive.

Turn the brisket over so it is now fat side up and spread the rest of the paste on the meat. Drizzle generously with olive oil.

Roast uncovered for 30 minutes in your preheated oven. Cover well with foil and then put the lid on nice and tight. Reduce the heat to 275°F or 135°C. Cook for three and a half or four hours and then check for doneness. Baste with the drippings every couple of hours.

See all that juice that is created? Some of it is fat that can be skimmed off. The rest is a lovely gravy.

Brisket is done when you can practically cut it with a dinner knife that isn’t even sharp or shred it with a fork. I ended up cooking mine for almost seven hours. No joke. It was a very large piece, or maybe New Zealand brisket isn’t as tender as Texas brisket. All I know is when I took it out again at seven hours, it was falling apart. So good! Best part is, it makes its own gravy.

According to my husband, brisket is best served with potatoes and gravy and a side of buttered peas the first night. So that’s what we had.

In the following days, it also turned up 1. In omelets with added chopped tomatoes and onions and cheese.

2. Sliced in brisket sandwiches on baguette with whole grain mustard, mayo, sliced tomato and greens.

3. Reheated in a skillet with added taco spices and served as brisket fajitas with caramelized onions, salsa, cheddar cheese and avocados in flour tortillas.

4. Reheated in a skillet with added ground cumin and coriander and served with tabouli and hummus in pita bread for lunch with a little Middle Eastern flair.

5.  Reheated in a skillet with barbecue sauce and served on a bun with extra slices of onion for a delicious barbecue sandwich. I forgot to take a photo of the original sandwiches but because it's Father's Day weekend, you know we slow roasted another brisket here in Texas yesterday.

And, finally, a confession, 6. I froze a big chunk in its gravy because the man left town on business and I just couldn’t look at it anymore. Someday it will be cottage pie, which is another of his favorite meals.

If you are looking for Man Food inspiration for Fathers’ Day, we’ve got you covered. Our Sunday Supper host this week is the talented and fabulous Susan from The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen who just happens to be running a Kickstarter campaign right now and will bake you cookies if you contribute.

Check out all the wonderful recipes this week! Never mind the men, I want to eat them all!

Manly Starters

• BBQ Chicken Nacho by Country Girl in The Kitchen
• Beer Battered Fried Mushrooms by Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Burrata Bresaola and Arugula Appetizer by Family Foodie
• Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce by Hip Foodie Mom
• Chipotle Pork Belly-Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers by The Redhead Baker
• Coconut Beer-Battered Prawns with Spicy Marmalade by The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Devils on Horseback by Nosh My Way
• Fried Pickles by Cookin’ Mimi
• Garlic and Herb Wine Jelly by What Smells So Good?
• Maple Sriracha Chicken Wings by Manu’s Menu
• Tomato Bacon Jam by Feed Me, Seymour

Manly Mains:

• Bacon Bourbon BBQ Burgers by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Bacon Cheeseburger Crustless Quiche by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Beef Barbacoa by Casa de Crews
• Beef Short Rib Sandwich by Life Tastes Good
• Beer Brats with Pepper Relish by Jelly Toast
• Beer Can Chicken by Curious Cuisiniere
• Chicago Style-Pizza by Small Wallet, Big Appetite
• Chili Dog Casserole by Simple Gourmet
• Chipotle Pork Chops by girlichef
• Coconut & Lime Grilled Shrimp Skewers by Take A Bite Out of Boca
• Colossal Burger by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
• Gluten Free Lemon Pepper Wings by Gluten Free Crumbley
• Grilled Chipotle Chicken Pizza by Peaceful Cooking
• Grilled Lobster with Miso Butter by Kimchi MOM
• Grilled Sweet Guava Chicken by The Foodie Army Wife
• Ham and Pineapple Pizza Pockets by gotta get baked
• Huevos Rancheros Casserole by Pescetarian Journal
• Lacquered Short Ribs in the Slow Cooker by Shockingly Delicious
• Maple Chipotle Barbecue Pork Tenderloin by Flavor Mosaic
• Meatball Burger on Garlic Bread by Healthy.Delicious.
• Mom’s Slow Roasted Brisket by Food Lust People Love
• Perfectly Pan Seared Steak by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
• Pollo al Peperoncino by Run DMT
• Polish Coal Miner Piggies (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls- Golabki) by Rants from my Crazy Kitchen
• Red Chile Shredded Chicken Tacos. How to win over your man’s stomach and steal his heart. by Simply Healthy Family
• Ropa Vieja by Meal Diva
• Salt of the Earth Ribs by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Salisbury Steak w/ Loaded Mashed Potatoes and Mushroom Gravy by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Smoked Turkey Drumsticks by Cindy’s Recipes and Writing
• Stuffed Chipotle Bacon Cheese Burgers by Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Stuffed Pork Chops by The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
• Tex-Mex Gut Buster Chili by Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
• The Cleveland Hogg Burger by Seduction in the Kitchen

Manly Desserts:

• Beer Funnel Cake by Killer Bunnies, Inc.
• Black Forest Cake by Noshing with the Nolands
• Carob Chip Cookies by Pies and Plots
• Chunky Monkey Vegan Banana Bread by Ninjabaking.com
• Classic Cheesecake by Hot Momma’s Kitchen Chaos
• Fat Man’s Pie by Magnolia Days
• Mandarin orange cake aka southern pig pickin’ cake by Baking & Browning
• Pizookies by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Grilled Pound Cake Stacks with Roasted Strawberries by Melanie Makes
• Strawberry Rhubarb Pie With Mascarpone Cream by La Bella Vita Cucina

• Wine Pairings for Man Food byENOFYLZ Wine Blog

No-churn Brown Sugar Peach Ripple Ice Cream

Now that I’ve discovered an easy no-churn way of making creamy ice cream, my head is constantly buzzing with ideas for flavors. Peaches are all over the markets right now, so a seasonal double peach ice cream was top of the list.

