Cookin' It Up In Texas: September 2013

Down here in Texas we love us some BBQ! Brisket is a great cut of meat, usually it needs to smoke low and slow in the pit, but not for this recipe. Made in the slow cooker. So good, it'll fool even the best barbecue aficionado. Ok, maybe not Bobby Flay, but you get my drift! No one even has to know this was made in your slow cooker, make everyone think you worked really hard at it, I won't tell, its our little secret!

This recipe is pretty flexible, meaning whatever size brisket you can fit snugly into your crockpot will work. We usually buy a huge brisket when on sale and cut it down to fit our crockpot. That way we have several dinners for a pretty cheap price. Here's the original recipe Barbecue Brisket

Pretty simple recipe, but packed with lots of flavor and tender as can be! I have added a few things that really help this recipe out. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

3-8 Pound Brisket trimmed of fat, leave some on for flavor
2 Tablespoons Dark Brown Sugar
2 Teaspoons Black Pepper
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Teaspoon Seasoned Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Dry Mustard
2 Teaspoons Worchestershire Sauce
2 Teaspoons Liquid Smoke
1-1 3/4 Cup Barbecue Sauce of choice, preferably an unsweet one

The night before you plan to cook this you'll need to prepare a marinade sauce and let it marinade overnight.

In a medium sized bowl combine brown sugar, pepper, garlic powder, seasoned salt, onion powder and dry mustard. Mix. Add worchestershire and liquid smoke. Mix. Add barbecue sauce, depending on the size of brisket. Mix well. Place brisket into a large bowl. Spoon sauce over the whole brisket, turning to get complete coverage. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning place brisket into slow cooker. Spoon any sauce thats left in the bowl onto the brisket. Turn slow cooker to low and cook for 8 hours.

After the 8 hours are up, remove brisket carefully from crock. Using a large spoon, collect all that delicious brisket sauce leftover in crock into a medium sized bowl. Place brisket back into crock and cook for another hour on high. This is what gives it a nice crust.

Let the brisket sauce cool down and skim as much grease from the top that you can. Once brisket is done, transfer to a large plate. Let cool for a good 15-20 minutes. Using a sharp carving knife, slice brisket against the grain. Give that brisket sauce a good stir and drizzle onto cut brisket. We also like to serve the sauce on the side.

The sauce is the boss!

So tender!

Kid Friendly Tater Salad

Whats BBQ without some tater salad on the side? I make several potato salads, but this recipe is one of the top favorites with kids and adults alike! Inspired by one of my dear friends that was kind enough to make it for me one day. I haven't changed much of her recipe!

Simple flavors that come together and make ya say, WOW! Red potatoes, mayo, boiled egg, crumbled bacon and lots of onion powder! Its really good!

Ingredients:
5-6 Medium Size Red Potatoes
1/2- 3/4 Cup Real Mayonnaise
2 Large Eggs
6 Slices of Bacon
2 Teaspoons Onion Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Pepper

If your making this with the brisket, to save time, you can make this the night before or make it a couple of hours before brisket will be done. This recipe can easily be doubled if cooking for a large crowd.

Wash potatoes. You can either peel potatoes or leave the skin on. Slice potatoes fairly evenly, refer to photo. Add to large pot and fill with cold water. Add eggs on top of potatoes, making sure they are fully submerged in the water. Cook on medium high heat until potatoes are fork tender, meaning poke a slice with a fork and if it breaks easily in half, potatoes are done. Don't overcook, you don't want mashed potatoes here! Cook time will be around a half hour.

While potatoes are cooking, fry bacon until its nice and crispy. Set aside. Once potatoes are cooked, Remove eggs with large spoon, place in bowl of cool water. Drain potatoes and add to a large bowl. Add onion powder, salt and pepper. Let sit until potatoes are cooled down. I like to carefully toss them ever so often to help with the cooling process.

Once cooled, add 1/2 cup mayo, please don't sub mayo with miracle whip, it's too tangy for this recipe. Mix well, but try to be careful not to mash the potatoes.Some will get mashed while mixing the salad but you want to make sure you have chunks in there too. If you find the salad is to dry increase mayo by a 1/4 cup. Rinse off, peel and dice up eggs. Add to potato mixture. Crumble 3 pieces of cooked bacon into potatoes. Mix gently. Smooth out top of potatoes. Crumble remaining bacon and sprinkle on top of salad.

For Brisket:

Add dry seasonings to medium bowl

Mix dry seasonings

Add worchestershire and liquid smoke

Add barbecue sauce

Cover brisket with sauce

Until well coated, marinate overnight

Add to crockpot in the morning, cook 8 hours

Remove from crockpot

Spoon out juice from brisket

Place brisket back into crockpot, cook 1 hour on high

Drain off grease that has settled at top

Using a ladled spoon works well

Finished brisket sauce, always stir before serving

Now doesn't that hunk of meat look delicious?

Slice against grain turning brisket if needed

Now, onto the tater salad!

You need 5-6 medium size red potatoes

Slice like this

After placing potatoes in pot with water place eggs on top, making sure they are submerged

Cook potatoes until fork tender

Place eggs into a bowl of cool water before draining potatoes

Add onion powder, salt and pepper

Add 1/2 cup mayo and mix

Add diced eggs and half of crumbled bacon, stir

Smooth off top

Add remaining crumbled bacon

So good, you'll feel like your in Texas! We served this with some ranch style beans.

This is one of those meals that help with leftovers or clean out the fridge time! Of course, you don't want it to taste like it and this doesn't disappoint. I had leftover baked chicken and had a nice sized breast left over. You could also buy a rotisserie at the grocery store, or whatever chicken you would like to use, just bake or grill it, cut it up diced style. Veggies, whatever you have laying around, I had some broccoli and red peppers. Pasta, anything goes! I used spaghetti, but bow-tie, penne or corkscrew would work well for this dish also. This meal will remind you of those quick frozen skillet meals. Just as quick too! Tastes better and you know everything that's in it!

Ingredients:

1 cut up and diced chicken breast, or whatever chicken you prefer
10 ounces spaghetti
1 cup frozen broccoli
1/2 red bell pepper cut into strips
1 large clove of shallot minced
1 large clove garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 stick of butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan

First off, boil the water for pasta in a large pot. Once boiling, add pasta. Once this returns to a boil add frozen broccoli. Boil according to pasta directions.

While pasta is boiling prepare to make the béchamel cream sauce.
In a large and deep skillet add olive oil. Don't turn the heat on just yet. Measure out the flour and heavy cream in separate containers. Set aside. Make sure all of the veggies are cut and ready. Have chicken ready. Measure out parmesan and set aside.

Heat the oil on medium heat. Once heated, add shallots and red peppers. Saute until just browning. Add garlic and sauté to mix. Push all veggies to side of pan and add half stick of butter to cleared area. Stir with a wire whisk taking care to keep veggies to side. Add flour. Stir until the bubbles go down, about a minute or two. Add heavy cream, salt and pepper. Stir well. Once you see sauce has thickened turn heat down to low and add parmesan, mixing well. Add chicken, give it a good stir.

By now, your pasta should be done. Drain pasta broccoli mixture and add to sauce. Give it all a good mix and its done! Top with additional parmesan if you like.