Years ago when we lived in Brazil, I asked my sister to bring me an ice cream maker when she came to visit. Ice cream was crazy expensive there and we missed it terribly because I just couldn’t bring myself to pay the price. Unfortunately, I didn’t think things through because, once I had the maker in my possession, I discovered that cream was the real culprit and it was going to cost me more to make my own than the expensive store-bought stuff cost. Deep sigh. When we moved to Houston, the ice cream maker came with us but it never got out of the box. Because: Blue Bell. If you live in Texas, you get to eat Blue Bell! Some of the very best ice cream in the country. But now that I’ve caught the ice cream making bug, thanks to my friend, Jenni, I started digging through our storage area over the washing machine and located said never-yet-used ice cream machine and hope to use it for the first time. Coconut ice cream, at the request of my younger daughter, is first on the list. Do you have an ice cream maker? What’s your favorite flavor?

Ingredients
3 medium peaches (about 1 lb or 450g total weight)

1/4 cup, firmly packed, or 50g brown sugar
1/4 cup or 60ml honey
Good pinch salt
1 teaspoon butter
1 2/3 cups or 400ml whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
2/3 cup or 200g sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 tablespoons aged rum (I used Ron Zacapa which is almost sweet, it is so mellow.)

Method
Cut the peaches in half and remove the pit. Cut them into pieces.

Put one chopped peach in a small pot with the sugar, honey and salt and heat to a slow boil over a medium flame. Stir frequently.

Cook at a slow boil until the peaches are very soft and the sauce thickens.

If you are a candy thermometer person, and I highly recommend you become one if you aren’t already, heat till about 225°F or °C.  Add the butter and stir while it melts. Set aside to cool. I poured mine into another bowl so it would cool faster then added the butter because I was in a rush to get this ice cream in the freezer.

In your stand mixer or with electric beaters, whisk the cream and cream of tartar until the cream thickens.

Add the condensed milk and whisk until stiff peaks form.

You can see that the cream is already pretty thick.

Add the vanilla and rum and whisk again.

Very stiff now!

Reserve some chopped peaches and peach sauce to add on top of the ice cream.  Ever so gently, fold in the rest of the fresh peaches and peach sauce. I spooned the sauce in all over the surface so it would be easier to fold in and not be completely lost in the folding.

Put the mixture in an airtight container, top with the reserved peaches and sauce and freeze for several hours for soft serve or overnight for firmer ice cream. I had guests coming for dinner so mine was on the softer side, as you can see from the photos.

Enjoy!

Chief instigator ice cream maker, +Jenni Field is also making ice cream today! Have a look at her wonderful Speculoos Cookie Milk Ice Cream! 

Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Buttermilk Muffins #MuffinMonday

Simple, buttery cinnamon muffins, sweetened with dark brown sugar, smell gorgeous in the oven and taste even better once you get them out.

I gotta tell you. Summer’s hard. I want to be everywhere, see everyone, but it just doesn’t seem to happen like I’d like it to. A good friend from my Kuala Lumpur days was in Houston this week and things piled up and I completely forgot about her Facebook message and missed seeing her. Now I don’t even know how to apologize. Because I did dearly want to spend time with her and “I forgot” seems like the worst insult, however unintentional.

Houston is home base for a few weeks each summer, and I make sure that the whole family sees all the doctors and dentists, etc. for annual check ups. That way the medical records have continuity despite our expat status and many moves all around the world. Our girls have seen the same eye doctor since elder daughter was three years old and she is now 23. Same with the dentist and pediatrician (although they’ve moved on from the pediatrician) and I still see the OB/GYN who saw me through my pregnancy with her. And my own childhood dentist. It just makes sense, but it does make for a hectic few weeks, getting all the appointments scheduled, while trying to spend quality time with friends and family and doing the shopping for new clothes, shoes, etc.

So, to my friends in Houston: If I haven’t seen you yet, you are on the list! And if you don’t hear from me, don’t hesitate to call or send me a message. It’s not that I don’t love you. I’m just busy chasing my own tail.

And, on Mondays, I'm making muffins.

Ingredients
For the muffin batter:
2 cups or 250g all purpose flour
3/4 cup or 170g dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup or 180ml buttermilk (or 2 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar and top up to 3/4 cup with milk)
1/2 cup or 115g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs

For the topping:
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and grease your 12-cup muffin pan or line with muffin papers.

In a large bowl mix together your flour, dark brown sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

In another bowl, whisk your buttermilk, melted butter, vanilla and eggs.

Pour your wet ingredients into your dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

Using a scoop or a tablespoon, distribute the batter among the muffin cups.

Mix the three tablespoons of sugar with one teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle liberally over all of the muffin cups.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.  Remove the muffins from the muffin pan and cool further on a rack.

Enjoy!  How do you spend your summer holidays?